As I sent the final final draft of Phantom Son to my editor, never to be seen again until published, I was reading photographer, Sally Mann's memoir, Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs. Since I was writing my next book, a memoir with photographs, I paid special attention to the following quote:

"When I get asked what one piece of advice I have for young photographers, this is what I tell them. If you are working on a project and you're thinking maybe it's time to put it out into the world, make sure you have already started your next body of work. Not just started, either: you should be well along on it. You will know that the first project is finished when you find yourself joylessly going through the motions to eke out a few more pictures while like a forbidden lover, the new ones call seductively to you. This new lover should be irresistible, and when it calls, you will be in its urgent thrall, making the work of your heart."

With these words, to pay attention to the "the new ones calling calling seductively," give way to an emerging project, Phantom Father: A Daughter's Quest for Elegy. For now, it is an unwieldy first draft, but that will change. Look forward to:

Phantom Father:
A Daughter's Quest for Elegy