My daughter Amy, always the writer, has just self-published her first book!  Actually, this is a book of photographs she has taken of  old neighborhoods in St. Louis, of buildings in disrepair from age and neglect.

This is what she has written about her book:

"My first book, Disappearing St. Louis,is finally complete!

Disappearing St. Louis presents 55 colored images, captured over a three-year period.  They depict the poor conditions of homes, churches, and commercial buildings across the city in historic neighborhoods such as Old North St. Louis, Vandeventer, Fountain Park, Academy, JeffVanderLou, and Hyde Park."

Amy has graciously donated the profits from the sale of Disappearing St. Louis to the non-profit organization Old North St. Louis Restoration Group which is successfully rebuilding a historic north side neighborhood one building at a time.

Amy and her book were mentioned in the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group blog on Friday.  Scroll down partway on this post to read about her book:

http://newoldnorth.blogspot.com/2008/11/christmas-shopping-season-begins-in-old.html

At the juried craft show that is mentioned, the 5th annual Rock 'n' Roll Craft Show,  Amy sold all 11 copies that she had cautiously published and sent to St. Louis to be displayed, not knowing what the response would be. 

We're all SO proud of you, Amy!!!

Amy spent almost the first eighteen years of her life going to St. Louis at least twice a year to visit grandparents as her father and I both grew up in St. Louis.  Little did we know then that she would ultimately take such an interest in old buildings in St. Louis and combine that with her interest and talent in writing and photography.  Even while going to college in St. Louis, this interest took awhile to develop and since then she has enjoyed making trips back to St. Louis to visit friends and take photographs.  Who knew this would all evolve into publishing a book?!

If you want to read more about Amy, you can visit her website at www.amyfontinelle.com or visit her blog at www.twopenniesearned.blogspot.com.