Believer Magazine released a teaser trailer for the upcoming December/January issue, and my piece on the Ethics of Street Photography is included!
I wanted to share some of the texts that helped me think my way through the essay:
I haven’t yet read this book, but Teju Cole’s Black Paper collects many of his New York Times photography essays, one of which I quoted in my piece.
I also read a book called, Visual Ethics: A Guide for Photographers, Journalist and Media Makers. Though I did not quote this book, it lays out the thinking and practices behind photojournalist ethics and gave me a great foundation.
Of course I had to quote Susan Sontag. Her essay, “In Plato’s Cave”, from On Photography, has been formative in my thinking about photography.
In other exciting news, my coworker and I are trying to build a darkroom at our school! I’m not sure if I ever revealed this, but I am a school librarian by day and run the photography club after school. I picked up The Film Photography Book for the library and I’m looking forward to using it as a reference guide as we take on this adventure.
If you’re looking to buy non-photography books I recommend the following:
The Fourth Child : by Jessica Winter. A novel set in Buffalo, NY and spanning the late 1970s through the mid-90s. It’s about an abusive marriage, militant anti-abortion terrorism, ‘90s alt teens & drama kids, and how a charismatic older man holds sway over a head strong teenage girl.
The Souvenir Museum My favorite short stories of the year! Elizabeth McCracken writes wonderful oddball characters. I would say they remind me of Elizabeth Strout’s characters without the folksy sentimentality, but I think that’s unfair to McCracken because her turns of phrase and stories are much more considered and have more depth. But if you do love Strout, you’ll love this.
Crossroads It’s not fashionable to like Jonathan Franzen. And I was frustrated with much of Freedom, and never got past the first few pages of Purity, but this novel, the first in a proposed trilogy is a story that invites you to sink in and get into the muck with its characters. He successfully brought the events to a bittersweet and satisfying close, while also priming you for the next installment.
Disgruntled isn’t new, but it’s new to me and it made me eager to read Asali Solomon’s new one, The Days of Afrekete. Set in Philadelphia during the late 70’s through the early 90s, it’s a funny coming of age story about a girl brought up in the Black Power movement. (That they celebrate Kwanzaa and are taunted for it by other black characters, is a running theme.) This would be a good pairing with The Fourth Child as they cover the same time periods but from very different perspectives.
If I had to say there is a running theme through all these books it’s that they are grounded in family, and how families impose their logic onto their members. Three of them are also about religion and how it informs and interferes with people’s lives.
Take a look at my bookshop.org list if you need more recommendations.
This photo sums up the year for me: some bright spots but ultimately fuzzy.
I’m hoping to be back in late December with an interview. Pray that the transcription gods smile upon me!
Until next time…
Adalena
I love to receive comments and questions about photography and cameras!
My email: adalenakavanagh@gmail.com
Instagram: @mamiyaroid (instant/film) @5redpandas (personal)
Twitter: @adalenakavanagh
Also, if you’re thinking of buying Polaroid film for the first time, here is my referral code, which gets you 10% off, and I get some reward points.
Original photography prints: adalenakavanagh.bigcartel.com (I change out the shop every month of so. If you see something you like, let me know, I’m happy to make you a print.)
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
-Adalena Kavanagh