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Why do we hate?
What are the roots of prejudice? Of bigotry and cruelty?
How is it that families who love each other so deeply can misunderstand each other so
completely, and through what they believe are well-intentioned loving actions, HURT
each other so severly?
Questions like these are what drove me to write "Jo Joe."
Because I'm known as a fine art photographer as well as for my non-fiction books, articles
and columns, I'm often asked how my writing and my photography relate to each other. For
me, it's ALL about storytelling, discovering the tendrils of life that weave tales, meeting
the people of my imagination and watching their stories unfold.
Judith, Gramma, Joe -- all the characters of "Jo Joe" -- want to do the right thing,
want to be loving and happy, but they're thwarted by ghosts from their past, as well as their
own limitations -- as we all are.
Readers tell me that "Jo Joe" is like a mirror. It compels them to reflect on their own experiences
and understanding of race and prejudice, of being Jewish, being black, their ethnic identity.
But Judith, Gramma, AH, and Joe are NOT metaphors. For me, they are flesh-and-blood, heartwarming,
fallible individuals who just might help us try to answer those unanswerable questions.
I've discovered over the years, that I write with a photographer's eye and photograph narratively,
seeking the details of a moment, the visual impact of a gesture, the humanity that captures
our hearts and confounds our minds.
I hope you enjoy the verbal imagery -- and the people -- of "Jo Joe." Thank you.