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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionseBook editionsFraming Innocence: A Mother's Photographs, a Prosecutor's Zeal, and a Small Town's Responseby Lynn Powell
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Ten years ago, amateur photographer and school bus driver Cynthia Stewart dropped off eleven rolls of film at a drugstore near her home in Ohio. The rolls contained photographs of her eight-year-old daughter Nora, including two of the child in the shower — photos that would cause the county prosecutor to arrest Cynthia, take her away in handcuffs, threaten to remove her daughter from her home, and charge her with crimes that carried the possibility of sixteen years in prison.
The disturbing case would ultimately attract national attention — including stories in USA Today and on NPR — and supporters including the famed photographer Sally Mann, Katha Pollitt, and the ACLU. Written by poet Lynn Powell, a neighbor of Cynthia Stewart's, this riveting and beautifully told story plumbs the perfect storm of events and people that threatened an ordinary family in a small American town. Framing Innocence features a determined prosecutor; a fundamentalist Christian anti-porn crusader who is appointed as Cynthia's daughter's guardian; the local attorneys for whom the case would become a crucible; and the many neighbors — friends and strangers, Republican and Democrat — who come together to fight for sanity and for justice for Cynthia and her family. Review:"Poet Powell (The Zones of Paradise) unravels the protracted legal battle over a mother's seemingly harmless photograph and the uproar it caused. In 1999, Cynthia Stewart and her partner, David Perrotta, lived with their eight-year-old daughter, Nora, in Oberlin, Ohio. Since Nora's birth, Cynthia had regularly photographed her, both clothed and unclothed. When someone at the lab developing her film found a photo of Nora in the tub, rinsing off with the shower nozzle, the police were alerted. Cynthia was arrested on suspicion of child pornography and eventually charged with two felonies by prosecutor Greg White, who was known for his hard-nosed approach. Powell, whose son was Nora's friend, spearheaded the town's effort to support Cynthia and David through the emotional — and financial — stresses of the legal fight, which soon included threats from Children Services to remove Nora from the home. Pinning down a definition for obscenity is notoriously tricky, and Powell is smart to leave all but the most basic points of the legal wrangling out of her account, which is the compelling story of a mother who stood by her principles and the community that shored her up. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC) Review:"[A] fascinating cautionary tale of a criminal justice system both intent on finding criminals where none may exist and weighted against the poor and the powerless....Powell is a facile writer, and her closeness to the material adds a subjective element to the story that makes it more immediate and compelling." Booklist Review:"In this well-written, absorbing book, Powell...lets us ponder how a vague law was used against an unconventional mother; where the boundaries of family privacy reside; and how the First Amendment and notions of nudity came into play." Cleveland Plain Dealer About the AuthorLynn Powell is the author of two books of poetry, Old and New Testaments and The Zones of Paradise, and has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. Table of ContentsContents
Authors Note Snapshot Part One 1. A Knock at the Door 2. Lawyers in Their Life 3. “Peculiar in That Which is Good” 4. Arrest 5. Suspicions 6. Newsworthy 7. Everything on Their Side Part Two 8. The Sleeping Dragon Stirs 9. Consultations 10. Rorschach 11. New Years Dread 12. Motions, Briefs, Schemes, and Case Plans 13. “I Know It When I See It” 14. “The Average Person with Average Sex Instincts” 15. Cogs and Wheels Part Three 16. The Politburo 17. Improvisations 18. Watching Out and Watching Over 19. A Thousand Pictures Worth 20. One-on-One 21. “I Expect You To Be Honorable” 22. Bottom Lines 23. Almost Normal 24. Gratitude 25. A Memory of Spring Afterword Sources Acknowledgments About the Author What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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