The explorers who document Arkansas' forsaken buildings and structures now have a new book.
Abandoned Arkansas: An Echo From the Past by Michael Schwarz, Eddy Sisson, Ginger Beck and James Kirkendall was inspired by abandonedar.com, the website started by Schwarz that features extensive and often haunting photo galleries of empty buildings around the state.
Beck will have copies of the book, published by Acadia Press, for sale during a signing from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at The Bookstore at Library Square, 120 River Market Ave., in Little Rock. An after-party will take place at Stickyz Rock 'n Roll Chicken Shack, 107 River Market Ave. Book signings in Pine Bluff and Fort Smith are planned for March, she says. For information, visit abandonedar.com or facebook.com/AbandonedArkansas.
"We started on this less than a year ago and never really thought it would happen, but here we are," Beck says. "It's really exciting."
The book highlights photos by Schwarz of the Majestic Hotel in Hot Springs, Sisson's photos of the old Dogpatch USA theme park near Harrison and locations documented by Beck and Kirkendall.
"Michael's and Eddy's chapters are more personal, and the rest are more informational with the history of different places and before and after photos," Beck says.
Each chapter also features text about the sites.
The book, which was published late last month, is available at Amazon, Target, Walmart, Barnes & Nobel and other bookstores, Beck says.
Style on 02/03/2019