A meaningful photograph often invites us to participate, observe and respond, creating a dialogue within... Seeing informs us. If you are drawn to or even repulsed by a particular image, speak to that response in yourself. A picture often provides an opportunity to explore and learn about ourselves. Keeping distance often objectifies and constrains, unfortunately many photographers work this way. My intentions with my photography is to open us accepting our diverse humanity and its emotional content. We must look and become familiar with others outside of our comfort zones. When we are willing to think of ourselves as a part of a larger and more collective mind and community, we can examine photographs more rationally.
The FSA [depression era] photographs touched me emotionally. Some back home were not inclusive of our more modest people, they made shameful comments about those with a little less than themselves, the folks I was drawn to. Feeling distance from my art school classmates and detached from my childhood memories, my encounter's with the holler people were open and positive. These early experiences provided me with a direction to explore and try to understand our humanity.
Shaming and name calling in any form causes withdrawal and invites anger. The denial of others, divides folks instead of connecting. Shame embarrasses and distorts how we see, instigating unreasonable rejections, stereotyping, even activating abusive and violent behaviors. The denial by society of those who really need our support shows social negligence, yet this continues. Perhaps seeing another’s difficulty is too painful and uncomfortable for some to relate to in a positive or constructive manner. To change and counteract these behaviors, one can volunteer and work with the underprivileged. Being close for a while, finding and seeing one's self in relationship with the impaired and poor, witnessing struggle first-hand, assisting those limited in their development does change one’s perspective. Experiencing in part another’s reality, facing another's troubles unguarded can help an individual and society move to becoming a more compassionate human being and society. Many have contacted me who have worked on Indian reservations, volunteered with Vista programs and the Peace corp. They have helped others and through that experience grown and developed more concern for our humanity.
By visiting—you show your care. With my photographing—I'm saying, here let's be moved to help these people. This regions situation needs to be acknowledged, establishing recognition and communication for those unseen. One's spirit and heart must be moved to really help another, for then we see and understand differently, more engaged. By sharing and building something with those in distress, you motivate and mentor folks who have great needs. Recognizing and assisting others is a beneficial action that strengthens everyone's individual compassion and mindfulness. Yet, some prosperous neighbors back off distancing themselves. Culture shame seems to hold some back from their own. Some locals reject another's conditions as personal embarrassments angrily blaming the poor for their plight. Once signed up on a government check our job is not over, it's really the beginning, creating, educating, showing compassion, helping others to feel better about themselves. My photographing in my manner of working, revisiting folks and sharing pictures supports and helps the building of self-esteem in others.
Exploitation is a word that often comes up when the economic and social divide in this region is discussed, this has been ongoing for generations. The Appalachian region I was born into is known for outside coal mining companies taking local mineral rights over 80 years ago through what is called Broad Form Deeds, that paid illiterate farmers and poor landowners 25 cents an acre for millions of dollars' worth of coal under their land. These papers were often brought around by a coal company man traveling with a local sheriff or deputy. When the land was mined some 50 years later landowners received a penance of the value of the coal, creating economic and environmental problems unresolved today. During the 1980's this issue was taken to the Supreme Court and the courts ruled in favor of the outside mining companies. Did this ruling establish a precedence for exploitation to become a way of life in Appalachia? Both my grandfathers who owned land were taken advantage of by these deeds, but they were farsighted enough to hold onto the mineral rights surrounding their homes and family gardens. Many did not.
Countless people have written and published work on the varied types of media stereotyping and the exploitation to our environment by independent people and industries. What is just as important and perhaps could be more beneficial is to study and hopefully change some of our local behaviors toward each other. This is a sensitive topic in our communities. If a person or family is downtrodden, often we tend to ignore and not see.
It is very easy to apply old mountain sayings or stereotypes about laziness and other “no count’’ labels to the poor, keeping them isolated, judged defective and unemployed because we are shamed by how they may appear and how they may make us feel. If we didn’t look upon our needy comparing ourselves as better or shaming those without, we could become more compassionate, helpful and inclusive.
