The outdoor community is one of the most vibrant and adventurous groups of people you’ll ever stumble into. And once you’re in, you’re inspired to make your mark within it. Some people go the professional route, building a life on a sport that pulls blood, sweat, and tears out of them. Others go the creative route, photographing, drawing, or creating beautiful and useful gear. But there’s another route, the one followed by those who create something that seems almost obvious but groundbreaking.
Like many of you, we experienced loss, pain, and endured intense situations personally and professionally. We were stretched beyond what we thought we were capable of, yet the new year has us feeling full of fresh perspective and renewed energy to forge ahead!
The spirit of Old Salem carries a sense of serenity and quietude, reminiscent of a simpler time when life was unhurried, one had time to chat with the neighbors, and everyone in a community played a vital role, from the humble candlemaker and baker to the doctor or gunsmith.
Informed by Paleolithic animism, western natural history, and shadow archaeology, Levitt reveals the alter-world of Mawooshen through 98 photographs of geography, plant and animal life, people, and built objects. The images are unstaged, analog, and accompanied by fragments of description.
For our entire stay, I was reminded of the beauty of nature, the warmth and kindness of people, and how, when you step outside of yourself for a bit, the discoveries you make are the kind that remain with you for a lifetime.
How, I prodded, did she find the strength to go all the way, especially knowing she could catch a ride into any of the towns she passed by? “I’m stubborn!” she laughed. “I’m also a big believer that language creates reality. For me, how I work, I have to say I’m going to do it. That creates a pressure—I said I was going to, so I have to. I didn’t want to be a quitter.”
My father used to say, “The best time in your life is when your children have their feet under your dinner table.” I thought it was funny then, back in the day when I wore plain Mennonite dresses and a traditional white cap to cover errant curls. Eating meals together as a family was as common as breathing.
