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Jenn Ackerman – Trapped: Mental Illness in America’s Prisons
Emerging Photographer Fund – FINALIST (number two of eleven)
The continuous withdrawal of mental health funding has turned jails and prisons across the U.S. into default mental health facilities. The system designed for security is now trapped with treating mental illness and the mentally ill are often trapped inside the system with nowhere else to go.
I left the prison everyday feeling the same way the warden and the doctors do – wanting to help these men that have nowhere else to go but feeling helpless. My intention was to produce a riveting body of work that made the viewer feel what I felt when I was inside the prison. There were days that I was extremely scared and others that I left thinking how much someone on the outside missed them. Some days, I had to remind myself that many of these men had done heinous things. There were also days when I was reminded that some of these men have faded into the system with no hope of getting out.
I saw them cry. I saw them hit themselves so hard in the head that they bled. I saw them throw their feces at the officers. I saw a world most people don’t even know exists in America.
Thus far, this project documents the Correctional Psychiatric Treatment Unit at the Kentucky State Reformatory. I chose this institution because it is regarded by many as one of the best psychiatric units in the country.
The project portrays the daily struggle inside the walls of the unit redesigned to treat mental illness and maintain the level of security required in a prison. The photos take viewers into an institution where the criminally insane are sometimes locked up in their cells for 23 hours a day with nothing to occupy their minds but their own demons.
I have an excitement for storytelling and believe it is a great honor and privilege to share the stories of people who otherwise might not be heard. I specialize in long-term, in-depth, documentary projects and believe strongly in its ability to increase social awareness. My goal is when an image can make you feel something you can no longer forget it exists.
While this is a topic that has been covered in foreign countries, we have yet to see an in-depth photo documentary on the inhumane treatment to the mentally ill in America. Thus, this story is one I am honored to tell given the access that I was granted. Throughout this past year, I balanced my time shooting stills and video. While I also believe the edited film will be powerful, I know that the still images cannot be ignored and will have a lasting impact.
See more photos and the short documentary film at http://www.jennackerman.com/trapped.
Photographs: Jenn Ackerman
Website: www.jennackerman.com
….. yea the photographers that trust their gut feelings have the ride of their lives they just do it………….. woops better not go there
ALL
A brand new day, the dark has passed..so many great comments, observations, sincere efforts to understand and articulate..ANTON, DAH, PATRICIA, DAVID B., ERICA, and anyone/everyone else who has been striving to restore the decency and respect (not to mention the compassion for the actual tormented subjects and caretakers in this situation) that this essay and Jenn deserve..i could cut and paste incredible quotes from so many here to show just how touched i am by your intelligence and wisdom but it would take up an entire page, so just a thank you all so much for bringing the sunlight back to a very dark forum.
best to all
kat-
David, all…
I think I’m on record as having an opinion about civility…
Here’s a thought. To me, Jim’s civility infractions are relatively minor. He’s usually on topic, but he’s brusque, dismissive, provocative and pretty sure he’s right all the time. Not a pleasant mixture sometimes… but who is anyone to judge?
I think he provides a valuable service. There is always going to be some jerk at a gallery talk, or a lecture, or a meeting, some know-it-all who wants to prove something, and won’t let facts stand in the way of his argument.
What I read here is frustration on the part of others… at the inability to make a persuasive defense of their ideas, maybe hurt feelings getting in the way, who knows.
But it’s good practice for dealing with this type of person when talking about images, which is a very slippery subject.
I’d say the key to cracking the Jim nut is keep your cool, argue articulately, calmly, clearly and logically… if you care to at all.
It really doesn’t matter if you change Jim’s mind (ain’t gonna happen), it’s about clarifying your own ideas and learning how to think, reason and write about them.
a very moving piece.
the title fits the collection like a glove.
the image of the inmate holding the gloved hand of the officer is now etched in my memory.
great work jenn!
Mike, thankyou
Mike,
we’re not talking about squashing out a person, we’re talking about squashing out unhealthy behaviors, i can’t see how you could confuse those things.
