I came across this sombre photo some time ago and it just sat amongst other nondescript snaps in a large box until one day I was idly sifting through the box and decided to take a closer look.
I think the reason I bought the photo in the first place was because it seemed so quiet. It reminded me of the times when I've been alone at home - no tv or radio, no company, no sound at all, or at most the distant sound of the street - and I had a very strong sense of isolation, of being aware that I was alone in the room. Sometimes it was pleasant, like a meditation, but other times it was like being buried alive where no one knows where I was. The photo also made me feel slightly uncomfortable because it was prying on this man's quiet time.
Then I took a closer look at what he was reading. and I laughed out of surprise; it is his quiet time and I am prying! I love this photo.
From my private collection.
What a fantastic find! I can totally relate to what you say about aloneness sometimes being good and sometimes being horrible.
I love that you only discovered the book title after a while. It's a bit like that creepy moment in Blow Up!
Posted by: Stevie | 12/27/2009 at 04:52 PM
Yes, it pays to hoard things for ever and keep as many boxes of stuff as possible!
Posted by: Bali Hai | 12/27/2009 at 05:09 PM