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63rd out of 214 books
—
235 voters
Shutterbabe: Adventures in Love and War
On a wintry night in February 1989, 22-year-old Deborah Copaken Kogan is the lone female among a group of Afghan freedom fighters riding through the Hindu Kush mountains. 'In my lap, hopping atop my thighs as the truck lurches, as my body shivers, sits a sturdy canvas Domke bag filled with Nikons and Kodachrome film, which I'm hoping to use to photograph the pull-out of th...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
April 25th 2002
by Mainstream Publishing
(first published 2001)
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Deborah Copaken Kogan graduated from Harvard in 1988 and plunged straight into the world of photojournalism. Like most fresh grads, reality is something college doesn� t prepare you for.[return][return]Living in Paris, she knocked on agency doors for an assignment. Within weeks, she was in Afghanistan with Pascal, a more senior photojournalist who promised that he would help get her into the thick of the war.[return][return]The book opens with her travelling in a group of mujahideen - rebel "fre...more
I would like to submit this as Exhibit A for the failure of traditional publishing to redress issues of sexism, not to mention shooting itself in its stupid foot and being appallingly condescending to one of its strongest demographics.
I mean, first I'd like to read the book.
But I believe this paragraph from the author's incredible (and incredibly enraging) recent piece on the Nation should stand by itself to support my case:
It's 1999. I sell my first book to Random House, a memoir of my years...more
I mean, first I'd like to read the book.
But I believe this paragraph from the author's incredible (and incredibly enraging) recent piece on the Nation should stand by itself to support my case:
It's 1999. I sell my first book to Random House, a memoir of my years...more
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If you enjoy vicariously living a life of adventure, this book may be for you. The memories of a thrill seeking photojournalist, fresh out of school and anxious to make a name for herself, are often harrowing tales of near misses and last minute rescues both at the battle front and in the bedroom. Working in the competitive male dominated world of photojournalism requires her to take risks and witness events that no one should. Her close encounters with world events from the late '80s and early...more
Cheesy title, I know. And in the first two pages, I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue, so loud were the author's claims on feminism. (She starts out on the back of a truck in Afghanistan, in the male dominated 1980's world of photojournalism, lamenting her lack of tampons). But stick with it, I swear it's worth it.
The truth is, photojournalism really was a boys' club, and I doubt I'd have understood the extent of it without reading this book. But it's not entirely the main focus of the book,...more
The truth is, photojournalism really was a boys' club, and I doubt I'd have understood the extent of it without reading this book. But it's not entirely the main focus of the book,...more
Shutterbabe is a fun, interesting book and I loved the way the author wove in professional experiences across the globe with personal struggles.
The book's organization, each chapter named after an important man in the author's life, is an interesting twist. But I was left feeling as though the author allows her life to be defined by the men in it. She touts feminism and tries to come off like a strong female character, but she definitely has some flaws (don't we all).
At times, it felt a little...more
The book's organization, each chapter named after an important man in the author's life, is an interesting twist. But I was left feeling as though the author allows her life to be defined by the men in it. She touts feminism and tries to come off like a strong female character, but she definitely has some flaws (don't we all).
At times, it felt a little...more
This was a great book, and as another Shutterbabe, I really enjoyed reading this memoir. There were a few things that I disagreed with, but can still understand and sympathise. One thing that really bugged me about this book was how much of a feminist the author claimed to be, and yet wrote the book around her experiences with ex lovers. Honestly, even though it sometimes hurts, and there are those worse times where it REALLY Freakin' hurts, you must put it behind you, and leave it be. Though th...more
look past the stupid title and the simplistic "i'm-a-feminist-because-i-have-lots-of-sex-like-a-man" argument, and there's a really interesting account of the photojournalist process here.
for any woman (or man) who has fantasized about covering jihadists in afghanistan, guerilla wars, coups, or other major world issues with your camera. really for anyone who would like an exciting, dangerous, travel-filled life.
for any woman (or man) who has fantasized about covering jihadists in afghanistan, guerilla wars, coups, or other major world issues with your camera. really for anyone who would like an exciting, dangerous, travel-filled life.
At age 22, Deborah Copaken is an impressively accomplished Harvard grad snapping war photos and alternately trying to break into the boys' club of war photographers and stumble into the beds of those same boys. She makes some really stupid decisions, and some men treat her really badly, and unfortunately, she seems to assume more cause and effect in that than I'd like (ie, she notes that she has received far more abuse than she ever "asked for," but she still seems to consider it possible to "as...more
This is a memoir of a young woman who becomes a war photographer without really knowing what she's getting into. She's a bit wild, looking for adventure, and in a *very* male-dominated world, working in *very* male-dominated countries. I liked parts of the beginning of the book, just because her experiences were so unusual and her perspective was so interesting. But it gradually fell apart for me towards the second half, when she basically renounces her youthful follies and settles down to be a...more
Mar 03, 2008
Melanie
added it
Fun to read about the adventures of this "tiny girl" (her description) in an all male world (war, war, war), but the voice gets grating. I was rolling my eyes after she'd slept with/fallen in love with the 10th guy and we were only 1/2 way through the book.