No specific person’s name has been mentioned, until you mentioned one now.
if you’ve found it easy to assign the dissatisfaction with irrefutable unhealthy behaviours to a specific person that should tell you something Mike.
So unless you are arguing for promoting the behaviours, i don’t see why it’s relevant to argue for a specific person, unless this is part of a past crusade of yours.
Kind Regards,
Joe
Come on Joe, now you are being disingenuous.
Mike,
let me add some more context, as i don’t disagree with the need for better articulation to move the photographic agenda along and we do need an impetus for that. I think this is the spirit of what your endorsing, no?
my concern is the impact certain behaviours have on the degree of vulnerability a community is willing to surrender, and vulnerability and humility are key ingredients to learning.
so yes, we should have a Darwinistic influence, but it doesn’t have to be administered by a nasty rabid dog.
for example, from a forum, from a past life:
there’s still loads of people that think {name your favourite place} is just the ‘web’ and the people on the ‘web’ are just ‘cyber personalities’,… so with this thinking in mind you ‘don’t’ need to take things related to {name your favourite place} too seriously, but that thinking has really got to stop.
{name your favourite cyber-place} is a ‘real’ place and the personalities that frequent {name your favourite cyber-place} are ‘real’ people… if you don’t think so, ask yourself what percent of your life’s interests are exchanged in electronic vs. organic ways these days?… if you still think these electronic exchanges aren’t real, then you really have to wonder what percentage of your life is spent ‘not’ being real… so for the love of gawd, please keep electronic exchanges as real as you would in the real world, i suspect we’ll have a society built on them someday…
And i think that’s my dilemma Mike, you wouldn’t last a second being behaving this way in real life, people would just walk to the other end of the bar or leave what ever area these behaviours or erupting.
But maybe i’m just old-fashioned.
The interesting thing about all of this reaction is that she has a very good chance to win. The piece is published on her website. She’s won an NPPA Best Photography of The Year award for it. And now she is in contention for another award. Surely she doesn’t need all these defenders. Probably could care less about my opinions. This isn’t her first time around the block.
“Patricia, most people don’t experience everything on a deep, personal level as you do. I don’t think I could survive if I did, since there is no effective response I can make to change most things. How do you let go of those feelings and move on without life being a serious of heartbreaking reactions?”
PERSONAL SHARING ALERT…
Jim, it IS hard to live with all your senses open to the pain of others, especially those whose pain you feel powerless to alleviate in any way, be it through systemic change or personal healing or both. I suspect this is why most of us stay numbed out in one way or another. I think they call it compassion fatique.
As for myself, when I decided–and it WAS a personal choice–to look at the world with both eyes and heart wide open, I went through a period of severe suffering. All my defense mechanisms had been protecting me for a reason: reality can and sometimes DOES hurt, badly. But if I didn’t go to the dark places, I was missing out on the light at the other end of the spectrum. To feel pure joy I had to allow myself to feel gut-wrenching pain as well.
It was out of this pain that came my deep commitment to peace activism. No I wouldn’t stop wars or injustice or the horrors of genocide, but I would be doing what I could. DOING being the operative word. No longer did I allow myself to sit back and complain; I went out on the streets, wrote letters and articles, drew pictures that were published globally, took photos and posted them all over the net, gave talks (even one in Beirut, Lebanon), organized groups, wrote lyrics to songs, gave interviews, and once or twice sat in front of the White House and Congressional office buildings by myself for weeks at a time. In essence I brought every fiber of my being to the work for peace.
As I say, wars went on, people still got killed and tortured, my country’s government still made decisions that caused untold suffering at home and across the globe. But through it all I could live with myself because I knew I was doing my part to stand up publicly for different, more humane ways of living together on this small planet.
And now I let my camera be my mirror and window on the world. I can only hope that if my eyes and heart remain open, so will my lens. And that what people see in my work will in some way benefit the whole.
