The Lake Farers

Most of my personal work is based on the relationship between an inherent fear of water and a discovered heritage rich in mariner life. I've told stories of my ancestors who have traveled the world by sea, some who have survived shipwrecks, and many who have been lost at sea. I discovered that Melville was inspired to write Moby Dick after hearing my ancestor's retelling of his survival after a whale attacked his ship, The Essex. In 2013, I moved to Chicago from Boston, leaving behind the place that had connected me so closely to my ancestry. Lake Michigan took the place of the Atlantic Ocean, and I struggled to feel the same connection to the lake, as I did to the sea. My fear of water dulled - but so did the notion of the waters as sublime. Gradually, stories of Lake Michigan emerged - tales of an area that mirrors the Bermuda Triangle... countless accounts of shipwrecks lining the bottom... I became interested in finding stories from others that are deeply connected with the Lake - what drew them to this seemingly tame body of water? These are their stories... These images will be paired with recordings of each subject's stories, and will eventually be published as book.