Product Description

When Albert Hastings was eighty-five years old, photographer KayLynn Deveney moved near his small flat in Wales. KayLynn took notice of the small rituals and routines gardening, laundry, grocery shopping that made up Bert's life. A friendship slowly developed as KayLynn began photographing parts of Bert's day. The two developed a simple yet effective method of storytelling with KayLynn's images and Albert's handwritten text and the project evolved into The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings a poignant and profound chronicle of aging, living alone, and the small things that make up our daily lives. Containing seventy-eight photographs along with poems written by Bert, his clock drawings, and personal family photographs, The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings gives the reader a glimpse into one man's life. We can only imagine what stories are left untold.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #428613 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 116 pages

Review
...we see moments from his day that reveal a chaming meticulousness...We don't learn everything about him from his small book of isolated moments from his last few years. Remarkably, though, we learn enough about this stranger to be interested in him, enough even, to love him. -- PDN, October 2007

An old man alone, at home. You'll find nothing less, and profoundly more in The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings, photographer KayLynn Deveney's quietly moving late-life portrait. Hastings's handwritten captions create a revealing double perspective. -- O, The Oprah Magazine, September 2007

About the Author
KayLynn Deveney is pursuing a PhD in photographic studies.

Albert Hastings passed away in February, 2007. He was 91 years old.

Customer Reviews

Masterful work
Don't know where to start:
great concept, total package optimized for peaceful enjoyment. Loved the feel, fonts, script, cover, size and color of the book.

Now to the important part (from a photographer's angle :)) Ms. Deveney's artful photographic view is extremely engaging and subtle.
The reader/observer is drawn into scenes where one is allowed a personal privilege to study an ordinary life nearing it's completion.
Her view point is not judgmental, enhanced or exaggerated. It's almost like a camera's view was snapped by accident, but I know better.
These are beautifully conceived and simple... the hardest type to achieve.
Enjoy the simple pleasures of a folded pair of clean "P-jays", shot of whiskey and a stately daffodil on the window sill.
The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings is a gift to share with the hurried world.

The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings
The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings
I truly enjoyed this book. It is a poignant, very heartwarming, and touching tribute to aging while living alone. I felt I got to know Albert just by viewing pictures of his life. It gave great insight into how loneliness effects are lives -- especially in our old age. The photography told a vivid story and having Albert write the captions added a personal touch. I would encourage anyone who loves books about aging as well as engaging photography to purchase this book. You won't be disappointed.

Beautiful
This was a beautifully photographed and rare insight into a simple and lonely man's day to day existance in the last phase of his life. His own words were an intergral part of this touching little book.
We were given a bit of insight into the day to day life of a person who may not have had much reason to keep on living, after his beloved wife had already departed 10 years ago; but was still able to find small pleasures and humor in his daily experiences and memories.
The photographer is indeed a special kind of person to be able to be accepted with her camera into his small and private world. Another person might not have ever seen the beauty or found his days interesting enough to document. But through her perceptive and sensative eye, we are exposed to the beauty of a life near it's end.