Closer To Home by Terence Byrnes

I draw your attention to this online interview with Terence Byrnes talking about the art of literary photography and his new book of writers portraits. I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with Terry when he came to take my photo for the back cover of The Rent Collector (above). He's been photographing authors for a number of years and has compiled quite the gallery of portraits, mostly of Montreal writers, some of which can be viewed at the Véhicule Press website. More than just satisfying the task of shooting an author portrait for a book, Terry and I toured 99 Chabanel together - every nook and cranny - going from abandoned garment factory spaces down to the basement furnace room and up to the rooftop. Surprisingly, the portrait of me selected to appear in the new book is not the one used for the novel (above). But it is, rather, an exact and very revealing portrait (although admittedly somewhat unflattering,) taken in front of a wall of ominous-looking pumps and pipes in the basement of 99. Terry's eye is impeccable and he has the technique to match. This book is a treasure.