I was in awe when I saw this album at WPPI. Just unbelievable. Congratulations Dawn!

Truly amazing.

All I can say is WOW. Such emotion. Congratulations on your award!!

thats was pretty heart-wrenching. makes me want to know more.

Congratulations Dawn. A beautiful album.

I’m just floored! The work is beautiful & painful all at the same time – definitely a lot of emotion comes through with the imagery and makes me even more curious about the story of this man. Great job Dawn!

Thanks for the comments! Im so blessed to have had him as my grandfather. His past was very hard to take in the more research I did. I’m happy to answer any question…. Just ask!

Hugs,
Dawn

Powerful. The emotion just flows through the images and type. WoW and well done!

pure impact and emotion. wow!

Congratulations Dawn. Well deserved.

Amazing work Dawn for what must have being a very difficult path to discovery…..

Wow.

I disagree with all the comments if I’m honest…this album should not have been created.

This is an important story to tell. Maybe not for grandpa, but as part of the healing process necessary for a child who at an early age finds out the ugly truth. Sometimes the truth is painful. We are all part of those who have come before us, and the way we deal with situations is directly related to our personal experiences. Coming from a tough childhood myself, I understand the necessity for confronting, not sweeping under the carpet, those heart breaking moments. Those heartbreaks either break us or build us.

Bambi Cantrell

Well said Bambi! I spoke with Dawn about the album because I received the video with none of the back story. This is all about healing, it’s about a kind and caring grandfather that only showed her love. The papa she knew and the discovery of a side of him that she did not know. It’s about innocence and losing some of it. As I stated in my post it was made for her and her siblings. People cope and deal with things in many different ways. I applaud Dawn for having the guts to create and share this album. It could not have been easy for her to do.

Absolutely stunning Dawn, really captivating. Definitely does make you want to know more….both about his story and yours, as well as how you were able to compile all this info and imagery. Congratulations on the award.

I have to agree with David in his post above. I’m left a little cold by this whole thing. Not just the fact that the photographer felt compelled to make an album of this nature (which I feel is totally inappropriate by the way) but also the fact that the recreated shots (the cop, the guy in the chair after committing suicide) are just plain odd. I’m left questioning why this project ever saw the light of day in what is supposedly a prestigious competition.
As for confronting heartbreak, go write a song, a story, make a movie but I just think the medium chosen for this particular part of personal history is misguided and grossly misjudged.
I wonder how the victims family would feel about this?

and she certainly deserved the win. i’m actually quite speechless right now.

Bambi Cantrell: “This is an important story to tell. Maybe not for grandpa, but as part of the healing process necessary for a child who at an early age finds out the ugly truth. Sometimes the truth is painful.”

Yes but to portray it in a photograph album, then take the applause at WPPI is so wrong.
The healing process could surely have been done in private with professional help, without the publicity that this has clearly generated.
I don’t know, maybe we have a different psyche here in the UK.

I’m definitely left curious (and a tad bit bothered) by the recreated images… How were those created? Specifically the suicide-related ones.

Wowzers, that is truly an artistic journey to a dark place, not just for that artist but for the human race. People and children get killed and kill everyday. They are fathers, mothers, sisters, friends, daughters, sons, grandmothers, grandfathers. Brings it home through our beloved art of photography. The still image is so powerful.
Wonderful to see it awarded by peers.

One of the most moving experiences I’ve seen in an online album! To share your love in this manner is beyond words. My tears joined yours as I watched this video!

Although photographically riveting and powerful, how does this rise to Grand Album Winner at WPPI? It’s seems like completely the wrong venue and genre. Aren’t the sumbission supposed to be wedding or portrait related? Am I missing something? It’s certainly not Photojournalism as there are many staged shots. I’m sure a lot of excellent wedding album submissions were trumped in order for this to be the winner. Too bad.

Paul White: “As for confronting heartbreak, go write a song, a story, make a movie but I just think the medium chosen for this particular part of personal history is misguided and grossly misjudged.
I wonder how the victims family would feel about this?”

She didn’t write a song, story or movie because she’s a photographer. This is her medium. I can’t imagine the victim’s family would be more or less bothered based on how she chose to express herself.

I love that she took what we all purport to be a storytelling medium – the album – and applied her own story to it. Obviously, several people feel proprietary toward the album form, but who are we to decide what can and can’t be an album?

