Children of Las Vegas ― True Stories of Growing Up in the World's Playground

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas . . . right? But what happens to the people who have to grow up there? Children of Las Vegas tells 10 of their stories: tales of overdoses, desert shoot-outs, suicides, casinos, desert air, and broken dreams. They include the son of a casino owner whose father gambled their fortune away and died broke and alone; a mother of five whose partner kidnapped her children and is now a meth addict, living in the tunnels within sight of the glittering lights of the city; and a 23-year-old star performer, turned male prostitute. These are the children of the card dealers and the cocktail shakers, the limo drivers and the wheel spinners. Their stories are interspersed with short essays about the city by Timothy O'Grady and portraits by highly acclaimed photographer Steve Pyke. There are horror stories in every city, but these things aren't just happening in Las Vegas . . . they're happening because of it.

Timothy O'Grady was born in Chicago and has lived in Ireland, London, Spain, and Poland. He was in Las Vegas after receiving a fellowship from the Black Mountain Institute there and stayed on for another year to teach. He is the author of On Golf, Divine Magnetic Lands, and I Could Read the Sky. Steve Pyke is considered one of the leading portrait photographers in the world. In 2004, Steve received an MBE in the Queen's New Years Honours list for his services to the Arts.