In her essay Narrating Photography in Sweet Flypaper of Life, Sonia Weiner writes:

The Sweet Flypaper of Life [1955] is the result of a collaborative effort between photographer Roy DeCarava and writer Langston Hughes. Their unique fusion of words and images provides and opportunity to examine how the two media can be brought together to form composite modes of expression.

Ms. Weiner’s analysis is especially pertinent to the evolution of my photography, as I have always believed the final image should have Substance rooted in Reality. Working with writer James G. Spady, we endeavored to emulate what DeCarava and Hughes did in literature. However, our goal was to have a similar impact in the world of journalism. At the time-mid nineteen seventies- there were limited opportunities available to pursue these goals, yet we both believed we could-and would- offer a broader vision of the African and African American diaspora deeply rooted in the history and reality of the culture. More specifically, we wanted to produce work that was both emblematic and symbolic while aligned with a larger history. Hopefully we produced substantive and creative interpretations of life experiences that called upon our audience to think critically about what they were seeing and feeling