Deborah Copaken-Kogan unflinchingly puts herself in harm’s way to show that she can do whatever a man can and in the process confirms that violence against women and sexism are alive and well across the globe. She tells the story with the kind of courage, intelligence and self deprecation that makes for a moving, at times laugh-out-loud read, and ends with a greater understanding and appreciation of what’s important (love, mostly). It’s a romance, it’s a coming of age story, it’s inspiring for i...more
The author wrote an autobiographical account of her short-but-intense career in war photojournalism. Her method in writing about each war/battle/military clash is told by way of who she was sleeping with at the time.
Overall, she tells a good story. What I did not like was her "Look what I went through in my life and I survived..." knowing that thousands of others have not. She discusses survivor guilt by "having bad dreams" and "feeling bad."
First of all, in discussing her escapes from many a sc...more
Overall, she tells a good story. What I did not like was her "Look what I went through in my life and I survived..." knowing that thousands of others have not. She discusses survivor guilt by "having bad dreams" and "feeling bad."
First of all, in discussing her escapes from many a sc...more
The parts I enjoyed the most where probably her own comments on the photojournalism industry. However, this is a definitely a story of the author's life though at times somewhat disjointed feeling. She certainly highlights the best or rather, most memorable, experiences of her life that brought her to where she is now. Her honesty is greatly appreciated. She does not try to save the world through pictures and she admits her own selfish gains. Her tenacity is astounding and admirable and while it...more
Passionate about photography, Deborah Copaken Kogan moved to Paris in 1988 as a freelance photojournalist in war, famine, poverty, and environmental extremes. Her insights as an independent woman traveler and photographer are unique and honest and I really enjoyed this close up look on the memoir of such a courageous young woman. Although she slept around with multiple men her bravery and determination stood out. After all everyone makes mistakes right? I would definitely recommend this book to...more
I loved this book in college. It spoke to me, Kogen was my spirit animal, etc. (Except for running headlong into wars. I only wished I had those balls.) I hadn't read it in over ten years and was very curious how it would translate from slutty 20-year-old college sophomore to 31-year-old mama. Turns out...I still get it. And I almost get it more. I could see all the layers of the author's looking back and understand a whole other level. I was very glad to have reread it, though I had to skip the...more
This is an autobiography of a short, female photojournalist working in a man's world. I liked it because I once had similar aspirations (and am vertical challenged), but did not have the courage or self-belief of Deborah Copaken Kogan. So the majority of the book provided fascinating "what ifs" for me. Then, she discovers the struggle to balance career and motherhood, which is universal these days. This seemed a bit self-indulgent and ordinary... like looking at pictures of a stranger's child. T...more
As an aspiring photojournalist, I couldn't put this book down. Kogan does a great job of creating a memoir that is both telling of who she used to be and who she is now. There is no censor as she takes the reader beyond the life of a photojournalist. The way she describes situations is both telling and creative. My favorite part was when she compared the men who she conquered to rolls of film. However, she went overboard when she went into detail about her menstrual cycle. As a reader, I found i...more
This was an interesting account of a working photojournalist's daily life. It was an odd account of an alleged feminist's early adulthood. Screwing every dude you can get your hands on doesn't make you a feminist, and naming chapters after losers lovers rather than the exotic spots around the globe where you've worked is pretty retrograde. Still, she's smart and the book is well-written. I never knew the economics and logistics of making iconic news images, and it was worth reading this book to...more
Shutterbabe is a grittier version of Eat, Pray, Love, which I enjoyed greatly. Deborah is a certified bad-ass. She left suburbia and Harvard at the age of 22 to become one of the first female photojournalists. She traveled by herself with the Mujhadeen in Afghanistan during the Soviet war, covered the fall of the Soviet Union, and other wars and events. She is repeatedly assaulted (occasionally sexually), threatened, seduced and shot at, and yet she keeps going back in the field, often with grea...more
I actually enjoyed Shutterbabe. I thought her nickname for herself was actually cute. Some comments have focused on disliking how the author wrote about her love/bed interests too much and her leaving photography in the end as a knock against feminism that some felt like she harped about.
