Conversations With A Grandchild

I began this project in late April, 2015 after a trip to NYC and the American South. These images and text helped launch the idea of The StoryTeller Project. The photos were shot using the Leica M7, a 50mm Summicron lens and T-MAX or HP5 film, then I scanned the selects for digital reproduction.

This photographic work is autobiographical and participatory. As such, I invite you into a series of brief imagined dialogues between one of my grandchildren and myself. In each case, Corbin or Lucy opens the discourse with the first question or statement and alternates the single-line responses with me. This approach allows you to interpret the photograph and text based on your personal experience.⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣My hope is to tell you a little bit about who I am, what I think, and perhaps more importantly, why. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣

Lunch Talk, King Salmon, AK. March 2015
Do you know these men? I know the man on the right. His name is Rod Cyr. Are they friends? It would so appear. Are there many places to eat lunch in King Salmon? Only a few and most close up for the winter. Why? People come here during the summer to fish for salmon. Also trout. With a pole and a hook with a worm? They use long nets and special boats and catch hundreds of fish at a time. Hard work? Yes. What’s the best thing about fishing? Getting to eat what you catch! (Sadly, since I made this photograph Rod has stepped through the veil. Rest in peace, my friend.)
An Amish Market, NYC, March 2015
Who is this man? I don’t know his name. I didn’t introduce myself. You should have. Perhaps. Is he lonely? He’s sitting in the corner with his back to the wall. He is alone. Maybe not lonely. There is a difference. That’s true. Was it cold and rainy outside? Yes. Why? He’s wearing a heavy coat and a knitted hat and he’s hunched over eating hot soup. There were puddles at the street corners filled with dirty slush. People got their shoes and socks wet. Did you? No. I wore tall boots and watched where I stepped. Was this nameless lonely man also wearing tall boots?
Squad 18 On The Move, NYC, March 2015
Did you see a fire while you were in New York City? No, not this time. Do you think firemen are brave? Very brave. They rush toward danger while others are running the other way. That’s brave. Is that what makes us brave? Running toward danger? I think that’s part of it. Courage. Fearlessness. Taking a stand for what’s right. That kind of thing. Are you brave? Hope so. I’m trying to be. But, sadly, I haven’t always taken a stand for what I knew was right. Why? Fear. What were you afraid of? That’s a good question.
3rd Floor Window, Mark Twain's House, NYC, March 2015
Do you have a favorite Mark Twain story? No, not really. I haven’t actually read much of his writings. Why? I just never got around to it. Didn’t really grab my attention. What did he write about? Two boys on a river raft trip when they were supposed to be painting a fence. Oh. And a prize-winning frog from someplace in California, I think. That kind of stuff. I see. Why do you think there is a skeleton standing in his 3rd floor window? The current resident is a medical student? Or an anthropologist? Anatomy teacher? Could be. I really have no idea. Seems out of place for Twain. I’d expect it in Edgar Allen Poe’s window. Maybe it’s standing in the window because there’s no place to sit down in the room!

Greenwich Village, NYC, March 2015
Do you think this lady is old? Probably. How old? Older than you and me, but not older than her father. Why? The walking cane. Not all old people use walking canes. That’s why I said ‘probably’. Did you notice the pattern in the sidewalk matches the pattern in her coat? Yes, I did. Just now.
Remember, NYC, March 2015
I don’t remember anything about this. Why? It happened before you were born. Did you put the flower there? No. I'm sure someone who knew and cared about Sean Lynch did. Do people know when we put flowers on their graves? Maybe. I guess it depends on what you believe in your heart. What do you believe in your heart? I believe the most powerful thing in this world is love. True love? Absolutely true, enduring love. And this white rose is a symbol of that true, enduring love. So, it helps us remember. Indeed it does.
Alex Bernhardt at Don't Tell Mama's, NYC, March 2015
Who is this man? Alex is Kat’s younger brother. He looks like he’s having a good time. What is he singing about? Growing up in Alaska, figuring out what his life was about. Trying to find his way in the world. Was this on Broadway? Just off Broadway. Very close to Broadway. Broadway is just around the corner, that’s how close. Good voice? Very good. Full house? Standing room only. Wow! Why would you not want to tell Mama? You’ll have to ask Alex that question.
Prayers, St. John The Divine, NYC, March 2015
Do you pray? Sometimes. When? At night, when “you lay down to sleep”? Not usually. I pray when I need to pray. How do you know when you need to pray? It usually becomes clear. How so? There’s danger. Someone is sick. I’m having a bad experience. I’m alone. Who was the last person you prayed for, do you remember? No, I can’t say I do. Did you say a prayer in this church? I don’t think so. No sickness. No danger. No bad experience this time. I was with people I cared about. Maybe someone, somewhere, was praying for you.

Untitled, The Cloisters, NYC, March 2015
This photograph makes me feel uneasy. It is a bit…different. Three women, cut at the shoulder, resting on a slab of stone. Makes me wonder. What? Where are their bodies? What happened to the rest of their statues? Why just the heads? It’s creepy. Yes, but visually compelling. It’s not often you happen upon a scene like this. They look…bored. I agree. I wonder, do you think they had any idea we would be seeing their faces so many years into their future? I doubt it. Most people don’t regard how they’ll be remembered. We don’t think much about the future. Yet, here we are, centuries later, looking back in time and wondering. Makes me want to leave a little something about myself, so someone in the future will know about me. This book is a nice way to do that.
Snow Dog, NYC, March 2015
Do you prefer cats or dogs? Dogs. Why? I’ve always had a dog or two. Mutts mostly. Some pure breeds. Ranch dogs. Guard dogs. No cats? Barn cats when I was a kid. They lived outside and hunted mice for food. Cats are too aloof for me. You don’t like cats? I just like the company a dog offers. Dogs love unconditionally. In my opinion, most cats could care less. Did you have a favorite dog? They’re all my favorites. Each one is special. Unique. Irreplaceable. Someone said cats have ‘nine lives’. That means they get into and out of trouble a lot, I think. Perhaps. Dogs only have one life, but it’s a really, really good one. When your life is full, you only need one.
Through The Glass Clearly, The Cloisters, NYC, March 2015
Alex Bernhardt, again. Yes. I like the layers in this photo. He’s looking through the glass, the solid wall behind. The priest reflected. There’s usually more than meets the eye with just about everyone. We’re deeper than we appear. How do we know what is real and what is illusion? A facade? Patience is your best ally. Time usually reveals the truth. In my experience, truthfulness is always best. Why do people hide who they truly are? Fear, I suppose. Fear again? I think so much of life is wasted fighting with fear. The greatest shackles we bear in this life are those forged by our own fears. So how can fear be overcome? With love. Love is what we’re born with. Fear is what we learn. Unlearn fear and replace it with love.
Icing On The Cake, Magnolia Bakery, NYC, March 2015
Tell me something you learned from your father about life. A lesson from long ago that applies today. Okay. My father lived by a simple rule he called “the sugar doughnut effect.” You have my attention. You know you can’t touch a powdered sugar doughnut without getting some of it on you, right? Yes. I get the sugar on my face, my pants, and it goes on the table. It’s a mess. My dad believed we all leave a little bit of ourselves with everyone we meet. I never really thought about it that way, but I guess you’re right. So, why not leave something sweet? Leave them encouraged. Like the powdered sugar from the doughnut! Exactly! If we’re going to “leave some of who we are” anyway, why not make it positive. YES! Leave a sweet memory with everyone I meet! A positive experience rather than something…else. And when you look back over your life you’ll see a trail of kindness and inspiration in dozens of lives. The Sugar Doughnut Effect!