Kala Mandrake takes you to a magic land where poetry evokes hallucinations

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"Kala Mandrake takes  you to a magic land where poetry evokes hallucinations: A richly,  personal, fantastical journey inside the mind of a twin." -jsen

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"I started reading this book on the bus,  and finished it in two days. I was impressed how the entire book  rhymed, yet it didn't feel like a poem, it was very natural. It was a  combination of innocence, mystery and thriller. The author took me into  so many emotional states. When I was done, I was definitely not  expecting the direction the story finally took me." -cdow

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"Kala has a very warm style of writing. She transports me into a cozy yet mysterious world." -k15

"Highly Recommended -  check it out!! Kala Mandrake has a great command of the camera and  takes unique, thoughtful and beautiful photographs that tell the great  story of New York City Underground. No posing here, she's the real thing  and you can tell the people/characters in her book trust her. A great  visual read." -MKO74

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"A  beautiful and compelling book of photographs. I HIGHLY recommend it.  Kala Mandrake's Underground is a visual journey into the heart and soul  of some of NYC's most interesting people. Mandrake captures their spirit  and character with such a sensitive and passionate eye. This  thought-provoking book is filled with beautiful photographs and honest  descriptions of her experiences, each one a window into a magical time  and place that only Kala Mandrake can bring out in people." - JGNYC

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"Beautiful,  fascinating, cultural! Kala has documented a fascinating array of  people on the fringe through beautifully composed photographs. You get a  strong sense that Ms Mandrake knows the stories she is telling  personally and emotionally, from both the text and photos. This book is  an important documentation of a piece of contemporary New York culture.  You will not be disappointed! A work of art." -Taranight

*My great-grandparents were vaudeville musicians. My grandfather  was Mandrake the Magician, and he and my grandmother began traveling  with vaudeville, then continued to devote their entire lives to  performing and inventing new magic acts, while raising their four  children on the road. 

*Because of my family background, I'm naturally drawn to those who  carve out their own unique paths in life. People who in some way go  against the grain make the most interesting subjects to shoot. They are  at once vulnerable and brave because they are always exposed in their  communities as outsiders, and yet have the courage to push forward with  their beliefs despite societal, cultural, political, religious, or  familial pressures. They are what is beautiful and unique about life.  They are rich, soulful and often misunderstood people that stretch the  perimeters of acceptance and pave the way for future generations to  potentially create a new norm.