When the media comes into Appalachia and does programming it often includes poverty in some way. Many locals resent this, in part because they feel such exposure makes all of us look bad. That is where we need to look beyond ourselves. If you talk to those poor, they tell stories of being victimized, abused, and being the targets of thievery by those within their own communities. Government welfare checks help support our poor, but we need more involvement and community interactions. Instead, some label the needy as “Check drawers.” Looking away and detaching themselves from those that ought to have more, doesn't work, but befriending and embracing each other will benefit all sides. Day to day, we need to improve how we relate and see each other. By, working with, investing time and supporting our needy, we might find we can inspire self-esteem, by sharing more common ground, pridefully and clearly recognizing one another.
Local exploitation by our own does not seem to get attention, it seems to be an embarrassment not discussed. Some make a good living taking advantage of our own vulnerable folk. It is easy to blame the government or the philanthropic organizations that support our indigent for not doing enough. But if neighbors looked clearly and actually helped each other many family hardships could be overcome with little outside aid being necessary. Often, I photograph those who have overcome their hardships spiritually and emotionally, religion is an important asset here. Those I photograph often portray a look of humility, with acceptance and confidence. They are the real salt of the earth people. Their strength and composure gained from living in these mountains with family closeness comes through in their photographs reflecting dignity and perseverance. But, the stress of making continual sacrifices shows through also.
To document and publish stories on the poor and vulnerable people's lives can have surprising outcomes for some folk, if you reveal the details and sources of their troubles. They can be manipulated and isolated by their neighbors or the same folks can assist and help in various ways. The reality and talk about drugs and rehab programs is plentiful, but the exploitation by family members to each other is often overlooked. We have many loan sharks, drug pushers and users, meth-makers and religious con artist, all jostling, taking from and yet promising to help our poor. I've also seen some media stories with good intentions having devastating effects. Bringing attention to someone's needs can help bring them a new home built by the community, a church group or an outside organization. But, a modest family can also be evicted from where they are living if the landlord is embarrassed by any publicity or their home can also be burned to the ground leaving a family homeless. I have seen both situations.
Most of the people I photograph and visit do not own their homes and they are at the leniency of the property owners. One must be careful and knowledgeable here in how they help others. Still, there are others living in the hollers totally independent and unaffected by our times.These are the self sufficient folks that work with bees and bee hives selling honey, raising hogs and chickens, hunters as providers, gardening harvesting herbs living healthy sustainable lives. I appreciate meeting all of the diverse rural people I have come to know by word of mouth, sharing photographs and having personal introductions, photographing with many not accessible to others.
Over the years I have learned to photograph people straight forwardly with the subjects thoughtfully considering their situations, making pictures with their emotional feelings reflected. Psychology has become important to my work to understand and photograph my people. I believe the environmental portrait itself can reveal universal truths that can't always be described, but more felt. For me, to know a family and have a genuine long-term relationship is important. In friendship, the engaged approach creates a more comfortable and sensitive atmosphere for both the subject and the photographer. To continue returning and to focus on the photographs year after year together creates a trusting collaboration that matures and evolves into a more illuminating study.
Developing positive bonds with those deprived reassures and provides a pathway for my friends to confront insecure thoughts. People need to be listened to, not just told what they need by someone who lives a different lifestyle. It takes time for some to form words and articulate what they have never done or experienced before. We must do and rebuild again and again, visiting and demonstrating to those we are trying to help, telling them that they are worth supporting and listen to them. Instead, some blame those we are trying to assist, saying they are no count, lazy and unproductive and some are. But by example and with patience we lead others to overcome dysfunctional behaviors, inspiring them to develop self-worth transcending society's neglect. They must learn to speak in their own way overcoming stereotypes, discovering their own voice.
To survive many mountaineer's, have to give up individual needs and self-importance to sustain their family as a whole. Later, to know and witness those who have lived through many sacrificing ordeals into old age a strong and wizened soul is revealed. Often we don't see or know their generous, loving and all encompassing family commitments. Those mature wear no masks. They are honest with no projected ego. It is within their home place and family environment that I photograph.
