Do or Die

These 64 striking photographs of aspiring boxers in Harlem evoke a world of agility, toughness, speed and rock-hard determination which seems a microcosm of the mean streets beyond the boxing ring. Boys who look eight or 10 years old wear anxious faces; hardened older fighters alternate between macho pride and flashes of camaraderie. French-born photographer/filmmaker Barrat, who has lived in the United States since 1968, made numerous excursions to Harlem boxing gyms, befriending such legendary boxers as Kid Chocolate and Sandy Saddler whom she anecdotally profiles in her essay. She also discusses the fighters' preparatory rituals, their close relationships with their trainers and the competitive rigors of amateur boxing. (July)