Thank you, dear Jim, for asking this question. I hope my sharing has not taken too much time away from Jenn’s remarkable essay and work. For she obviously lives and feels and does what she can to make a difference…even in the face of all that she sees in the prisons. Because of her we are given the opportunity to see, feel and hopefully do something ourselves. For each of us, that “doing” will be different, but together we CAN make a change.
peace
Patricia
Omission:
“and once or twice sat WITH MY HAND-LETTERED & PHOTO-BEARING SIGN in front of the White House and Congressional office buildings by myself for weeks at a time.”
PATRICIA
ALL….
we are now preparing letters to all who applied to the EPF so that you can know one way or the other if you are in the running….
the delay in doing this was caused in part by one finalist voluntarily dropping out because this photographer chose to no longer work on the project for which application was being made…a VERY honest photographer…thanks, you know who you are…..the other reason is of course the sometimes slow task of double checking the credibility and veracity of each applicant and their story, permissions etc etc…….and with one dropping out, we had to go back through quite a few second choices and quite a bit more research…
this whole process has been daunting to say the least…Anton and i literally have had to go through and do all of this by ourselves with not even an intern to help…..no complaints, just a bit of an explanation of why we are a week behind….when the dust settles i hope all of you will be proud of the selection….
i would also like to point out that the judgments of work here has nothing to do with perhaps previous judgments of the same work….i had no clue, nor did Anton, of any previous recognition of work submitted…with so many photographers to view, we did not research each and every one to see what had happened to the essay in previous awards…however, really strong essays often are awarded several grants , so this is not an unlikely scenario at all….as a matter of fact, i cannot remember any strong essay not winning multiple awards….
photographers who are not finalists are still high on our list for future publication and possible commissions…i mean, there was a lot of truly fine work submitted……a lot….mind boggling actually…a real surprise to me….
while obviously i am proud of the EPF and thankful to the donors who made it possible, the EPF is just a small part of what we want to do with BURN….it came up as an interesting possibility on Road Trips and just segued over here….however, at this very moment , i would say i will never do it again…a whole lot of work and a constant defense of doing this whole lot of work and at a personal financial loss to both Anton and i to boot….but, time may change my opinion…as i always say, a good nights sleep and a hot shower remedy many things….i do at least have hot water….
thank you for your patience…..letters should go out within 24 hours…should i call Anton and wake him up????
cheers, david
Now that I have some time, I really want to dive into this essay. I really like it, and I see some incredible potential for growth if the subjects would allow.
I’m not going to go image by image, but I do want to call out some that I think deserve some conversation:
#4 – I usually don’t like alot of motion bur, but here it works and it is appropriate. I’m guessing it was done on accident and doesn’t feel forced. It adds to the chaotic feeling of the moment.
#6 – Nice show of the isolation.
#7 – I was about to dismiss this one, until I saw the other inmate looking out the door…keeping a watchful eye.
#9 – I’m really digging the first guy with the shield. You can almost see a zoned-out look on his face—another day, another dollar. What’s with the guy with the video camera?
#10 – This is a real keeper. My favorite by a long way. The look on the inmate’s face, trying to absorb everything the guard is saying. Classic.
#13 – This was the only real miss for me. The application of the medicine and the reactions of everyone while that was taking place would be better for me.
If the constraints of the project would allow, I would really like to see some in-depth profiles of some of the guards, inmates, and even the warden. So much more to see, but I like what I’ve seen so far.
DAH
Wake the sleeping bum up!
Will he be at Look3?
I am sending you an email with the link to the book photos for you to look over. Be on the lookout for it please!
Thanks David
a HUGE
heartfelt
thanks
and
admiration
and
respect
to you
David
and
Anton
it is so appreciated…
and
admired…
out of the ash
rises
a phoenix…
always….