When rural people’s poverty is made into news items, shown over and over without regard to the people portrayed, some subjects and neighbors develop an embarrassed responsiveness and cannot bear to stand with or mutually look to each other. This kind of imposed public exposure, no matter what the intentions or goals of the media, dishonors and turns us against each other. From the depression era on our people have become a clichéd stereotype because we were easily accessible and a corporative group. Few jobs or opportunities were created, with some commodities and welfare relief distributed, but those benefits were often received and perceived as degrading handouts. Coal mining was and still is the most lucrative employment in this region.
Society puts social duty on us, yet many don't want to see the humanity our government is assisting. In Letcher Co. a man said, "Some seem jealous of us who draw a check." Many turn away dodging, not connecting or communicating with those in need. From the 1957' flood I remember our county district court officer trading and selling commodity cheese from the trunk of his Buick, when the government supplied this cheese to be distributed to the poor. Thus began the stealing and trading of commodities and food stamp, blaming the poor for a corrupt system. Some still begrudge and bully their own poor. Mountain folk say, "They's even some locally educated government workers here that draws a check, puttin' us down and threat'in' to take our checks, say they even will take our children, if we don't do things the way they want."
To assist the poor, we need to consistently empathize and listen to those in need. Folks say they feel put down or ''Lorded Over'' by some. Established family dynasties, landlords, local merchants and employers are not always sympathetic. Some regionally educated at the local community and state colleges receiving government grants to complete their educations—do intimidate their poor clients. Some of the poor say to me ,"It's how they are raised [the newly educated]." While trying to advance themselves, the newly educated have to put distance between their new educations and the people they serve.
Building confidence, practicing patience and showing loving kindness are essential to establishing a balanced community in any environment. From my experience, family photographing with the people in the hollers helps establish some recognition and self-confidence. The pride I see when you give an unrecognized family a book with their pictures inside is rewarding. But, they tell me they don't want to be photographed and then have their pictures put beside a wealthy home.
Sometimes neighbors report each other to authorities for offenses often made up because of petty jealousies. On occasion our indigent family's children are removed and placed in foster homes or they are repeatedly threatened with having their children taken, food stamps cut, or their welfare checks discontinued, unless they respond or behave in a specified manner. The clients often only hear the threats. There is no question real problems exist; family abuse, alcoholism and drug problems are in some hollers astronomically out of proportion. When welfare dependent, often how your perceived by your community is another burden and weight. With my photography I try and encourage my friends and subjects to see themselves as important, worthy and contributing to our culture.
Establishing good talks and reliable positive assistance creates genuine nurturing relationships and develop's mutual respect, so that responsible growth can occur. To belittle the family you are their to help is counterproductive and controlling. Yet, some without say they feel continually put down and mistreated. If we could see more clearly and stop projecting blaming negative stereotypes on our needy, people will change for the better. To reach everyone we have to go to the bottom of the problem together and raise up.
Is it conceivable that those with just a little can create a life for themselves with substance and basic achievement? Yes. I know families struggling with only a paltry income, dependent in part on social services, providing for their children the best they can. These families burdened with economic hardships and sometimes physical handicaps still have an abundance of family support and love. They still need and want their life recognized.
Why do we not see their goodness? All of us are not born with the same capabilities, but that does not mean those so born with so little should be shunned, isolated or denied recognition. How can we become more tolerant and supportive, encompassing others born with less and different from ourselves?
Some families exist with limited opportunities and capabilities, because their family name has poor working reputations. Family reputations often carry more weight than ones training or resume qualifications in the rural environments. Economically unstable folks have always been, not just located in the heads of our hollers where differences — are more acceptable and folks there are more comfortable. The reputations of some family's do proceed ahead and hinder their own from being employed. Somehow, back home I still have seen more acceptance practiced within our hollers and just as much prejudice and rejection in our towns.
