The Kids Are Alright—the title of Ryan McGinley's first book, which accompanied his first photography exhibition in a vacant SoHo gallery in 2000—could stand for all his work to date. Born in 1977, this shooting star of the New York photography scene has moved among his peers from the outset: downtown New York kids and young people on trips to the countryside—his already legendary road trips—and he also works in the studio with young non-professional models. His subject is the lifestyle of the young people of his generation, having fun, letting go, hedonistically enjoying the summer and frolicking naked. The darker sides remain untouched, apart from the scratches and grazes that can hardly be avoided when jumping off rocks or through treetops. The Whitney Museum of American Art exhibited McGinley's photographs as early as 2003, making him the youngest artist to have a solo exhibition at the institution. Since then, he has been in international demand, exhibiting in galleries and museums around the world. In this first comprehensive monograph, three prominent authors explore the McGinley phenomenon: writer Chris Kraus, artist and writer John Kelsey, and independent filmmaker Gus Van Sant, director of Drugstore Cowboy and My Private Idaho, among others.