November 2014

The month of November began with sad news. Fumi Hayashida died Sunday, Nov. 2 at the age of 103. She was the oldest living survivor of the group forced to leave Bainbridge Island in 1942.

Karen Thompson, my sister-in-law in Pasadena, California, sent me a copy of an obituary about Fumiko by Elaine Woo, a reporter at the Los Angeles Times. The obituary was published on Nov. 16 on page AA7 and includes the now famous archival photo, far left, with her daughter, K. Natalie Ong, along with an Associated Press photo taken in 2007 by Ted S. Warren, top right. In Warren's image, Fumi holds a B&W photograph I made of her and Natalie in 2003 for the Minidoka book. Natalie suggests any memorial donations be made to DENSHO and/or the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community memorial.

Later that week, Scott Gipson, publisher of Caxton Press, emailed me with news the Minidoka book received second place in two categories of the 2014 North American Book Awards: Editor's Choice Nonfiction and General Nonfiction. Minidoka also received third place in the 2014 Idaho Author and Book Awards for the Editor's Choice Nonfiction category. I appreciate Scott's submission to these competitions and the judge's recognition of the book.

More than 50 Minidoka B&W silver gelatin prints are on display at Whitman College's Sheehan Gallery until December 12, 2014. Daniel Forbes, director of Sheehan Gallery, organized the work in three intimate alcove spaces. Geoffrey Leach, a reporter for The Pioneer, wrote a story about the exhibit paired with process drawings by Makoto Fujimura. On Saturday, Nov. 15, I spoke at Olin Hall after an insightful student workshop moderated by Charly Bloomquist, a photography professor at Whitman. Thank you, to all who partipated in these events.