Diane Arbus, Howard Nemerov and Sibling Rivalry
For the poet Howard Nemerov, photography “was the enemy of all that was mobile and enchanting and fluid and lovely about our short time on earth.” It was slightly inconvenient, … Continue reading
Saul Leiter in London
Saul Leiter would have hated this article. Before reading a word of it, he would have deemed it “too much.” In the first essay in Saul Leiter, a new monograph that accompanies … Continue reading
Heart of the Matter: An interview with Glenna Gordon
In northern Nigeria, being female can sometimes be a risky proposition. In this patriarchal, Muslim-dominated society, one of the better options for a girl is to enter into an arranged … Continue reading
The Power of Visual Storytelling: An Interview with Mark Tuschman
In the history of social advocacy, photography has played a key role. It makes sense: a compelling photograph has a visceral impact that goes beyond words. Lewis Hine’s photographs of child … Continue reading
A Lesbian Gun: Words and Images Inspire Todd Hayne’s New Masterpiece ‘Carol’
In writing and film, storytelling is often a dance between the narrative and the visual. Fiction writers use vivid descriptions to help readers visualize a story’s world, while a film’s visuals often … Continue reading
Turning the Tables: An Interview with Sarah Coleman
Earlier this year, I was interviewed by Mark Jenkinson for his book Photography Careers: Finding Your True Path, which is coming out soon from Focal Press (just in time for you … Continue reading
Responding to August Sander… in Poetry
Stalwart, pensive, anonymous: the people in August Sander’s portraits are identified only by their jobs or social classes. A bricklayer; young farmers; a professional middle-class couple. Look past the titles, though, … Continue reading
Home and Away: An Interview with Ed Kashi
Last week, renowned photojournalist Ed Kashi took over the Instagram feed of the photography nonprofit Cause Beautiful. He posted images and text from his 2012 book Photojournalisms, which had passed under … Continue reading
Amy Winehouse Stories
The death of singer Amy Winehouse in 2011, at the tragically young age of twenty-seven, was big news. I remember hearing about it and being shocked, and having a friend … Continue reading