**
Hi Jen, complicated subject you begin to work. Terrible pic 16. I don’t know that in USA are this places, mix of correctional and neuropsychiatric. In all countries and families nobody knows what to do with mad people. I worked in some places with mental ill people and see several works of others photographers. I know is very difficult emotionally to work in that places so, if i add the prision i imagine is a lot more. The other difficult issue is to fall in good pictures but at the cost of some kind of exposition of the person. I see you don’t shot or edited “golpes bajos”, sorry, don’t know how traslate in english. I esteem that. Congratulations, hope you can find a way to continue your proyect.
And a note appart about others replies in this and others works. Hey people, common, chill out. Before put a comment please put yourself in the shoes of the photographer that her, his work is presented. If any thinks can do it better then do it. For some reason we are viewing their work and they have good intentions so be constructive. I don’t mean repress discordant comments, i detest the too honey replies all the time too, but one must write if add something. Sometimes is like that people that have nothing to say arrange to meet in all kind of replies forums in the web.
WONDERFUL news and thank you for all you and Anton have done to make this a possibility for all of us..this should be, and is a time of great gladness and mutual celebration..
Perhaps you should post this on the EPF thread too for anyone who may not catch it here..
Powerful stuff. I can’t even imagine working in this situation. My younger brother is deeply ill from bi-polar and lives his days locked in a cell of his (well, the universe’s) own making. Fortunately he’s never done anything violent towards others, only himself. Sadly we have very little contact now as his condition and my need to help drove me to illness. You can’t make a person who his mentally ill seek treatment or change their ways. It can bring you to your own edge. I now tend to evade or ignore people with mental illness. Probably not right, I know, but it’s a form of survival for me.
So I salute the photographer’s bravery for going someplace I could never tread. It’s a tragedy, the way the mentally ill are treated in this country, offenders or not.
David (ah):
both alejandro and jenn’s work are powerful, committed, rich work. there is nothing anyone need apologize. 2 great selections and i look forward to seeing the last 8. who knows, maybe the pressure and the sequential releasing (rather than naming all at once) created the weirdness, but there is nothing anyone need be apolgetic for. I am certain all 10 (and the one who dropped out) photographers’ work will be inspiring and I HOPE that once the fog-of-war dies down, all will be able to just relish in the thing that unites each one here: the love of telling stories with pictures. I think i warned you 2 weeks ago ;))))))
raise high the roofbeam, seymour ;)))
bb
Herve, I think that you should have used the word ‘you’ with the word ‘we’ in your last comment
——————————-
Johan, I think you are being dishonest, and there is no need for dishonesty on this forum. Just quote me completely in the future, thanks …
I wrote: ‘that’s me too’, with that ‘we’!
BOB BLACK…
i think all grant giving creates weirdness…
however, most grants to not have the potential recipients in close personal contact with the creator of the grant as we have here…we are all in day to day conversation, so i think whatever negatives are always there anyway, are just magnified because everyone here knows me, knows much about the behind the scenes process, and there is a personalized dialogue that is the hallmark of BURN…
i am not apologizing for anything…
i might explain why were are late in notifying all of the applicants , but i have no apologies to make for the finalists chosen based on their work as submitted…..
the double checking of veracity of story and place and permissions is another thing that i want to make sure is 100% on and i did defend Jenn’s syntax, but her work stands on its own and i stand by it……..i will write an overall synopsis of why and how the finalists were chosen at the end….and i am sure your writing on the whole package of finalists will be THE piece to read…
many thanks for your continued support as an editor…i have some new plans, but i will call you this afternoon to discuss….sorry we have been out of touch, but it has simply been a function of all that is going on with EPF, the gallery space, etc etc
cheers, david
im working hard to put the words together to describe my reaction to the essay. the images left me speechless. they’re powerful with the very strong aftertaste of despair in front of the tragedy. it’s a very difficult subject, and Jen, you were very privileged to be able to witness the suffering of these people and now being able to share it with others. im not a documentary photographer but after seeing this type of work, i sometime have a desire to do the documentary work too, with the hope that it will encourage people to help or at least will move something inside them to be more expressive in their sympathy to others’ suffering.
marina – do it :ø)
it would be fascinating.. enjoying your and bobus´s visual mumblings as i do..
either of you would, i´m sure, create work more impressive than the vast majority of documentary work.. understanding as you do the capability of snaps to MOVE.
it´s something that many neglect in the documentary world.. myself included on occassion.. favoring instead the ´game´ of hunting moments..
