Janet Malcolm's new book
Janet Malcolm, a prominent writer for The New Yorker, has written Still Pictures, a reflective work exploring memory and the power of photography. The book combines personal photographs with introspective writing, emphasizing how images can transform and reveal meaning.Photography as transformation
Malcolm writes that "Taking a photograph is an act of transformation," highlighting how images can change the way we perceive and remember events. Each chapter of the book begins with a personal photograph, setting the tone for the reflections that follow.Malcolm's early life and photography
According to her daughter Anne Malcolm, Janet Malcolm was a photographer before becoming a journalist and critic for The New Yorker. She developed her own photographs in a darkroom she set up in a closet, using a Leica camera with leather finishes.Personal archives and memories
In her apartment, Malcolm kept a box labeled "old not-terrible photos," containing images she considered flawed but meaningful. These photographs, though not technically perfect, hold significant emotional and historical value for her.Escape from Prague
Born in Prague, Janet Malcolm emigrated to the United States in 1939 with her family. A photo taken by a distant cousin shows her as "the girl on the train," departing for Hamburg on one of the last civilian ships to cross the Atlantic.Reflections on identity and history
Malcolm explores the duality of what photographs show and what they are made to represent. She reflects on different versions of herself, captured in images from her past, including a moment from the 1920s when her father dressed as a woman for an avant-garde ball.Influence and legacy
Still Pictures draws comparisons to the works of Annie Ernaux and invites readers to consider the evolving role of photography in the digital age. The book, published by Éditions du sous-sol, includes a translation by Jakuta Alikavazovic and is available in 5,000 copies at 21.90 €.
