The Johnny Chronicles
An Anthology of Love and Absurdity
by Joe Doherty
About the Book
Down Syndrome was his superpower.
John was not welcomed into the world. The doctor and the priest said our family would be better off if he never left the hospital. His siblings would neither understand nor care for him, they said, and he would be a catalyst for family disintegration.
Fortunately our parents did not listen, and John’s special needs became our family’s special gift. He gave us humor, absurdity, and unconditional love at a time when society had yet to recognize the value of lives like John’s. He became our rallying point.
Joe Doherty began photographing his brother in 1973. John was a willing subject, a muse, a playmate, and a conspirator. These photographs document John’s integration into our family and the world, and Joe’s progression from amateur to professional photographer. All of the stories in the book are true, and some of them actually happened.
“An accessible and engaging look at a differently-abled family member, The Johnny Chronicles shares an example of how our limitations do not need to prevent us from forming loving human connections and relationships. It documents a person whose presence alone made a big difference in the lives of others.” [Read Full Review]
— Hans Hickerson, PhotoBook Journal
About the Author
Joe Doherty is a photographer in Los Angeles. He was raised in Pacific Palisades, California, and conceived of The Johnny Chronicles during the COVID lockdown of 2020. He has a PhD in Political Science from UCLA, and was the Director of the Empirical Research Group at UCLA Law. He and his wife, Velda Ruddock, spend 3-4 months on the road each year making friends and taking photographs.
He can be reached at JoeDohertyPhotography@gmail.com