David, we may not always show oiurselves at our best, granted, but lowest common denominator?
Anyone, if you have not done so, go on youtube,, choose any little movie with some ethnic content in it, see that black people become suddenly niggers and monkeys again, see that someone thai calls cambodians fucking idiots and monkeys. I put a little movie on a gujarat wedding, and half of the comments (now erased) were that Gujaratis are stinky… you guessed, monkeys. Never mind the posts not dedicated to the P.’s work, you, my friends on BURN, are one of the most decent bunch of debaters on the net. As simple as that.
Also: reading the comments again, of course it’s Ok to simply be horrified by mental illness, but remember that Jenn is a specific work to help with the problem of jailed mentally ill criminals. I’d applaud an EPF grant that would not just be judged on photographic talent, but to help promote a cause in dire need of public exposure.
Herve we can always find a lower bar to make any our efforts seem extra-ordinary, we don’t approach our efforts with photography this way, so why should we with our manners?
decnt, not extraordinary, Joe….
Oops, used up my quota of posts for the day. ;-)))
:-)
David
You mentioned a number of posts back that you had considered moderation.
I think, in it’s ‘normal’ application moderation, on this site, would be
difficult.
Most of the posts/posters here that would benefit from moderation are not the typical posts
from around the web that contain foul language,verbal abuse, etc.
Most center around personal discourse and retaliatory shots that waste massive amounts of
bandwidth and, in my opinion, do a disservice to the featured photo or essay.
Is there not a way to moderate, via site software, simply by ‘moderation.
By that, I mean, a quota system. If each individual only had the ability to post a finite
number of times per thread then, I think,it wouldn’t suppress anyones opinion or legitimate
defense of their opinion but it would force those craving attention to really consider when
to, and what to, post.
Keep a hot thread in the Dialogue section going for those who wish to post on an ongoing
basis.
This would allow a venting space, in public, but would, at the same time, remove the lions
share of the useless back and forth that has ruined so many threads
David (ah):
even this grant stuff makes ME weird…believe me…ask Marina ;))…she’s the level-headed one in the family…i guess that is what herve sees as my incorrigibility ;)) (u r right Herve, btw :)) )…maybe because i didnt want to write my usual long, poetic, love-letter supports until the end, cause it might look odd (as an entrant too)…..i will write a summation after Look3, just as i did last year, and try to do justice to both the work/photographers and the process as a participant…anyway, the weirdness, there is no way of getting around this, — my own reactions have been so complicated (wanting mrs. b’s stuff there), and wanting to see friends work, unknown work…im just as human, jealous, happy, all that ;))…but i think, no matter what happens, when all fades away, we’ll be left with something more basic: not the ‘winners’ and ‘loosers’ but with the idea that photography is still vibrant and that one’s life and one’s work should not and cannot be defined by others evaluations but by the commitment and investment and endeavor to which every person works their asses off….and from that, you will have accomplished something rare and wonderful for the photograhic community: the elevation and support of photography…in this sense EVERYONE wins (as i said yesterday)….next year, if it happens, let Bruce G handle it ;)))…that way none of us can complain ;))))))….i wont be home today (other grand deadline and family date): we’ll touch base next week….
david (bowen) :)))))…yes, just wait to you see what that other ‘documentary’ photographer does with work :))))…i’ve been aching for the last 2 months, it’s that beautiful :))))
running
b
Mark…
u sound crispy…:)
maybe we could ALL talk and comment,
ONLY in the Dialogue section and no comments under essays…
just like the ROADTRIPS….
but ,
dont you think that since BURN is a magazine ALSO to be read…
this current interface of comments under essays generate more comments..
therefore more food for thought?
One post per poster. It must be directed at the essay. It can’t be use to respond to another poster.
Simple.
delete any other posts.
