The Day after Yesterday

“A taboo surrounds dementia and Alzheimer’s, a cloud of fear and misunderstanding that distances people from those with the disease, relegates them as gone, lost, other. “The Day After Yesterday: Resilience in the Face of Dementia” (MIT), a new book of photographs by journalist and photographer Joe Wallace, aims to destigmatize the people living with dementia by telling “a more complex and complete story.” The book includes dozens of portraits and short written bios and descriptions of Wallace’s encounters with the subjects. The range of ages is striking: people in their 30s, having inherited a mutation that brings Alzheimer’s to them early, all the way to age 100. “It does matter how far gone they are into the disease,” says Daisy Duarte, who’s guaranteed to have it by age 65. “They still have ears, and they still have a beating heart.” That beating heart, that vitality, and life-force, is present in all of Wallace’s portraits. Alan O’Hare, of Dorchester, speaks of learning to have patience with yourself, and asking questions that ground you in the now: “What is it in this moment that you treasure? What is it about you that you treasure in this moment? Can you remember what you love about you? What do you love about right here, right now?” These photographs and words underline not just the fear and despair, because those are real, but the dignity and the humanity of people with the disease. In each image, one can see the burning twinkle behind the eyes that shows, I’m here, I’m here.” —The Boston Globe