Hello To My Imperfect World; The Stories of Jaffe and Martha
Hello To My Imperfect World is a book of photographs, accompanied by vignettes from writings and video transcripts.. I take you into the lives of my friends Jaffe and Martha. exploring survival when values and passions take precedent.
Jaffe's review of the book as quoted by journalist Jeff Spevak: “Looks great. I can die now. Y’know? The book is a beautiful thing. A beautiful thing.”
Jaffe will talk about "waiting for the next deal." He's 74, has Parkinson's and has a lot of pain and other issues.. His friend try to encourage him to keep trying. As a piano player, he is considered by many to be an icon of the Rochester indie music scene. The book explores aging and community. Jaffe quotes known as "Jaffe-isms."
Martha is 17 years older than Jaffe. They met while living at a commune in Vermont in 1968. At 91 her health is better than his.. She's a writer, and a craftsperson, plays classical piano, and practices the Kabala. They have been a couple for 32 years, and friends for more than 50.. In October 2019, they were married before a café full of loving friends.
Jaffe has difficulty getting out of bed now.. He has always been fixated on the creeks and quirks of his body, and many called it hypochondria, but his discomfort now is real and life is difficult. He writes about it often on his Facebook page. Martha greets the day with optimism and acceptance.
Their lives have been unconventional, and their this book depicts two people who have stayed true to their ideals, and artful ways.
The book contains 150 pages of color and black and white photographs by Julie Gelfand which accompany transcribed stories as told by Jaffe and Martha, and off-the-cuff Facebook posts by Jaffe.
The book can be purchased here: Hello to My Imperfect World: The Stories of Jaffe and Martha