Santa Fe, New Mexico / NYC
Writing Of Witness
with Elizabeth Rosner
A photographer much of my life, I turned to writing about 12 years ago when creating my presentation of The Black Madonna. While photography was greatly rewarding, especially as a semi-journalist in India and Kosovo, I have found a more enriching depth in the ability to write down my feelings. Born and brought up in New York City I, as the third and last child, disliked the unwritten rules that were presented to me by my dyed-in-the-wool Southern parents. My memoir, The Magnolia Code, published in 2020, is a story of my escape from the rules and the choices I have lived. I am proud to say that The Magnolia Code received many awards, including The Independent Press Award in the genre of Memoir. The past year I was asked to give a “talk” on the women I have photographed throughout the world and the impact this has had on me. My presentation, together with about 95 images, is entitled Through the Lens of my Camera: The Essence of Woman, and I will be “taking it on the road” in 2024, including New York City. At UTV, I will be continuing and hoping to finish a collection of Short Stories called The Swampyland, stories of the obstacles we face and the possibilities of overcoming them.