Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs

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This may be the best memoir I have ever read. I've followed Mann's photography for some time, from Immediate Family, through the southern landscapes, the commentaries on slavery, the studies of her husband's failing body, to the Body Farm work. What I didn't know was just how astonishingly eccentric her family actually is. Fully half of this book deals with her family: parents, grandparents, great grandparents, as well as her husband's family.Her family history rivals anything I've ever read before, from spellbinding tales of adverturers to criminals. Among her ancestors she has billionaires (in today's dollars), murderers, polyamourous relationships, drug dealers, inventors, artists, and writers. Branches of her family go back to Colonial America in 1630.She is a deeply Southern woman, bound to the land she comes from, yet conflicted by Confederate history. She writes that, like many affluent Southern children, she was essentially raised by a Black woman, who worked for her family for 50 years. In this book she tries to come to terms with the Southern mentality and the legacy of slavery, as well as her own parents' indifference towards child rearing.Recounting the bizarre stories would take me as long as it took to read the book. There are remarkable anecdotes on virtually every page of it, some of it almost unbelievable. Manhandling a dead body to the top of a hill to its repose at the Body Farm comes to mind, as does the recounting of her in-laws descent from high social standing to drug dealing and, finally, murder/suicide. Her own father's lifelong obsession with death, culminating in his suicide, seems to be a harbinger of Mann's own preoccupation with death and dead bodies. Her mother's lifelong distance and aloofness was offset by her relationship with the Black housekeeper.Sally Mann is one of the most interesting and creative personalities of the last century, in my opinion, stubbornly carrying out whatever odd and difficult project she conceives of. Her view of herself and her life is fierce, honest, and uncompromising. She never flinches from showing herself as she is, and never hides her failures and insecurities from us.This is more than a memoir of a photographer. In many ways, it is the story of the South. I've never understood this part of the Country until seeing inside of her mind through her memories, which she rigorously confirmed with her family, friends, and various documents she researched. It wasn't enough that she "remembered". She made sure that what she remembered was what really happened.Oddly enough, for an artist who has been called the preeminent photographer of her generation, her undergraduate and Masters degrees are in creative writing. Her book is brilliantly written. There is not a single dry sentence in it. Reading this book was one of the highlights of my reading year, and it will surely be one of yours.

What a great read! The journey of a photographer and her pathtoward creative work that leads the artistic journey on how we seeourselves and the human journey. Mann takes us along through her childhood,her Hippie days to becoming a mom and her later work. The photos show artistry andare a window of a meditation on life, God and the human condition. There is something delightfully80's and 90's here of a sort of free less technological time of Old South. Mann's greatness is not yetfull appreciated but future generations will. Get this book - It is a treasure!

This book was surprisingly terrific! My Book Group selected this memoir and I had not previously heard about it or read a review. Consequently, I went into the read with no preconceptions. The initial chapters went slowly as it took a while to get a feel for Sally's writing style and become familiar with her family and situation. However, the further I read, the more engaged I became.Although I am the same age as Sally, rendering much of the material familiar, her characters are so well described I believe folks of all ages will resonate with the individuals, situations and perspectives. The writing style is unique and the supporting photography takes some time to absorb. After the first 2 chapters I got a dictionary and stronger light. I was reading the paperback version of the book and the photos were difficult to appreciate without good lighting. Sally's vocabulary taught me new terminology that was essential to understand and accurately interpret the prose.This book took me on an interesting personal journey. The separation of the chapters by events, family history, social topics, and personal perspectives allowed me as a reader to absorb the experiences thoughtfully and reflectively. The author grew up in the south, had a unique family and grew up in challenging social times. Although I grew up in the north, I also have a unique family, (as I imagine most readers do), and I experienced many of the same things the author did from both similar and different perspectives. Her ability to write so clearly and descriptively as she shares intimate details of her thinking and her remembrances makes this a wonderful read and an emotional experience. I 'recognized' my Grandparents, Dad, great aunts and uncles, siblings, close family friends, my husband and total strangers throughout the text. I was also taken to places of my childhood, school experiences, family trips and was reminded of the, 'family history explorations' performed in several family attics. It was an exhilarating and enjoyable vicarious ride.I would strongly recommend the book; Sally is a unique raconteur.

The book is very goodAnd, as I bought it used, in very good condition

I've been a Sally Mann fan for decades and I was particularly touched by her writing in this book. I thought it was beautifully written and compelling. It was fascinating to read her motivations behind her picture taking and how her images evolved very naturally over time, given her personal history and sense of place. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to get a better insight into the mind and photos of Sally Mann.

A gem or more accurately a rug woven with a marvelous range of fibres and fabrics ,with surprising colours and textures, about art, families, motherhood,fatherhood,the south, slavery,Twombly,dogs,growing up,passion for art,cotton gins

Awewsome book. Very well written and fascinating. A must have for fans of Sally Mann's photographs, as it gives you context and appreciation .

Great book and just so inspirational!