Amanda and Her Cousin Amy, 1990 by Mary Ellen Mark
Story behind it:

“In 1990, Peter Howe at Life magazine sent me to North Carolina to photograph a special school for children with problems.
The school was a very strange place because all of the twenty or so children were in the same classroom and their problems ranged from mild behavior instability to severe schizophrenia.
Nine-year-old Amanda was the most interesting child in the class. Amanda was very intelligent and very naughty. One day I followed her home on the school bus. When the bus stopped at her house, she dashed ahead of me and ran into a nearby wooded area. I continued to follow her into the woods and eventually found her sitting in an old stuffed chair having a cigarette. She thought that I would reprimand her since I was an adult. But I said nothing.
The following Sunday, I spent the day at home with Amanda and her mother. Amanda totally controlled her mother. Amanda smoked openly in front of her.
Her 8-year-old cousin Amy was coming over, and she was very excited. All day long, Amanda and her cousin played like children. Every forty-five minutes or so, Amanda would take a break to have a cigarette.
Just before I left, I looked for Amanda to say good-bye. I found her and Amy in the backyard. They were in a children’s inflatable pool. Amanda was taking her regular cigarette break.”

1. dannyb0ii liked this
2. lillamolnet liked this
3. brendacf reblogged this from alltheseindiekids
4. velvet-face reblogged this from m-0nstrosity
5. whispertotherain liked this
6. whispertotherain reblogged this from infinitedreaming
7. obsessedwithtv liked this
8. obsessedwithtv reblogged this from neetiravindra
9. mylovelycunt reblogged this from watagwan7
10. chronicallybroken reblogged this from infinitedreaming
11. jenalvy reblogged this from infinitedreaming
12. neetiravindra reblogged this from theperfectaddiction
13. naivesmiles liked this
14. newtons-first-law liked this
15. styleoftheliving liked this
16. fictionated reblogged this from watagwan7
17. choose-l1fe reblogged this from watagwan7
18. watagwan7 reblogged this from brojardin
19. complacentia liked this
20. theperfectaddiction reblogged this from brojardin
21. crucify--you liked this
22. murrayavenue liked this
23. brojardin reblogged this from infinitedreaming
24. infinitedreaming reblogged this from lie-ah
25. floral-decay liked this
26. cosmiconfusion reblogged this from young-n-reckless
27. com-promise liked this
28. screwthestandards-makeastand reblogged this from pretty--or--dying and added:

    pretty—or—dying:

29. censoring liked this
30. goawaydylan reblogged this from morganna-mode-gone
31. b-o-s-t-0-n reblogged this from cathrynxo
32. contagiouscurls reblogged this from kissmycollarbone
33. watermelanieseeding liked this
34. brianburrbrick liked this
35. kigrax liked this
36. haha9121 reblogged this from cudddizone
37. macro55 reblogged this from l-a-santa-muerte
38. thegirlsimadecrytoday liked this
39. ohmydeared reblogged this from morganna-mode-gone
40. davidisasexysexkitten reblogged this from c8h7n3o2
41. tofubrenders reblogged this from yourdemonlover
42. taytaydaprince reblogged this from pregnantanimals
43. cuttmeupjenny reblogged this from oldirtyhank
44. cantata-veneficae liked this
45. pregnantanimals reblogged this from c8h7n3o2
46. morganna-mode-gone reblogged this from c8h7n3o2
47. c8h7n3o2 reblogged this from l-a-santa-muerte
48. smoov-buiscuts liked this
49. capturedcreations liked this
50. noesbroma3c liked this
51. Show more notesLoading...