Shoot the Arrow

Photography. Literary Nonfiction. Shoot the Arrow is a collection of Amy Touchette's intimate black-and-white photographs of the onstage and offstage life of celebrated New York City burlesque dancer The World Famous *BOB*. A central figure in today's neo-burlesque movement, the self-described female-female impersonator is known for her over-the-top blonde bombshell image. Touchette used 24-hour photo sessions and exclusive access to The World Famous *BOB*'s private life to produce a deep, unique, and moving photographic biography of a woman pursuing dreams of glamour and fame. Photographed strictly on 35mm film, Touchette's pictures of The World Famous *BOB* on stage, backstage, in her daily life, and during private moments at home, are rich and beautifully real. Also containing the words of The World Famous *BOB*—plain-spoken words that appear on the page as purely extracted un-distracted and un-distracting prose—giving account of her evolution from an isolated farm girl in the California Valley to a performer in New York City's burlesque revival, Shoot the Arrow is an unusually penetrating and authentic portrait of contemporary life.

Amy Touchette is a fine art photographer based in New York City. Her photographs explore themes of social connectedness and aim to contribute to a historical documentation. Trained at the International Center of Photography, she began her artistic career as a writer and painter, earning a BA in Literature and Studio Art and an MA in Literature. Amy also works as a freelance photography writer for publications such as  PDN, Rangefinder, and  Emerging Photographer magazines, BagNews, and  Tuts+ . She's represented by ClampArt in New York City. Her first monograph, SHOOT THE ARROW: A PORTRAIT OF THE WORLD FAMOUS *BOB*, was published by Un-Gyve Press (Boston) in October 2013. Other publications include the  New York Observer  (June, 2015),  The New York Times  (July, 2012),  Esquire Magazine,  Russia  (May, 2011), and Loudmouth Press's fine art book Why Are You Surprised I'm Still Here?  (November, 2010). Her photographs have exhibited nationally and internationally, including Moscow MoMA (Russia), the Pingyao International Photography Festival (China), Arte Fiera OFF (Italy), Noorderlicht Gallery (Netherlands), Leica Gallery-Warszawa (Poland), and Hamburg Triennial of Photography (Germany). She's given artist lectures at B&H Superstore, School of Visual Arts, the School of the International Center of Photography, and elsewhere.