Book Banning

Presented here are scans made at my public library of gelatin silver prints meticulously created in the darkroom. The quotes accompanying the photos are from the discourse I had with the respective subjects of each image.

Ever since I was a young boy I was a bookworm. My mom says I took after my abuelito when it comes to reading. I remain proud of the various elementary reading contests I won. I spent as much time as I could at any library I had access to. I was the classic nerd being made fun of for spending his lunch time reading books.

One evening, in September, I was listening to the radio while printing in the darkroom. It was an unfamiliar program, but I tuned in because my friend, Obaidullah, was being interviewed about his Afghan upbringing in war. During this program, someone mentioned a public discussion being held at the city library regarding book bans. I attended.

I was a teenager when I first heard the term “banned book”. The context was in conversation about J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Upon hearing that this book was “banned”, I immediately went to my public library and checked it out to try and find out why. I was reminded of this as I observed the public discourse and gathered my thoughts.

As I walked out of the library after the event, I immediately began devising how to communicate my passion for the topic through photography. I decided this is a long term project that will continue for years to come. It will consist of both documentary and conceptual photography. For the meantime, please enjoy these gelatin silver prints I’ve made: