My essay “A Complicated Belonging” accompanies Jeff Rich’s collection of photographs of the Tennessee River watershed, a stunning book that’s been published by Fall Line Press. I’m thrilled to see the book hot off the press; it has a truly elegant, artful design. Rich’s work in the TN River watershed looks at the impact of the Tennessee Valley Authority— the largest federal utility in the nation— on a beautiful land, a beautiful river, and on its people. The book includes a section of historical photographs of TVA’s presence beginning in 1933. TVA represents one of the largest-scale damming projects and modernization efforts in the country, and its presence in Tennessee is mammoth, visually, economically, environmentally, psychologically, and otherwise. Rich’s photographs explore and examine this presence. I am really honored that he asked me to contribute some words to his project.
You can order the book now, here at Fall Line Press.