Conventional Wisdom

by Arthur Drooker (Author), JamesWolcott (Foreword), Arthur Drooker (Author)

• New

  Illustrated
  2017

  $40.17

  An unconventional chronicle, Conventional Wisdom is author-photographer Arthur Drooker's quirky look at conventions held by some unusual interest groups, including Lincoln presenters, furries, and mermaids. Dropper documents these events as unique expressions of community, culture, and connection. The humorous and insightful text, including intimate interviews conducted with attendees, complements the stunning photographs Drooker shot during his visits to each convention over a three-year period. From the ballrooms to the vendor rooms to the guest rooms, Drooker's ubiquitous camera captures the essence and exuberance of these annual gatherings. Conventional Wisdom shows that regardless of what they're about, where they're held or who attends them, all conventions satisfy a basic human urge: a longing to belong. The book reveals that at conventions people who share similar interests, even obsessions, come together to bond and to be themselves. The outside world doesn't matter. In fact, for the weekend duration of most conventions, the outside world doesn't even exist. An attendee Drooker met at the taxidermist convention expressed it best. -This isn't a convention, - he said. -It's a family reunion.-