by Ivy Pochoda
First published 2019
This collection brings together French translations of three stories written in response to Henry Wessel's black and white photographs. The late Bay Area photographer captured fragments of life that suggest larger narratives lurking beneath the surface. His images served as creative prompts for acclaimed writers Art Taylor, Ivy Pochoda, and Alexander MacLeod, each crafting fiction that springs from Wessel's visual starting points. The book pairs each photograph with the story it inspired, creating a dialogue between image and text. Readers encounter tales that explore the moral ambiguity and fatalistic undertones that Wessel's photography suggests. The volume exists at the intersection of literary anthology and art book, offering both visual and narrative experiences that illuminate how photography can spark storytelling.
Genres: art, collections, 21st-century, art-history
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: anthology, dialogue
Setting: Bay Area
Period: 21st Century
64 pages · Hardcover · MACK