A man in Rocky Hollow said to me, "Living here - its' like the difference between salt and pepper, water and fire. To us Jesus and Satan are real. Both to test, praise, bring peace and put suffering on you and your kin. You have to learn, them who help, those who hinder and some who do both. Our blood flows through the generations sent by way of original sins and determined redemptions, with many behaviors and manners unknown, some plum wild. God knows it's man here keeps us this way. One's name and kin determines who works, not who needs or even starves. Here invisible inherited boundaries you can't see make it nearly impossible to get work, even talked to. Some down themselves, they feel they come from the wrong blood, because they are told that. That's why they stay in the mountains resisting society. Government handouts and welfare don't change that."
In towns like the city of Hazard today, the largest employer is the ARH Medical Center, employing many locals, nurses and health care providers. The community college trains the nurses and health care providers. Wall-Mart and MacDonald's, among other food chains, hotels and retail outlets are together the next larger employers, with a few other expanding businesses. New developments no longer rely on the old family dynasties for support. Coal mining in it's varied forms, underground, mountain top removal and strip mining when in operation used to be the largest employer and still holds the highest paying jobs, when working. But, no one knows when productions begin or when they layoff. We have a long history with mining companies here having successful what we call black gold rushes [periods of increased coal production], then companies declare bankruptcies with other ups and downs.
Few of the new employers rely on the old systems of family name reputations or who you know, or are kin to, so change is inevitable. But, locals still divide themselves from those with less. Here often ones manner of dressing, appearance and family history determines who is interviewed for a job, spoken to or not.
For over 30 years I used a large 4 x 5 view camera mounted on a tripod so that my subjects could see where the camera was positioned. I made detailed 4x5 inch Polaroids instantly, sharing with my friends and subjects how they looked and how they appeared on film. Later giving them printed copies of their photos. Then asking permissions to publish specific photos. Later, I would give out books to my subjects as they were published.
What my mountain friends often see in my pictures, are their lives honestly and humbly portrayed. Some unfamiliar might see more a condition that needs fixing, instead of the independent and self sustaining life our rural people possess. Together my subjects and I have examined other media depictions. Some programs we felt were truthful and others embarrassed us. My photography is more of a heartfelt personal calling than a profession and how we each see and interpret images is quite personal. To see with compassion our people is to see all of us together more accepting and noble, as our mountain folk see.
Now it is up to us to reengage and overcome superficial images, valuing and opening ourselves to each other honestly again. But, the media has influenced our different generations. Some now believe in themselves as media hillbillies or something different and others follow their family mountain traditions to the letter, or leave searching for new paths. We ourselves ignore some of our own because they embarrass us and make us feel less.
Spending my life visiting and photographing the people of the hollows has created an awareness of our peoples complexity, uniqueness and fragility. Many are spiritual who have plenty of vigor and believe in a personal God that inspires, many believe God listens to their prayers personally and blesses them. Knowing and experiencing part of our mountain religions has strengthened me to pursue an even larger connection to humanity and a more humbling view, observing all of us interconnected.
It is my goal to photograph the depths of humanity, to go beyond appearances. It is often those made of primal and deeply instinctive blood, our salt-of-the earth people that interest me. Their unencumbered presence is often honest, whole and stripped of hypocrisy.
Within loving families, members feel the radiance and affection emanating through any imperfections in their special ones. That is what the life caring families are dedicated to, seeing beyond imperfections. Can we not all become members of this larger view?
Different Frames – Oct. 18, 20
Leaving home after attending one year of college, I attended art school in Cleveland. Having little money, I spent a summer working at a large state mental institution in Northampton, Massachusetts. This two-month experience changed me. Having taken a basic psychology and sociology course, I qualified for this summer job. A friend, Denny and I took a Greyhound bus from Kentucky to Northampton. We moved into a dormitory like environment for hospital employees. The institution serviced the mentally and physically disabled, living in Western Mass. We worked with those society had hidden. My job was to support and communicate with patients in varied mental and physical states. Some patients were delusional, we sometimes had to force them to take their medicine. Generally, I assisted making their time more bearable and comfortable where possible. A new happenstance occurred every day with someone. I basically assisted the keepers of the keys throughout most of the wards of the institution, wearing a white uniform having practically no training. As a nineteen-year-old, this exposure to our vulnerable humanity challenged and informed me.
