Take a Break

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R.E.M. "Driver 8" from Fables of Reconstruction (1985, I.R.S. Records)

Metropolitan Transit Authority

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Images from Bruce Davidson's classic Subway series, first published in 1986.

The book has recently been re-released with 25 previously unpublished images, and next Wednesday night at Aperture Gallery in New York, Davidson will be discussing his work and signing copies of Subway.


Click here for info.

Grass Widow

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Grass Widow "Submarine" – my favorite song from the thoroughly outstanding album Past Time (2010, Kill Rock Stars). Grass Widow plays at Cairo's VIBRATIONS festival in Volunteer Park, Seattle, on August 20th.

(photo: Georgetown, Seattle, July 2011)

Return to Sawdust Mountain

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Eirik Johnson: Scrapped train, Arlington, Washington, from Sawdust Mountain – Johnson's series of photographs exploring man's impact on the Northwest's natural environment. A selection of photographs from the series is on view at the Henry Art Gallery (opening party tonight!) and a book is available from Aperture:



Visit Eirik Johnson's website to see more of his work.

Train of Thought

While we're on the subject...

Red Gay & Jack Wellman Flat Wheel Train Blues mp3
courtesy Mr. Bussard
Feist & Ben Gibbard Train Song mp3
buy their stuff everywhere
José Gonzalez Untitled (Train) mp3
from Visionaire 53 SOUND (buy it)
Don Thomas Train Keep Moving mp3
(extension courtesy Hugswon)
Reflection Eternal Train of Thought mp3

Photo: near The Dalles, Oregon, May 2007

Blue Train

Emily knows me really well. For our January Xmas, as I mentioned before, she got me a set of maps for finding all the ghost towns of Washington State, and she also got me the beautifully packaged Criterion DVD Two-Lane Blacktop. But I think the coolest thing she came up with was this first paperback edition of Paul Fusco's self-published book RFK Funeral Train.

Fusco, a staff photographer for Look magazine, traveled with Robert F. Kennedy's body as it made its way from New York to D.C. in 1968. Fusco documented the journey with pictures of the people who stood at the side of the tracks to pay their respects. (Click to enlarge.)

Aperture published a new version of the book last year, including many previously unpublished photos – you can get it at aperture.org for $35.


Check out this New York Times Magazine article for more info and a slideshow.

Clevelands...Erie

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Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch, 1995)