Hometowns: An American Pilgrimage

James Dean, Ronald Reagan, Mark Twain: each is a symbol of an era, each an American hero. These men and their hometowns - Fairmount, Indiana; Dixon, Illinois; and Hannibal, Missouri - are the subject of this provocative new book by photographer George Tice. In a wry and eloquent portrait, Tice juxtaposes his contemporary black-and-white photographs- from Winslow Farm where Dean grew up and Lowell Park where Reagan served as a lifeguard to the Delta Queen on Twain's beloved Mississippi - with a selection of writings by and about the three men.  In documenting the heartland roots of this trio of legendary figures, the photographer incisively and persistently explores what it means to be American. Tice eludes pat answers in favor of evoking some provocative questions: What makes a hero? What can hometowns tell us about their native sons? And how has celebrity informed character of these locales?