Every day social issues are reported in newspapers, magazines, and on the Internet. We experience these events and happenings from an outsider’s perspective, reading about them and often sympathizing with the tragedies. We become desensitized and distance ourselves. We think “how terrible” or “how tragic,” and we continue with our lives. Putting these events in the back of our minds, we don’t process the feelings involved. Generally, these occurrences are outside of our reality until some thing—an event, a person—threatens our world and we are forced to experience a change. It is not until then that we become attuned to issues and develop a greater understanding of the impact it has on our personal lives and the people around us. As an adult, I experienced an epiphany that impacted every aspect of my life. This change forced me to re-examine my life and my belief system.

By creating handmade books that deal with social injustice or history, I place the spectator in the story, thereby forcing the viewer to experience the same injustice. The book form allows the viewer to react privately to each piece just as they would when reading the newspaper, but the experience is intimate and the connection may be visceral. As the viewer becomes a part of the event, their perspective changes. I encourage people to rethink or at the very least question their present belief system.