Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks: No Excuses is the award-winning biography of the acclaimed photographer by Ann Parr. A Carter G. Woodson Honor BookA Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young PeopleRecipient of the Storytelling World Award Honor Title Gordon Parks overcame the obstacles of poverty and racism and never gave up on his dreams. He attributes his drive for excellence to his mother who told him, "What a white boy can do, you can too—and no excuses." The first black photographer for Life magazine, Gordon Parks spent over two decades as a professional photographer, and his resume grew to include novelist, musician, artist, and poet. After reading a story about Gordon Parks in a Kansas newspaper, Ann Parr immediately set out to learn more about his life. She first interviewed the mayor of Fort Scott, Kansas, whose efforts healed wounds between Gordon Parks and his hometown, and then many of Parks'' friends. But it was after interviewing Parks in person that she knew she had a success story