James Dean Words and Images

'James Dean: Words and Images' by Doug Allen presents a new approach to the iconic symbol of restless youth. Poetic text and painted image interract to create an emotional perspective of a man who left us tragically soon yet whose aura remained and grew into a cultural force we witness to the present day.

Doug Allen is an illustrator by training, having graduated from NYC's School of Visual Arts, and whose appreciation of James Dean led him to this long contemplated project. He was born in Massachusetts and moved to New York as a teen and now resides NJ with his wife. He developed a love of art and of writing. In the late 1970's he became fascinated with the talent that was James Dean. He has maintained a deep interest in Dean over several years and in returning to the question of what might this uniquely talented actor have brought to the world had he lived on. Mr. Allen's desire was to one day bring a fresh approach to the subject and feels this book of interracting poems and illustrations achieves that. His long desire to honor the memory of the brightly talented flame that was James Dean came to fruition with the creation of 'James Dean: Words and Images'. It is his hope that this book will have meaning and value for today's generation that can look back at another time and to a man who for so very brief a moment strode across destiny's landscape and left us waiting and wanting more. Like the era we sentimentalize and the red jacketed figure we can't forget, Doug Allen's desire is that we see him yet once more in an illustrative and poetic light. For Doug, the lure, the mystique and the spectre of Jimmy Dean persist and calls to us even now.