When back home after my last year of art school, I began visiting and photographing families, one family in particular that had three children with multiple disabilities. This family, the Childers also raised 5 normal children, they lived within a few miles of where I had grown up in Letcher Co. Ironically, my uncle the country doctor who was helping me get through art school was also their family physician. Wendy Ewald, a photo friend whose photos of the children I’d seen, had taken me to introduce me to the Childers family in 1976.
My attraction to this family was immediate and it seemed they accepted me instantaneously. Homer, Selina and James were the names of the three impaired children. They each stood maybe 4-foot-tall and couldn’t speak with audible clarity, making sounds with words spoken sporadically. James and Homer preferred squatting or sitting on the floor while Selina being very inquisitive walked around repetitively touching everyone, seemingly asking, how are you or how are we doing, while touching, holding your arms and hugging, saying “BabeeeOhhh.” The parents Heddie and Burley were very open sharing living and making anyone visiting comfortable. The five others, Freddie, Junior, Roy, Corrine and Sophie played, interweaved and connected throughout the home with puppies, a dog, cats and kittens. All in all, it was an exciting and chaotic environment. I had trouble focusing in on anyone, because everyone talked at once. There was so much going on in this family.
My own family life was different. I was an only child and my parents were very self-conscious and concerned with their modern appearance. The Childers were just the opposite. They seemed to live with nothing to hide and with the three disadvantaged children as they were, they often were the talk of the community and surprisingly they were totally accepting of me and my photography. I soon felt like family with them and kept in touch regularly.
Homer and Selina became favorite subjects to photograph. As I came closer to the family, I realized they moved around a lot, from holler to holler. Every year was a new place, usually a dirt road taking you to the road's end, not furnished homes, often abandoned, just basic houses they found they could rent for cheap. This moving contributed to the chaos, as the kids were constantly changing schools. I met new people when visiting that the Childers wanted me to photograph. Some said, The Childers were always behind on their rent and had to keep moving. The kids told me they got in fights at school and with neighbors because others made fun of their brothers and sister, calling them "retarded". Most likely, it was some of both.
My making pictures with the Childers demonstrated that they were unique in allowing me to photograph them at all. Having worked in the institutional approach of isolation, I felt this family was open, strong and independent. I never asked, what was the cause of the children’s deformities. But others had plenty of stories and my uncle their doctor was evasive. Accepting became my motto. Photographing and rephotographing the children’s interactions, playfulness and intimate expressions was remarkable. Perhaps a family like this has not been openly photographed before; I felt it important to continue. Their relationships showed humane, affectionate and endearing qualities. Some early viewers felt quite differently. I was criticized and accused of exploitation and stereotyping my culture. Some people today still respond to these pictures quite negatively calling the children’s pictures a freak show or poverty porn. The family and I were focused on creating more acceptance for their children, the entire family and the disadvantaged in general.
Critics say, "The special children don't know what is going on; they are inbreeds, abandoned by their own minds, living with no purpose and their photographs do not necessarily show how we feel.” Do we see only with our minds? Not if we truly connect and engage our hearts and emotions. If we looked and listened more to those that shame us, we could discover the richness basic folks have to offer. The old ones say we return to the dust nonetheless, so why resist one another?
I gave the special children Polaroids we made; instantly they recognized themselves with joy. I sometimes handed them the cable release and helped pose them with Burley, the father, setting the lights so they could take their own pictures. We all enjoyed watching this process. I made the photo sessions as easy and collaborative as possible.
To protect the regular children and save themselves embarrassment, the parents often preferred home schooling. Making photographs, my intent was to show positive relationships, to introduce and familiarize viewers to help overcome existing fears and misunderstandings that lead neighbors to distancing and stereotyping. I felt I struck a nerve early on learning some of rural society's social constraints and taboos that need to be confronted.
