Living Proof: Courage in the Face of AIDS

By Carolyn Jones

Book Overview

This moving and beautiful book offers unprecedented insight into the astounding strength of the human spirit when confronted with illness, pain, loss, and death. Features 75 black-and-white photographs.

Carolyn Jones's vivid and life-affirming portraits capture people from all backgrounds--children and grandmothers, men and women of all races--living with HIV and AIDS.

It is estimated that over one million people in the United States would test positive for the Human Immune Virus, and many others are already suffering from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. A common-and harmful-misconception holds that AIDS is an instant death sentence but, in fact, testing positive for HIV does not mean immediate illness. Carolyn Jones has collaborated with George DeSipio, Jr., and Michael Liberatore (co-founders of the project), and the seventy-three people who volunteered to pose for these photographs in an inspiring effort to change the way we think about AIDS. Jones's compelling portraits have the power to profoundly alter perceptions about this disease, and about the way we all live and die. AIDS poses challenging questions that we must each grapple with, whether healthy or not. These captivating pictures illustrate the self-confidence and wisdom of ordinary people coping with an extraordinary fate, facing their mortality, questioning their priorities, and living life to the fullest. Their energy, courage, and dignity in the face of such adversity offer a vital lesson in how to embrace life, day by day. Their faces and their stories are proof that AIDS doesn't look like anyone--it looks like, and ultimately is, all of us.

Design Industries Foundation for AIDS (DIFFA) is the sole recipient of the royalties from the sale of Living Proof. For additional information regarding Living Proof and the Design Industries Foundation for AIDS, please call DIFFA: (212) 727-3100.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0896600793
• ISBN13: 9780896600799
• Release Date: November 1996
• Publisher: Artabras Publishers
• Length: 88 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 9.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Vivid and Life-Affirming Portraits

"[P]hotojournalist Carolyn Jones' vivid and life-affirming portraits capture people from all backgrounds, ages, and races, living with HIV and AIDS. Their faces and their stories are proof that AIDS doesn't look like anyone--it looks like, and ultimately is, all of us. All royalties donated to Design Industries Foundation for AIDS (DIFFA). 75 photos."--? zebraz

A charming and moving book

This is a collection of photography that illustrates people from all walks of life who are living with HIV/AIDS. The black and white photographs show people from young to old surrounded by things or people that they love and that make them happy. The focus of the book is on the fact that people are LIVING with AIDS rather than focusing on death in any way. The best part of the book are the captions that accompany each photograph...words of wisdom and life from the people featured in the pages.

Touching, immensely moving and beautifully produced.

Living Proof: Courage in the Face of AIDSI have been providing emotional support to people living with HIV/AIDS for more than five years in Australia and while living in Brazil, I had the experience of losing a good friend with AIDS. I consider Carolyn Jones' book - Living Proof: Courage in the Face of AIDS, the best book ever produced about HIV and AIDS.It summarizes it all. Not only through the beautiful photos taken by Carolyn Jones, but also through the feelings, values, believes and hopes of each participant, extraordinarily condensed by Michael Liberatore's work.It is so universal, touching and moving. A magnificent piece of art that can help to reduce the prejudices about AIDS, basically caused by fear and ignorance. I hope you will buy this book and help to promote it. We could not buy it in local Sydney bookshops, but now, using the internet, I will buy a few to donate to some libraries. Thank you so much Carolyn Jones, Michael Liberatore, George DeSipio Jr. and everyone involved in this project.