As for making it a public statement, let’s be real, we exploit other people’s emotion every day on a public stage. We may call it something else, but we’re all right there with our cameras when someone is crying or there’s a great emotional story to tell.

Bravo to you Dawn for exploring your own personal grief your own way. There will always be people who would have done it differently, but as Rick Nelson says, “You see, you can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself.” Seems like you pleased a lot of others too.

Cayce, I have to disagree there. This is a scrapbook, not a photographer telling a story. Big difference.
Bizzarely I admire the creativity involved here, and the expression of pain and the emotion of the story. It is indeed powerful. My point is though, that this is not the place for such work. Some things should remain private, or at least not be launched into the public domain where such tragic circumstances could be seen to be exploited.

I think LOU said it best! Agreed.

Lou,
The album was entered in the Event/Non-Wedding album category. As for wedding albums that may have been trumpped…there werent’ any. Not one wedding album scored over 90 and there were only 4 that were above an 86. The hightest scoring albums were Dawn’s at 95 and School Daze (Informal Category) that also scored a 95. The 6+ judges must have though it was the best for it to get Grand…don’t like it, put your name in the pool to be a judge.

Wow…I cried…That’s what makes this album special. The emotion with every page. Congratulations on conveying your emotions brilliantly.

THANK YOU CAYCE!

So Paul, you are basically saying as long as your gift is music, writing, or cinematography it is OK to exploit others, but not though any other of the art forms we may have been blessed with?? That is not even an argument.

Art in any form can be used for expression & healing. Isn’t that what makes it great?

Paul White says, “Some things should remain private, or at least not be launched into the public domain where such tragic circumstances could be seen to be exploited.”

You possibly don’t remember a epic movie ‘Schindler’s List’. It won 9 academy awards in 1994, including best picture. I would have to say there are a lot of “judges” out there that disagree with your thinking that all greatness comes from puppies and rainbows.

I for one am proud of Dawn for taking a risk and sharing her gift in this way. It reminds us that we are more than fly’s on the wall recording the goings on of a wedding. Is it not passion for photography (or any art-form) that drives us to try and make a living in the arts? She reminds us to take time from our busy life of shooting others for a living, and once and a while shoot for ourselves.

I guess I will chime in here…

I really do appreciate all the above comments positive and negative. I applaud you David for standing up for your thoughts. I will say its a little unfair to say I should have never create this album, If I were a singer there would be a song or if I was a a writer there would be a book. I’m a photographic artist and this is how I express my happiness in life and also my sadness.

I also would like you to understand my siblings and myself also felt to be the victims. Finding out your grandfather who you loved with every grain of your body had done these horrible things is a bit hurtful to us too. I am not comparing ourselves to anybody else just expressing our pain. I need everybody to know this was my personal project. I did not do it for competition, this was MY life expressed through my eyes.

I entered it because I was curious how it would be judged for storytelling and artistry. I did not expect to win grand. I did not make this album to be a comfortable story for anybody, I made it to reflect my inner heart for a grandfather whom showed me so much love, and was the only man who was there for me from the day I was born.

I really doubt many people sat in the car with their grandfather and asked themselves “would he kill me? If he killed someone else would he do it to me?”
The answer was no he wouldn’t. If I would have been an adult with jaded views I would never have given him the chance to speak to me again, the fact is I was a child who thought her papa walked on water until one day someone told me differently. No matter what, the love was there and no one could change that. I had moments where I feared the inner person he might be, but I always loved him for who he showed me he was.

This album was for me (a personal project), I’m honored that others were moved by it, even a bit uncomfortable with it. Please know when I accepted the grand award I did apologize for my grandfathers behavior as a young man. I also said I was thankful he was in my life and I always will be….

Hi Maria, thanks for patronising me today, I usually try to be condescended at least once a day.

You argue your case by referring to a movie. See my earlier point. Spielberg didn’t make Schindler’s Album.
Artists express themselves in many different mediums, well done for pointing that out, but (again) I have to stress the point that this is not a work of art, merely a scrapbook of someones feelings, albeit creatively collated. I guess my opinion of what is art differs from yours, that’s all.
Anyway, it’s been raining here, but the sun is now out so I’m off to take my puppy for a walk. Fingers crossed!

