1/500th of a second . . . An Unlikely Weapon

AN UNLIKELY WEAPON: The Eddie Adams Story (2009). This exceptional documentary about the life of an award-winning photographer premieres this week in Denver at the Starz FilmCenter, July 3-9. Go to http://www.anunlikelyweapon.com for times and directions. Opening nationwide throughout the summer.

Legendary photographer Eddie Adams, famously seen lurking in war zones, at celebrity shoots, and on the streets of New York, photographed 13 wars, six US presidents and every major film star in the last 50 years. His career and reputation exploded into world renown when, in Vietnam in 1968, Eddie shot what is considered by many to be the definitive war photograph: General Loan, the Saigon police chief shooting a Vietcong prisoner point-blank in the head. “Saigon Execution” won Eddie a Pulitzer Prize and was credited with changing public opinion to help end the Vietnam War.

Eddie was a guy who lived hard and played harder. Enormously ambitious and driven, rough talking, notoriously dissatisfied with his achievements, he documented the plight of refugees around the world, jumped aboard a boat load of Vietnamese headed out to sea with only some rice and a few hundred dollars worth of gasoline, and faced off Fidel Castro until the two went on an unlikely duck hunting trip together, among other risky ventures. In this documentary, journalists such as Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, and Morley Safer speak about Eddie with a measure of awe and respect. As Safer says, “Eddie was not your typical sedate, thoughtful photographer . . . He looked for trouble both on and off the job.”

Later in life Eddie turned to photographing celebrities, resulting in stunning and unique shots, signatures of his skill and experienced eye for the money shot. There were many sides to this talented man: war photographer, human rights activist, teacher, competitive and aggressive artist; most of all, he was deeply human and fully engaged in life.

SUSAN MORGAN COOPER is the brilliant filmmaker who produced this exceptional documentary. The road to its completion was long and not always smooth—but she had promised Eddie, and she kept that promise, in spades. This is a DO NOT MISS film!

-- Rosemary Carstens

http://www.FEASTofBooks.com

View trailer:

Business Unusual . . . Farm Chicks in the Kitchen!

Teri Edwards and Serena Thompson (see photo below) partnered up six years ago to turn their enthusiasm for cooking, junking, and crafting into what has become a thriving business. They now have an annual Farm Chicks show in Spokane, Washington, which offers a line of jewelry, clothing, and stationery items, and are contributing editors to Country Living magazine. This year they’ve added the title “authors” to their mounting list of accomplishments.

THE FARM CHICKS IN THE KITCHEN: Live Well, Laugh Often, Cook Much (Sterling 2009) offers a collection of recipes that epitomize their philosophy: tasty, simple to prepare, and friends and family will love them. These are not elaborate, oh-too-fussy foods such as those often found in haute cuisine cookbooks by famous names. These are foods to live with, to brighten up any family’s meals. They offer comfort and nutrition and stretch the usual daily foods that are your staples.

Pumpkin waffles, tangy cucumber cups, savory sweet potato soup, Asian quinoa salad, pies and shortbread, plus many, many more add up to 52 recipes in total accompanied by more than a dozen craft projects. With their usual Farm Chick style, Serena and Teri transform unexpected found objects into repurposed items to use and share. The book is laced with stories and recipes that include the many friends they’ve made on their business journey, and memories and anecdotes about childhood, cooking, and junking. A really fun, unique gift for the person who loves to cook for a family and can’t pass up a garage sale because it might hold hidden treasures!

The farm chicks’ website: http://www.thefarmchicks.com

-- Rosemary Carstens
http://www.CarstensCommunications.com