All-American. Vol. 14

Over the past thirteen years, the photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber has published the book series All-American, an independent portfolio of work by artists, photographers, essayists, poets, and personalities whose lives and accomplishments warrant celebration. The latest edition of Bruce Weber’s annual arts journal explores the emotional framework behind a wide spectrum of human endeavor. With its characteristically eclectic cast of talented subjects, All-American XIV: Affairs of the Heart considers the deeply personal motivations at the heart of a creative and committed life. This fourteenth edition of Weber’s journal presents two original commissions. In the first, photographer and filmmaker Poppy de Villeneuve returns to the small town of Harbor Springs, Michigan to document daily life and reflect on the town’s evolution from her early experiences there as a child. In the second, Lisa Eisner and John Scott visit The Thacher School in Ojai, California to investigate the institution’s unique equestrian program. Bruce Weber offers three original photo essays–a portfolio of Tibetan Mastiffs, the rare and mysterious dog breed; a spread dedicated to the work of ex-pat artist Kris Ruhs, accompanied by a conversation with the artist Michele Oka Doner; and a profoundly moving testimonial from retired NYPD detective William Fischer. The inspiration that Bruce Weber takes from Italian cinema is celebrated through two stories rooted in the neoclassical era: A portfolio of incredible photographs by the little-known Italian photographer Paolo di Paolo, and a collection of images taken on the set of Antonioni’s counterculture classic Zabreskie Point by Bruce Davidson—presented here with an interview Bruce Weber conducted with the film’s star, Daria Halprin. The book also features tributes to two very different American literary talents who passed away this year–Peter Matthiessen and Rene Ricard.