As for exploitation, many albums have gone there before this one. Many albums have been entered that either highlighted the plight of the homeless, or those unfortunate enough to have some horrible desease. (in fact, a story about someone battling cancer won 2nd or third)

One of the reasons this book won, was that it trancended just a book of pictures, and went to our souls. Isn’t that what photography is all about? good or bad? We are moved to action by photos of the poor in earthquake torn parts of Haiti, those who are enslaved to poverty, and sometimes the stories don’t have happy endings.

Whats up with the scrapbook argument. Wasn’t that the point of this extraordinary piece of work. To tell a story in a scrapbook style? Look at the cover with it’s single image and inmate number???, look at the pages with similar theme throughout. It opens with HIS eyes, closes with HER eyes. WOW. It’s Brilliant if you ask me. I applaud the judges for recognizing a creative shift from “rainbows and bunnies” Well said Marla.
By the way, shame on you Paul. It’s not appropriate to tell others how not to express themselves creatively. Especially in this case. This clearly is a personal project and Ms. Shields was right to submit her personal project for judge critique. Btw, I cried when I saw this played at award night. (embarrassing as it was for me I couldn’t hold it back) I stood alongside the 2000 others in the room as we gave Dawn the standing ovation she deserved for this incredible project. It was a moment I have ever seen in the 6 years I’ve gone to WPPI. (expect when Yervant took a 100 a couple of years back)
Hey Ms. Shields. You deserve it. Thank you for inspiring me to do a personal project in 2010. I hope to address some personal things in my life. What the heck, I may submit it. I applaud you for shaking me up. NOW THATS WHY ITs GRAND!

LOL. Good luck on your walk Paul. I will be waiting for the album’s appearance next year at WPPI album/scrapbook comp.

And referring to your earlier comment, I will refer to my later comment, is art only art in certain mediums?

I do understand that to you this may not be art…art is subjective. (where have I heard that before) To the rest of us, Thank you Dawn for sharing your gift of photography, and not putting it on a shelf somewhere to never be heard. Like it or not we all get critiqued at some point in our lives. Just remember there is a difference in a critique and someone belittling you. I am sure you can tell them apart.

Anyway, I will start a collection for my -Send Dawn Shields to Film School, So She Can Express Herself in the Correct Medium Fund. Fingers Crossed!

More on the scrapbook. Just watched again.
1) Typography. Like an old typewriter…
2) Pages look like they’ve been around for 50 years. Hmm. Was that on purpose considering the guy was probably in Alcatraz 50 years ago. They look stained and almost burned like the book itself had gone through some sort of trauma. (interesting parallel)
3) 3 different subtle stories in there. His life of crime, her experiencing him as a good grandpa, and 3rd is her discovery of the truth. The mood changes with the background when the story changes.
4) Question… how did she get a picture of herself at age 12? That sure looks like her. Maybe her family member.,… regardless. WOW.
5) How many locations did she have to shoot to get this? OMgosh
6) Whats up with the knife, how’d she shoot that? Talk about makeup.
7) the part I have a hard time with (really gets me) is that suicide note with the gun. Hard to see what it says here.
I’d like to spend an hour looking at all the details in this book. wow!

Wow Jon, shame on you for telling me that I’m not allowed to express my opinion.
Anyway,as said earlier, this is clearly a cultural divide as wide as the Atlantic Ocean that separates us.
I enjoyed the debate.

Dawn,outstanding job, very heart felt story WPPI. You really deserve the recognition you received to get the award. Dawn has taken our family photos for years and makes us look good, most appreciated. She had an artistic eye with photos. We are blessed to have Dawn in our lives and call her and her family our friends for life.

Hmm, You know, It seems from this post (and the one on DWF Forums) that our friends from across the pond (who personally, I have huge respect for including you Paul) are not seeing the art in this.

Just a thought, perhaps the infamous Alcatraz and 50′s criminal americana theme of this book isn’t something they can relate too? This screams Al Capone…. Abolition, and the bootleggers era to me. I see it in the scrap book style of imagery. I just looked at Dawn’s work on her site. Looks as if she’s extremely skilled at lighting and creating uplifting images. This was an entirely unique approach in storytelling. I’m now more convinced that the dark, even unflattering lighting in some cases was intentional. Like 50′s criminal americana style imagery. Thoughts?

