Foryears,whentraveling,IfoundmyselfgettinginconversationswithpeoplewhenItooktheirpictures,andstartedtoconsultwiththem--showingthemthedigitalshot,thenretakingituntilwehadonetheywerehappywith.Itgaveusareasontointeract,andawaytodoso,evenwhenwesharednolanguageincommon.Theseportraitsaretheresultofthoseextendedsessions,thosemomentsofaccidentalintimacyontheroad.Readersofmythreetravelbooks(DrinkingMare’sMilkontheRoofoftheWorld,AndtheMonkeyLearnedNothing,andTheKindnessofStrangers)mayrecognizesomeofthepeople,becauseanumberofthemfeatureinthosestories.Buteachstandsonitsown--eachatestamenttothehumanabilitytoconnectacrossthefaultlinesthatkeepusprecariouslydivided.Andeachisatributetotheaccidentalintimacyoftheroad.