The rural disadvantaged families I visit have few community interactions, freeing them to establish their own ways of creatively playing, educating and communicating with their impaired children. This I discovered to be well founded and positive. In our mountains, those impaired are valued equally with the rest of the family. Surely that is where the term “special” originates? A special family's love embraces all sons and daughters mutually. Are we not all in some sense special children? I have photographed some that may have a sparse material existence but live loving, open, and a naturally self-assured way of life.
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* It should be noted that the percentage of my photography illustrating those with disabilities and impairments is roughly 10% of my entire life's work. But, because others take these photos out of context and misrepresent my intent, photographs intended to bring us together with compassionate understandings have been used by some and made into negative stereotypes.
Getting to know a few special children of this world, is to learn about society’s behaviors toward these special ones. A slightly or seriously atypical appearance to some can bring forward cruel and prejudicial thoughts and actions, actions imposed upon innocent human beings because of another’s ignorance and superstition. It's easy to accuse who ever brings attention to those in need of understanding as exploiting. Instead, we need to examine ourselves and how we respond to those without a clear voice. Our responsibility is to introduce and stimulate the consciousness of the general public, confronting society, decision-makers and even the government with all-encompassing alternative thinking and provocation for those impaired.
With a non-judgmental awareness, we work identifying our prejudices and past histories, freeing ourselves from self-imposed restrictions and limiting boundaries. Photographs made in an engaged relationship can help move our views of the other to new heights, seeing with more compassion. A letting go of one’s ego, a dropping of the reins so to speak of our preconceived ideas and anxieties, is necessary for us to establish empathy and interconnectedness with another. Photography can assist in familiarizing and guiding us to a more inclusive validation of all humanity, but we must also open our hearts.
To many rural folk, nervous ticks, disabilities, and other impairments are often perceived as a part of the whole person. A family member might say, "That's just the way they are, they're still family and we love them." Those more religious believe in one’s flexibility to accept disabilities with hardship and struggle. They see themselves and the world spiritually linked within a larger relationship equipped to bear more burdens than others. They see my pictures differently too, more reverent and respectful. Those same handicaps are seen as bringing about trials and ordeals that enlarge and strengthen a family’s religion, increasing faith and love. The pictures found in their homes almost always show all the family together, without embarrassment. Rarely is anyone from the hollers institutionalized, in fact special kin are protected inside the family loved and spoken of proudly. Still others untouched by disabilities in these rural environments can be callous and forbidding, some religious say they are devil tongued.
Acceptance does not have economic, sociological, or geographic boundaries. Acceptance is heartfelt. Our specially challenged need recognition, beyond just the support of family. They need community and public interactions, not just token offerings. Many special children have a giving and loving nature that can inspire joyfulness, bringing happiness to their families and anyone around them. Visually at first, this may not always be apparent. Sometimes we have to work to clear and quiet our minds. When we can see blamelessness and innocence in another, we progress.
The intent of my portraits is to inspire an all-encompassing awareness and respect for all people. Photographs mirror life in harmony and struggle together from varied perspectives. Studying these portraits can help open us to a more wide-ranging humanity, dissolving differences, overcoming fears, establishing real connections; guiding us to find reception or hold distance within our psyche. It is through this personal focusing that some experience empathy, embracing more of our humanity, discovering the basic needs of all peoples in one’s self. Still only imagining what another's life is really like.
Why deny what another's heart is begging us to recognize?
Documenting and recording the unfurling of anyone’s life takes time and commitment to accomplish authentically. We have much to learn from our special ones. Humanistic photography always shares multiple meanings. Darkness and light with varied polarities will always be in conflict with the ideal. Because of our human vulnerability we are not perfect. Families with deficiencies within seem to have a greater sense of toleration and devotion. Why is it we can't see the way these families lovingly endure?
"God give me my children and he give them to me for a reason. I don't feel ashamed... I'm proud of 'em. I'm proud God let me keep my young'uns."
