Our neighbor and fellow longtime 'new person' has a new book out--the third in a trilogy about Madison County. Rob is known and celebrated as a photographer, but in this ambitious work, photography intertwines with fiction and memoir.
Like many of us newcomers, Rob's attachment to the land is deep--and sometimes complicated. His photographs show his fascination with the residents, old and new. The excerpts from his journal detail his coming to terms with his place in this rural county. The fictional section of this trifecta is the imagined story of what comes next.
This story of an imagined future is one in which his descendants return to the long-abandoned farm, in search of safety in a world grown increasingly lawless. The refugees slowly find others like them and begin to learn how to survive in the mountains, and to build community (much as we 'new people' did back in the Seventies and Eighties.)
The future story is interlarded with photographs and excerpts from the journal that suggest similarities between the two times. And there is a generous section of Rob's award-winning photographs to close out the book
It was a fascinating and nostalgic read for me. While we certainly weren't hardcore survivalists, part of our rationale for moving here was to provide a safe haven for family should things get bad. Rob's story imagines just such a future.
You can learn more about Rob and his other books on his website.
His new book is available at Penland's in Marshall, Malaprop's in Asheville, and at the Asheville Art Museum