Wow. I am completely in awe of your creation and expression of raw emotion. Your comments above make it all the more special. I wish I had seen this album in person at WPPI, but I believe the award was well merited. Amazing, Dawn… just amazing. And thank you for sharing it with us. really.

Paul White – your reaction is laughable and it sounds like if you had any authority your ideological message would be ‘artistic censorship’: prohibition or restriction of any type of expression believed to threaten the political, social, or moral order.

Your consideration that there only certain mediums can express certain things is conceptually preposterous. You claim, “Some things should remain private, or at least not be launched into the public domain where such tragic circumstances could be seen to be exploited.” What does this broad brush of “some things” include? So this logic personal exploration in art should be restrained to the private? So presumably with that logic the public art world be rowed with only sunshine, flowers and pink skies.

Or do you mean, certain content should not be entered into award competitions because of exploitation? By that logic you have a long road ahead of you to convince the masses. Honors and awards will continue to be given to all kinds of art forms that yes, include personal discovery, grief, murder, tragedy, and darkness.

Dawn, absolutely stunning work. I hope you can present that to as many people as possible. I haven’t seen a personal project this beautiful and vulnerable in a very long time.

I have often wondered at any AWARD anywhere in the world.. Is it the SUBJECT or the CRAFT being judged? Often there is a fine line about this and photographers/judges as humans judge the subject matter ie a pretty bride, a crying cute kid, a funny moment, an emotion etc etc … And sometimes go with their heart’s response to the image rather than the CRAFT of the photographer.
Dawn’s album is a MAGNIFICENT piece or art, it shows incredible talent in the craft of PHOTOGRAPHY and STORY COMPOSITION full stop. Judging was on the CRAFT of the photographer and not the subject matter or if it suitable for WPPI competition. The work is a stunning portrayal of a person, irrespective that they had a shady background, it told the story from the Granddaughter’s point of view FULL STOP! It covered all the necessary elements in creativity, technique, composition and presentation, it was TECHNICALLY perfect and certainly deserved to win the Grand Award of photographic Excellence!

wow! what an incredible album and story.
beautiful job.

Awesome job and awesome story…

I respect and appreciate the power, the impact and the LOVE that comes from this electrifying art piece, it is beautiful, timeless, and in my opinion, something unique, rare and something I have never experienced in a album before. Thank you Dawn for “going there” and for sharing this with the world.

I am speechless and truly touched! BRAVO!

God bless.

As Dawn’s husband, and someone that doesn’t know much about photography, I thought that I would throw in my two cent’s worth and answer a few questions.
First of all the ‘Dawn’ at age 12 is a family member, it is actually our beautiful daughter, Sierra, at age 12!
The # of locations for shooting was a LOT! Dawn, traveled to Alcatraz on 3 different occassions to research Papa’s life and take pictures. Lots of pictures were taken locally also with the help of good friends to pose and a makeup artist for the ‘knife scene’.
The scene with the hands holding the bars is actually of an officer, currently working at Alcatraz, that volunteered to help!
Now to my 2 cents! I don’t know if this is true art or not, in the eyes of experts. But as an individual, I feel that art is very subjective and should bring emotion of some type out of you! If I am right, then this album as accomplished this in both negative responses and positive responses! It has brought to a head lots of emotional response. For me, it made me realize that even ‘bad’ people have a ‘good’ side. Before meeting my wife and her Papa I could not have believed that anyone could love someone else that had done such horrible things. We all have a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ side, some of us are just less obvious than Papa was. I can also tell you that this has been a 2 year journey for my wife and not always a pleasant one! This started off as curiosity and ended up bringing out regret, love, hate, sympathy, sorrow and a boat load of other emotions. This didn’t start out to be an award winning album, and I can guarantee you that there was NO ONE more suprised by the announcement that her album won, than my wife! I am happy to see both sides of the argument on Papa’s life, because, there were definitely two sides to Papa’s life. Both arguments are valid, but as to her winning Album of the year. Several experts in the field of judging decided on one particular day that this album should win! This is the only requirements for winning the Grand Album award. Therefore it IS deserving of the award!

