I spent most of the first 14 years of my life within a mile of the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River on the West Virginia and Kentucky border. I don’t remember a time that it wasn’t somewhere in my periphery. When I was eight, I would swing on grapevines out to the middle of the river and let go, plunging into the sometimes green, sometimes brown water. I dug networks of forts and hideouts into the sandy banks of the river. I fished for catfish with my Uncle Rick and grandad late into the evenings and did my best to stay still and quiet.
Its source is deep in West Virginia’s southernmost county (McDowell) just outside the town of Jenkinjones. The edges of its banks are constantly shifting as it flows north to meet the Levisa Fork and form the Big Sandy River. The Tug Fork is more than just a body of water; it’s a witness to the lives and stories of the people who live along its banks, a boundary between states, and a channel where histories of labor, land, and environment converge. If you are from here, it is a part of you. If you grew up near a river, perhaps this resonates with you.
Tug Fork is one of two bodies of work I’m developing. Much of the project’s form still feels fragmented, but it’s early yet. While making this work, I want to explore and meditate on the interdependence between people and place - how the river sustains, divides, and connects our shared histories and responsibilities.
These are some of the towns along the roughly 160-mile course of the Tug fork from its source to its mouth: Jenkinjones. Anawalt. Pageton. Thorpe. Gary. Havaco. Welch. Capels. Antler. Mohegan. Davy. Twin Branch. Hensley. Big Sandy. Roderfield. Wilmore. Sandy Huff. Iaeger. Krollitz. Panther. Mohawk. Wyoming City. Vulcan. Delorme. Nampa. Blackberry City. Matewan. Sprigg. Rawl. Aflex. Goody. Williamson. Chattaroy. Borderland. Nolan. Maher. Naugatuck. Lovely. Kermit. Warfield. Stonecoal. Crum. Glenhayes. Fort Gay.
I look forward to sharing this work with you and appreciate your support. If you’re a paid subscriber to this newsletter, know that you are directly impacting the development of this project.
A few newsletters back, I wrote about Sasha Wolf’s PhotoWork podcast. I recently listened to Episode 62 (Part 1 and 2) featuring Kristine Potter and Rebecca Bengal. I really appreciated how the conversation unfolded and how Potter talked about her work. I recommend listening to both episodes and familiarizing yourself with the work of both of these artists. The day after I finished listening, I ordered both of their most recent books (as of 2023), which they discuss on the podcast. Do yourself a favor and do the same.
I’m reading To Photograph Is to Learn How to Die by Tim Carpenter.
I’m listening to Futurebirds.
I’m thinking about selling my Fuji X-Pro2 and four lenses, but I know if I do, I’ll regret it immediately.
The garden is out of control.
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See you downriver,
Roger
Jenkinjones is probably my all-time favorite town name.
my experiences with rivers is different than yours: my adult life included river watching on the mud river before the dam was built, and the little coal. many floods, many dry rivers. onelearns a lot river watching. thank u for bringing that to mind