The Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton

Sometimes I’m late to the party. “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” was on television for a full eight seasons before I sat myself down to watch one ridiculous episode. The television show “Transparent” finished two seasons before I found it on Amazon and was able to witness not only the talent of Jeffrey Tambor but also the genius of Judith Light as the Pfeffermans. I probably discovered kale and kombucha later than most people, too. I guess I’m a later bloomer that way. But my point is that many of you have probably already heard of the blog and the books written by the innovative Brandon Stanton under the name “Humans of New York.” In case you have not heard of them, welcome to the party and please jump on board. Stanton is a photographer and writer who started a blog (http://www.humansofnewyork.com/) by taking pictures of people in New York and writing up short interviews with them. He has published one book that is filled with stories and pictures, and a second book (the one I read) has mostly photographs (magical photographs!) with short captions. I love picture books, coffee table books and art books and this one is all three. I want to know why people get out of bed in the morning, how they make their living and who they are in love with. I want to know intimate details like what kind of things they dream about and what do they put in their cart at Trader Joes. For a nosey and inquisitive person like me, Stanton’s blog and books are a dream come true. The picture book contains more than 400 personal and poignant photographs, and the blog has more than eight million followers on social media. And let’s just be very clear: his work is not only about the humans of New York, it is about the humans of the world. It is not about the cookie cutter-perfect people, but rather the bright, rough-and-tumble quirky people from coast to coast who need to be applauded, appreciated and celebrated for their differences. Follow-up question: What is your favorite place in New York City to people watch? To purchase this book on Amazon click here.