…laughing….
Jim you reminded me of Stalin with your last one..
God bless u man:)
Had posted this earlier but don’t think it got through – apologies if its now a duplicate.
Jenn Ackerman – excellent work from my perspective.
David contemplates perfection and everybody’s state of perfection – your essay speaks volumes in answering the rhetorical pondering.
Specifically on the essay – very Magnum-esque (and that is a big Big BIG complement and yet a terrible burden to live up to). I think the essay can stand on either or both legs (being the text or the image or both). I was thinking about the power of the image recently and surmised that the most powerful story can be through imagery but it is not necessarily truth. Eddie Adams speaking on the 1969 Pulitzer image of a summary execution in Vietnam commented “Still photographs are the most powerful weapon in the world. People believe them, but photographs do lie, even without manipulation. They are only half-truths”.
What is truth is the moment in time that you captured the image – nothing else. What the truth can be missing is context. Context can be infinitely more difficult to capture. Photographs often need a title but don’t necessarily need text.
Good luck in your emergence efforts.
Best wishes,
Tommy.
The problem with moderation is ambiguity. No ambiguity in that plan! :)
Panos wrote,
“dont you think that since BURN is a magazine ALSO to be read…
this current interface of comments under essays generate more comments..
therefore more food for thought?”
Panos I like the comments under the essays but think there has to be a more useful
way to keep the posts more accurately focussed on the image/ essay in question
Every physical magazine you pick up, is also meant to be read or viewed, but we are not
subjected to every readers personal minutia at the end of each article
Jim Powers wrote,
“One post per poster. It must be directed at the essay. It can’t be use to respond to another poster.”
Not at all. Could be 5. Could be 10 posts. Each uses them as they see fit but, once they’re
gone, they’re gone! You’ve got how many in this thread? 40-50?
Hey, if they want to limit everyone’s posts, I’ll be glad to abide by that limit. Even if it is one post per essay.
Photograph number 3 sets the scene for me. The caption reads “it’s like walking into a different world”. I see this photograph and statement as the lead into the essay. Some of the photographs may seem disjointed, repetitive, unfocused – but given the subject matter the technique works very well. I like this essay and look forward to seeing more. As the photographer has stated, some of these people are in the wrong place and will, eventually, be released. It would be good to know what happens to them; hopefully something positive.
A lot of comments here. I’ve not read them all but a lot of energy seems to have been expended discussing the text. Sad really.
As the photographer states, this subject has been covered before in other countries than America. When the subject is at home it becomes much more personal.
Congratulations Jenn for telling the story,
Mike.
Panos, Jim reminds you of Stalin? You mean like
http://www.amazon.com/Commissar-Vanishes-Falsification-Photographs-Stalins/dp/0805052941
?
Mike.
I have subscribed this photosite for a month. I thought you people are discussing all kind of photos stories. Since i am also crazy about turn-based all real-time photos stories, I had great expectation on this group. But you all f_cking people have only big mouse. Many people follow the someone’s notes (totally not related to photos stories), and those f_cking messages gave me f_cking headache. I know you all have freedom to speak or write, but you people are doing too much. Since old man says “NOBody scares shit to avoid, but they avoid because its f_cking dirty. I will stop subscribing this fucking photosite. If you have any other words, fuck you. Thank you.
.
.
.
This has been an imported argument, originally by Sokwoo Lee, Sep 23 1999, 11:00 pm – YOU’RE ALL FUCKIN BIG MOUSE
At least Godwin’s Law hasn’t yet materialized…! :D
On a serious note, I like the essay, especially #7, and I do not think locking up ANYONE in a cell is a solution to a criminal problem (or a problem of any kind), whether they are insane or not.
Great, Simon. We’ll let the penal system know where they can send Charles Manson. I’m sure they would like to find him a good home.
I’d argue that the penal system itself is responsible for Charles Manson and the majority of violent persons.
