I didn't win a MacArthur, but I do get free drinks on friday because someone else did. Huzzah.

You people are obsessed with awards

thanks for the good profiles, just added Mengestu to my library queue and look forward to exploring the photographers, esp An My Le.

I like An My-Le's work quite a bit. I think she says in her book that when she started photographing Vietnam reenactors, she expected a lot of push back. They were not only cooperative, but they invited her to join them because she was fluent in Vietnamese.

Look, I don't want to be one of those guys who go 'pssh I can take shitty blurry pictures too - where's my damn genius award?'

Except I think I just did. And yes, 'I get it.' And I'm sure there's more to recommend this person than this one shitty, shitty, shitty picture. But Jesus.

When I first started taking photos in 5th grade, mine were also out of focus and poorly exposed. I wish I had known then what a genius I was, and not wasted decades working to improve on that perfection.