For me however, the title says its all-- Shutterbabe: Adventures in Love and War. As someone who knows next to nothing about the technical aspects of photography, this book gave me some new basic knowledge abou...more
For me however, the title says its all-- Shutterbabe: Adventures in Love and War. As someone who knows next to nothing about the technical aspects of photography, this book gave me some new basic knowledge abou...more
I read this book years ago and am still in love with it.
Perhaps it's because this young brazen women of 22 goes into the worst torn ridden countries in the world by herself; there is a bravery and stupidity (and I mean that in the nicest way possible!) there that I just admired and was fascinated with -- but at the same time her work was also inspiring and world changing.
I couldn't put it down and was happy that the author shared her candid and intersting life with us.
Perhaps it's because this young brazen women of 22 goes into the worst torn ridden countries in the world by herself; there is a bravery and stupidity (and I mean that in the nicest way possible!) there that I just admired and was fascinated with -- but at the same time her work was also inspiring and world changing.
I couldn't put it down and was happy that the author shared her candid and intersting life with us.
I don't quite understand organizing this book about becoming a photo-journalist around the men in the author's life. And sometimes, I learned way more about those relationships than I really wanted to know. I loved loved loved the chapter on visiting the Romanian orphanages. It was gripping and horrifying and I just read it wide-eyed. And it was fascinating that her employer wasn't trying to sell her photos of the orphans because they were too gruesome and so she gave a tip to a NYT journalist a...more
I really enjoyed this book. Very colorful and she takes you through a details tour of her life. Mind you, there IS a reason all the chapters have men's names. But, it's a very accurate tell of being a female photojournalist in a still male-dominated industry. Lets just say, there aren't many women shooters who have kids at home.
It was well written so that I was right along side her through her journeys. Would like to see how the rest of her life turned out.
It was well written so that I was right along side her through her journeys. Would like to see how the rest of her life turned out.
I try to avoid the kind of book about the typical young woman growing up in turmoil as I read one too many of them in high school and slowly realized that after you've read one or two, they are really all the same.
I think this book carries a certain element of that but it only starts there and I enjoyed that it took the story a few steps beyond that. The author's voice is much more mature and the storyline takes the reader into truly thoughtful experiences as you follow the author through her ad...more
I think this book carries a certain element of that but it only starts there and I enjoyed that it took the story a few steps beyond that. The author's voice is much more mature and the storyline takes the reader into truly thoughtful experiences as you follow the author through her ad...more
Another autobiography that I enjoyed. As a photojournalist, Kogan was a thrill seeker, and she found a camera to be an excuse to meet people that she never would have otherwise. She chronicles trips to Africa, Romania (remember all those sad, neglected children in orphanages that we saw on the news years ago? - Kogan was there), and other exotic places. Neat book.
I think I would have appreciated this book a lot more a few years ago. At this point it felt personally exploitative and lacking in significant deep reflection. At the end of the book, while the author was justifying her personal choices to become a mother, she felt dismissive of people who have made different choices or whose lives took a different path.
An interesting, action-packed and modern account of a young woman in international photojournalism. While at the outset this story seems like a retelling of the protagonist's war stories, it ends up a thoughtful memoir of how her experiences impacted her personal growth, priorities, and relationships.
I picked up this book right before going on Study Abroad to the UK and Ireland my sophomore year of college. I read it on the plane and throughout my time in London, and it was definitely a life-changing book. Not only did it prepare me for meeting my photojournalist "mentor" (he was the picture of her descriptions...), but it gave me a look into that world and what it takes to survive. This book was funny, very interesting, and just an entertaining (and even emotional at times) read. And amazin...more
Great story, Kogan has really led a unique life and it was really interesting to get a view into it. However I found the writer to be distinctly unlikable and found it difficult to relate to her thoughts which seemed very inorganic. I would have liked to read more about the photojournalism aspects rather than the various affairs she had. Putting this aside though its an easy read and in parts is very enjoyable.
This autobiography is a must-read for any woman working in a predominately male industry. It's filled with triumphs and failures similar to any woman climbing the ladder to a successful career.
She opens the book by describing how one of her traveling companions has sat on her bookbag (filled with camera equipment) squashing a bottle of rubbing alcohol which in turn expands and explodes all of her tampons... All while crouched - in a burka from head to toe - in the back of a truck in the middle...more
She opens the book by describing how one of her traveling companions has sat on her bookbag (filled with camera equipment) squashing a bottle of rubbing alcohol which in turn expands and explodes all of her tampons... All while crouched - in a burka from head to toe - in the back of a truck in the middle...more
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“I loved to press the shutter, to freeze time, to turn little slices of life into rectangle rife with metaphor.”
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