Shadow Boxers : Sweat, Sacrifice and the Will to Survive in American Boxing Gyms

Boxing gyms are uncovered in all of their glorious grunge in these photographs and essays that reveal both the stark reality of success and the possibility of promise in the sport of boxing. This intimate look at the fighters, trainers, and hangers-on who inhabit these gyms brings to life the toughand surprisingly tenderworld of American boxing. Evocative images reveal the pain, sacrifice, and discipline of the "sweet science" as well as the triumphs, tragedies, and big dreams of the men and women who practice it. A dozen essays by veteran boxing writers such as Katherine Dunn, Carlo Rotella, Kate Sekules, F. X. Toole, Lucius Shepard, Robert Anasi, Loic Wacquant, Joe Rein, and Ralph Wiley explore the community and culture of boxing gyms, an endangered American institution that serves not only as the training ground for the next generation of great fighters, but as a sanctuary in tough neighborhoods, a lifeline for troubled kids, and a repository of a centuries-old tradition of pugilistic knowledge.

John Gattuso is the editorial director of Stone Creek Publications. He lives in Milford, New Jersey. Joe Frasier is a former heavyweight champion and a legend in the boxing world. He is a member of the Boxing Hall of Fame. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jim Lommasson has been chronicling the culture of American boxing gyms through photography for more than 10 years. He is a two-time winner of the New York Art Directors Award and exhibits his work throughout the United States. He lives in Portland, Oregon.