To add an ironic twist to this story. During Dawn’s research of Alcatraz files on Papa, she find a report written about his finally escape attempt from the Springfield Federal Medical Center. It was written up by a ‘F L Wilder’, better known to ME as Floyd Leonard Wilder or MY grandfather! After discussions with my grandfather it ends up that Dawn’s Papa was the only inmate to ever escape during my grandfathers watch, as a prison guard! The world is an amazingly small place.

Spectacular and haunting. . .there is great importance in sharing this publicly. . . not to hide it or bottle it up, but to address the past honestly with all the complexity of the situation. . .the story is similar to what I lived through at age 12.

BTW. . .forget album of the year. I would nominate this for best album ever created:)

Brandon, glad to see that Art History degree came in useful.

Anyway, as said earlier, this is clearly a cultural thing. As Jon Garrett pointed out maybe we just don’t ‘get it’ over here. The reaction to this album has been quite different to the opinions expressed here and on the dwf. It seems like we have a hard time trying to justify this as art full stop, which is why I posted initially.
No doubt a lot of soul searching and hard work has gone into this project, but some of the praise is typically over the top. Maybe us Brits just don’t hand out gushing praise freely and jump on the bandwagon as much, or maybe we just don’t know our art from our elbows. Who knows?

I must admit that when I first read about this album, I was a bit taken back since usually a wedding album wins. After reviewing it here several times, I must say it moved me to tears. It was beautifully crafted, thought out and photographed. Dawn, what a journey and risk you went on to research and execute this! I sat in on the album judging this year for the first time this year and this was by far the best album I saw. Kudos for you to take the risk and entering it! Aloha.

Very personal and profound piece. You’ve unflinchingly stared into some of the most difficult paradoxes of life. It becomes all the more poignant through the eyes of a child.

Only the love and simplicity of a child can allow us to see with with an open heart, even in the face of such tragic and horrible actions. To witness someone who can judge the act, but still love the actor is the kind of profundity that either opens the viewers heart wide, or slams it even tighter than it was before. But the seed of seeing with love at all costs has been sown nevertheless.

Dawn – Disregarding the album competition debate, the album is a beautiful piece of art in itself. Nice work.

Paul White – I think you’ve received a more harsh reaction (from some) than you deserved. Sometimes we forget that “tolerance” doesn’t just mean tolerance of a darkly-themed album at WPPI, but also tolerance of dissenting viewpoints.

Anie – I *completely* agree with your comment about the blurring of SUBJECT and CRAFT in competitions. There was a dance competition I saw where the subject of one routine was breast cancer. The dancing was amazing, to be sure, but I felt like the topic was possibly too emotionally charged to keep the dance competition field level. I struggle with that feeling, because I wouldn’t have wanted them to avoid all emotionally-charged subjects.

This is a visually moving piece of art with a very real story! We should all reflect on our own dark family secrets and realize that we have a right to express them as we see fit! Maybe it touches a nerve or makes you feel uncomfortable either way you have to agree the connection was made!
Well deserved, Dawn

This album really resonated with me since my grandfather, who was really was a doctor (at least, that’s what we were told, wink-wink), killed himself at age 87 because he knew his mind and body were going fast. And…he did it with a gun he took off of a Nazi soldier, as a surgeon in World War II. My family likes to do things with a flourish.

Dawn can do whatever she wants. She can make this album and show the world, enter it in a WPPI contest, whatever. Who’s to say it’s not the right forum or shouldn’t have been made? No one gets to decide how each person chooses to explore their emotions. Everyone has a different way of doing it. The WPPI judges apparently thought it was the right forum.

Sharing reality with the world is a great thing. It helps us connect and let’s others know they’re not alone in their sufferings.

I enjoyed the album overall, but would like to have seen the topics illustrated by the recreations, done in a less literal way. I loved seeing the documents in the album, especially the suicide letter. I enjoyed the texture and mood. The simple portraits of the women in the album with tears on their faces, moved me most, in combination with the rest of the story elements.

I’m from ‘over here’ as Paul White said; and I get it! As art, the album is beautiful, the storyline although not pleasant is compelling, the photography brilliant. Congratulations Dawn. Your album moved me, and that is the result. I love it when bride’s cry when they see their albums, I have elicited an emotional response to what I see as my ‘art’; and you managed to get the same from me. Anyway here in the UK, if we can celebrate Damian with his pickled animals; and Tracey Emin with her unmade bed as art, why on earth can this not be celebrated?

