Chin up. Now look over at me. Shoulders back. Good. →
The Millions posted an interesting essay by Edan Lepucki about author photos. I’ve found myself thinking about them a lot recently and I’m not really sure why. The writer makes a funny point about authors who “cup their heads” in an attempt to appear more thoughtful. She cites Amy Hempel there (with a photo of her doing that move), but I have to say, her photos usually rank among some of my favorites. Par exemple (by Bill Hayward):
Other ones I like: Ann Beattie’s photo for Where You’ll Find Me (she has a weird clip in her hair and looks amused). The photo of Jean Rhys used for The Complete Novels (she looks pretty, but also prone to violent outbursts). Oh, and any time a person poses with a medium or large sized dog outside (which is another thing Lepucki doesn’t really like). Click the headline to read the essay.