JIM..
great idea!!! best idea i have heard…..you CAN be constructive!!! damn !!
ok, how about this: from now on under the photographs presented, either single or essays, everyone gets one comment..one shot at it…to be directed ONLY at the work presented….all others deleted…that is moderating , but self moderating…
for those who want to chit chat, wrangle, tell us it is their birthday, they can do that in Dialogue…not moderated except for trolls with expletives etc. which is already a rule…..make sense?
i will do it…perfect ….simple…brilliant…why in hell did i not think of it???
cheers, david
I guess I can understand, but it’s a shame. A healthy dialogue, as long as it’s healthy, is always fun and stimulating.
ALL….
Young Tom Hyde is going to start doing some text editing for us..his background is in newspapering, so he will be on the case with accuracy, credibility, and making sure we have all pertinent information on any essay….the more popular BURN becomes, the more submissions we have, so the more help i will need to make sure there is 100% cred with everything we publish….
right off the top, Tom will ask each photographer for a complete bio to be published under every essay…a separate link even from the photographer website…a clear concise history of each essayist…we will also do this retroactively with the essays which have been published…so, if that is you, please prepare a one or two paragraph bio…a statement of your overall intent as a photographer should also be included….
at the very same time , i am putting Kathleen Fonseca in charge of checking/evaluating ethical issues which she thinks may arise from our photographers…..Kathleen thinks well…writes well…..and she is a first class mom….all good attributes for somone to make sure we do not inadvertently make any ethical and/or moral errors…..
Kathleen and Tom will of course work with Anton , Bob and me to make sure we have BURN right out there on the leading edge visually and yet right at the top with the best on credibility…
Joe and David Bowen will also be coming on board in various capacities which are to be next discussed in a London pub…..Mike Westfall is going to be presenting ideas on the history of photography, an area where many emerging photographers are weak, but eager to understand the historical context of their work…i want Akaky soonest for another picture/word essay combo and might make him a columnist regular…Sidney perhaps the same..Bob always and Joe as a potential columnist…David B wants to edit…good….i have three additional women in mind for other jobs( the biggest jobs of course!!), but have not discussed anything with them yet, so i should not announce now….
i think the above implemented will alone will eliminate a lot of problematic conversation and lock us into the high ground of publishing….
so, good news good ideas all around this afternoon…..sunny skies…hmmmm, do i hear thunder in the distance???
cheers, david
p.s. i will formalize all of this in a proper post, but this is enough to chew on for awhile…
BRIAN…
why can’t you still have a dialogue??? just one click away and you can go at it….yes, in a perfect world the dialogue could be, should be right under the work…but, if you go through the archives you will see it rarely happens….mostly, writers go off topic, get in a war with someone else, and it takes us three days, phone calls, behind the scenes emails to get everything straightened out so we can go on..sorry, but i cannot do that anymore…
i want to save my energy for mentoring those who need it, choosing and editing essays, and getting photographers on commission to produce new original work…those should be MY priorities and play to my strengths …..putting out comment fires is NOT what i want for my life…and i have been trying like hell to figure out a way to moderate without censorship…this is the way…..
i do want community..that should be obvious…with this new setup we will still get everyone’s most concise opinion on the work….whatever we sacrifice will be worth it from my view…and again, you still have Dialogue for whatever you want to do with it….this way , whoever comes in from mars and is looking at Burn for the first time, will see and read coherent material clean and simple…no reason for it to be any less provocative…actually, perhaps more provocative because those unknown writers out there who are scared to death to jump in on a Burn chat (there are many), will now have a voice….seems to me more pluses than minuses ..
more thoughts on this from you?? you may well have another point…let’s get it all out now…
thanks
cheers, david
DAVID
Brilliant plan! Thank you, Jim, for suggesting it. Looking forward to reading pure photo-related comments under each essay/selected photo from now on. Sometimes chaos has to reign before clarity can be found. Dialogue can now become just that.
Patricia
PATRICIA…
thanks for your support..and do i have a job for you!!! discuss at Look3….
hugs, david
Cool, DAH. I’ve been waiting for my assignment!
Patricia