GoKawiilSofia Coppola highlights Katherine Szabo's 1970s teen photography book 'American Teen'
A New Yorker piece discusses photographer Katherine Szabo's book 'American Teen,' a collection of images depicting high schoolers in the late 1970s, and notes that filmmaker Sofia Coppola has expressed admiration for the work. The essay describes the photos' recurring motifs of loose, layered clothing and a casual androgyny shared by boys and girls alike during that era.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The writer suggests the photographs offer a nostalgic contrast to today's more anxious, closely scrutinized conversations around gender identity and teen mental health. This framing implies that Coppola's interest may stem from an artistic fascination with a more relaxed, unselfconscious adolescence, though that motive is not stated directly in the source.
- Katherine Szabo's photo book 'American Teen' captures high schoolers from the late 1970s.
- Filmmaker Sofia Coppola is noted as an admirer of the collection.
- The images reflect a casual, gender-fluid style of dress common among teens of that decade.
Steven Szabo American Teen photo book — This is the very book of nostalgic high school portraits Sofia Coppola fell for, capturing that loose, unselfconscious late-70s androgyny in warm detail. A great addition for anyone drawn to documentary photography or coming-of-age visual storytelling.
See Steven Szabo American Teen photo book on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: newyorker.com — Margaret Talbot, 2026-09-28
Published there as: “The Teen Portraits That Captivated Sofia Coppola”
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