I was standing outside The Powerhouse, a nightclub on 27th or 28th Street, when shiny black truck pulled up. Run-DMC and the Afros came out of the club, piled into the car, and pumped up the volume so everyone could dance. It was a classic summer in the city, and I was only 16. I don't even think I knew then what any of it meant, but it all seems so clear now.  And that's the truth of youth: you live it to the fullest.

The new book American Youth by the photographers of Redux Pictures celebrate the ingenue, the coming of the new, and the beauty of the idealism. Be it Iraq War widows or debutantes at the Plaza Hotel, JROTC in Virginia or transgenders in San Francisco, this compendium of some 25 photographers provides an unvarnished glimpse into the struggle between rebellion and tradition, self determination and vulnerability, rebellion and vulnerability on the newest generation of Americans.

On Friday, May 15, the New York Photo Festival will host a panel discussion featuring Redux photographers Gina LeVay, Mark Peterson, Nathaniel Welch; photography directors Bill Black (Reader's Digest), Bruce Perez (Redbook), Allyson Torrisi (Popular Mechanics); and moderated by Janene Outlaw (The New York Times) discussing their experiences sharing stories in photographic format, as well as providing perspective on how America's youth will define a not-too-distant future.

An exhibition of work from the book will be on view at the Festival from May 13-17 in the Tobacco Warehouse, which is open to the public through the park entrance. The Festival itself is a ticketed event and promises to provide a day's walking tour in Dumbo, traversing the cobbled streets and touring installations from the likes of Jody Quon, Chris Boot, William A. Ewing, and my faavorite, Jon Levy. Following the launch of American Youth, the winners of the New York Photo Awards will be honored along with another party, but by then I will be long gone, as Maripol is celebrating her birthday. I think she's turning 26.

St. Ann's Warehouse, 38 Water Street (right under the Brooklyn Bridge it is)
RSVP or festival pass required: Tel: 917.902.8515 or
email: AmericanYouthLaunch@gmail.com

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