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A film on disabilities produced and funded by Barack & Michelle Obama.
Link / Title: https://youtu.be/OFS8SpwioZ4?t=1
Crip Camp
Grandma had a cousin named Rufus, he was of a different nature, he had a red beard, knotted hair and bright blue eyes. He was known for his drunken benders, laying out in the apple orchard during summers drinking, eating apples—guzzlin' moonshine till he couldn't walk, singing and talking to no—one and everyone, for a week at a time, drunk as he could be. He would arrive at grandma's house, after his liquor was drunk. He came to visit and get something to eat, grandma would have him clean up at the barn, wash in the barrel the horse and cows drank from and often still drunk, he had to sleep in the barns hay loft until sober. She would take him some of grandpa's clean work cloths to put on.
Growing up I was always excited to see Rufus, he laughed and cut up with me, giving me walnuts or buckeyes he'd found in the woods, sayin' they were special, just for me. Grandma always cooked a big meal with fresh biscuits when ever he showed up. Most families I knew then had someone like Rufus at home, maybe others. Many came to ask for food and grandpa would kindly hand them an empty coal bucket and a hoe and show them where they could dig a bucket full of Irish taters to take with them. Grandma would get them some homemade butter from the kitchen, wrapping in wax paper.
My grandparents had clear lines of acceptable behaviors for kin or strangers when visiting their place, yet they never turned anyone away, puttin' up some in the barn loft sometimes. Year's later word came to my grandparents that Rufus had been saved, he had joined the church, hearing this satisfied them. In our hollers, many seem to grow and sprout both the dark and the light; they are dangerously hard on themselves exploring life's excesses and blessed capabilities transitioning back and forth. Some die in the process, others become leaders and beacon's within their communities and still others must leave, going back and forth and never settling.
Studying the history of photography gave me a determination to search for others in our mountains, like my grandparents, Berthie and Lee Banks. Holler folks welcomed me; they somehow knew our legacy had to be recorded. Many have told me, "You're the only one I'd let photograph me. Want' surrounds us, but we ain't run-down, we see otherwise as you do. It took others comin' in to tell the younger generations, they was poor, and that hurt them. Now, many have went on."
We live in complicated times. More and more, others are coming to us looking for homesteads, what we now call house seats or home lots. Those who have moved off with others, want to come back and resettle. They see peace here, where in the cities violence and shootings are increasing. Our family feuds made us famous, now that stigma is faded and we are viewed as peaceful again. Away from the coal mined mountains, beautiful scenic landscapes are waiting to be developed. But, will the new residents take to the old-culture seeing our mountain folk's with value? Will they want to accept, coexist and be with our holler peoples? Or will they be like some of our own, putting down those who have long clung and adapted to life in the mountains, treating them as less?
* Federal Courts upheld the mining companies' use of the broad form deed; some say this is why Appalachia has remained so poor, since these deeds created many nonresident millionaires.
August 2016
Reflections on the Art of Living, Joseph Campbell, and other works in general, 1991
Blake's Vision Of The Book Of Job, Joseph H. Wicksteed, Haskell House, 1971
The Eyes of Shame, Mother—Infant Attachment and Psychoanalysis, Mary Ayers, Brunner-Routledge, 2004
Unstrange Minds, Remapping the World of Autism, Roy Richard Grinker, Basic Books, 2007
Faces, A Narrative History of the Portrait in Photography, Ben Maddow, New York Graphic Society Boston, 1977
The Theatre of the Face, Portrait Photography Since 1900, Max Kozloff, Phaidon, London, 2007
Face, The New Photographic Portrait, William A. Ewing with Nathalie Herschdorfer, Thames & Hudson, 2006, London
Ghost in the Shell, Photography and the Human Soul, 1850 - 2000, Robert A. Sobieszek, 1999, Los Angeles County Museum, LA
On Ugliness, Edited by Umberto Eco, Rizzoli, 2007, NY
Touch, Gabriel Josipovici, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1996
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