Dear New York

Brandon Stanton

Book cover for Dear New York
Book cover for Dear New York

Dear New York

Dear New York

Brandon Stanton

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Description

ln 2025, Brandon Stanton, creator of "Humans of New York" and author of four #1 NYT bestselling books, will publish his most personal work yet: Dear New York, a photographic love letter to the city he has embraced. Opening with a deeply moving prologue that reads like a train ride through the city, the book expands into nearly five hundred full-color pages of portraits and stories from the streets of New York. And for the first time ever, unlike Stanton's past books which were curated from his massive body of online work, more than 75-percent of the stories in Dear New York have never been published before.

Stanton created the groundbreaking first volume of Humans of New York in 2013, only three years after beginning his photography career. Called "one of the most important art projects of the decade" by The Washington Post, its unique combination of intimate portraiture and on-the-spot interviews spawned a style of storytelling that has become a hallmark of our digital age. Twelve years later, having now interviewed more than ten thousand people around the world, a seasoned artist returns home with a very personal mission: to use everything he's learned, to capture the city he loves most.

A Guyanese grandmother boxing beneath the Roosevelt Island Bridge. A political refugee practicing Tai chi during a blizzard. A fentanyl dealer bringing his child to a playground on the Lower East Side. Dear New York is a book filled with contradictions, yet brimming with life. It is an unprecedented portrait of the world's greatest city, and a deeply personal tribute to the people who provide its soul.

About the Author

BRANDON STANTON is the writer and photographer behind Humans of New York, a storytelling platform with over thirty-million followers. He has photographed and interviewed over ten thousand people in forty different countries around the world, including extensive series in Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. During this time he has helped raise over $20 million in support of various causes and individuals that have been featured in his work. In 2013 Time Magazine named him one of 30 under 30 Changing The World. In 2015, he became the first social media creator to be granted an interview in the Oval Office, with then President Barack Obama. He is also the author of four #1 NYT bestselling books, which have sold millions of copies around the world: Humans of New York (2013) Humans of New York: Stories (2015), Humans (2020), and Tanqueray (2022). He grew up in Atlanta and is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia. He currently lives with his wife and three children in New York City.

Critical Reviews

Praise for Dear New York:

"Humans of New York creator Stanton (Humans) captures the beating heart of New York City--its people--in this vibrant love letter to the metropolis... Stanton's knack for capturing his subjects' voices is on full display, making for a collection that easily ranges from heartbreaking to bizarre to humorous." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The book's optimism paints New York as a city where diverse lives converge in moments of beauty, joy, and collective hope. A timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories." --Kirkus Reviews

On Humans of New York and Humans of New York: Stories:

"Some street photographers hide behind phone booths like paparazzi so their subject won't be aware of their presence, but for Stanton it's precisely that awkward interaction, the tearing down of the wall between strangers, that he covets." --The Huffington Post

"There's no judgment, just observation and in many cases reverence, making for an inspiring reading and visual experience." --Publishers Weekly

"As the quotes grew longer, and the interviews deeper, Stanton developed a signature storytelling style--one that blends the lure of urban voyeurism with an eye for the extraordinary detail in seemingly ordinary subjects. What makes these photographs compelling is their sincerity, their air of authenticity. All are taken on the spot of first contact. Some people are caught mid-sentence. Even those who pose are free of the sterile stiffness of staged portraits." --The Economist

"A wondrous mix of races, ages, genders, and social classes, and on virtually every page is a surprise." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Publishing Information

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pub date: 2025-10-07
Length: 480 pages

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