Writers

W.H. Auden, Edwidge Danticat,Susan Sontag, Norman Mailer, Alfred Kazin, Maurice Sendak, Joseph Brodsky, Lorrie Moore, Tom Stoppard, Chinua Achebe, Ian McEwan, Jonathan Franzen, Gayl Jones, Nelson Algren—the list goes to 104: the number of joyous duotones presented in this collection of exceptionally evocative photos of authors. Crampton is the official photographer for the famed 92nd Street Y's Unterberg Poetry Center, which features readings by writers across the literary spectrum. Her intimate, New York-centric photos (subjects are placed on streets, in offices and in apartments rather than in a professional studio) of celebrated writers span more than 30 years. What makes this collection of shots most worthy, however, is the way in which each subject appears attached to Crampton, wanting to give her the smile or the gesture she's looking for. If there's little drama, there's lots of give and take and warmth. (Sept.)