David and Paul: I’m not sure why you think this shouldn’t have even been made. Is art suddenly supposed to be nice and pretty and what you think it should be? Let’s compare the photography medium to Film/movies. There have been plenty of dark films that have received high acclaim and awards. Like Dawn said this was for her not something to show off or brag about and she has the right to do with it as she pleases. As far as it not seeming to fit the venue like it was said it was entered in the non-wedding category and I’m sorry but I think if there are no wedding albums out there that grab you emotionally like this one did then they don’t deserve to win anyways. I think we are all tired of seeing the same squares with pictures in wedding albums, I think this won Grand because it was really going outside the box and showing something different. You do remember that we are in the profession of ART right? And there is no judge for what is and what isn’t …

Firstly I think it’s a load of crap that it’s a cultural divide… I think hundreds of ppl in that nation would disagree with paul and David. it’s completely a personal point of view and has nothing to do with cultures… I also have to say that I was really enjoying reading down the list of comments until I got to David and Paul’s unexpected negative attacks on Dawn…. I think this aspect is the saddest of all. It’s a shame that some ppl believe that they have the right to put someone else down so publicly. It just comes across extremely immature and nasty and possibly some jealousy there that someone else won something that conflicted with their beliefs or opinion.
As for the medium in which the story was delivered in the book and the use of reinacted scenes, this seems to me no different to the Criminal Investigations shows that depict reinactments of horrific real life crimes! The fact is, it is not disrespecting the murdered victims family. It is merely a historical record of something that happened. And if these things were so abhored by the general public they wouldn’t be so regularly documented for national television viewing… The amount of ppl who see those CI shows on Austar for example would be millions compared to the few thousands that see Dawn’s book…
I think some ppl should stop being so quick to judge others and just let ppl be… I have a very hurtful and complicated story to tell of my upbringing which hopefully one day I will write a book about but I’m thinking a photographic account may be another powerful option to get my story across. And if I ever choose to do so, then it is my perogative… I think Dawn has given a wonderfully artistic delivery just as Annie said… Well done to Dawn and for the inspiration to alot of us to express ourselves in the best way we know how and to stand strong and confident when doing so.. … !!!

Absolutely beautiful, very moving – and I get it, too. I think the arguments are really interesting. This work is from the heart, and I can feel it, personally. I remember the reactions to the Myra Hindley portrait by Marcus Harvey – a British artist, by the way (link below) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1048910/Fury-image-Myra-Hindley-appears-Best-British-film-2012-Olympics-party.html
and it seems this album is having a similar affect. The debate is still going on. some would say that true art is that which remains in the mind of the viewer, as opposed to that which we can walk away from and forget. congratulations, and thanks for sharing. IMHO you very much deserved this award. Well done.

I was there at WPPI with a lot of people and watched this album, there was a respect atmosphere and a lot of tears (including mine).

To me this beautiful work remind me the perfect love of Jesus in my life, makes me stay humble, and makes me know that even when i’ve done bad things in the past, He still loves me today.

This artwork speaks Grace, Forgiveness and Love.

Bravo!

What an amazing personal album.

Thank you for sharing. I don’t think I need to say more than that. Amazing.

Wow, that was one incredible album. I don’t think I have ever been that moved looking at any album. Congratulations on your award. It was very deserving.

If Dawn Shields decided to write a book about these events, and it garnered critical acclaim, and even won a prestigious literary award, not many people would claim that it should not have been written. Nor would they criticize her for grieving publicly. Its a touching and emotionally charged story no matter how it is presented, and i feel that this form suits the personal nature of the narrative. It brings a sophistication and complexity to what people generally view as a fairly static art form. If it touches many and offends few, then it’s worth the effort and the heartache that was put into this project.

Saw this at WPPI Roadshow Seattle 2010

…just when I think I am making progress…. gaining ground… something like this brings me to my knees in tears and awe.

Dawn, WOW! Incredible. I can’t even begin to imagine the time you put into that. Thanks for sharing! jason

[...] An Amazing Storytelling Experience WPPI Grand Album Award Winner [...]

[...] can expand your creativity and help you become more connected with your clients. (Here’s a link to one of Dawn’s personal projects; her album “Legacy” took Grand Album at WPPI in [...]

[...] saw Dawn Shields speak about her journey through her own personal project (if you haven’t seen her powerful album, you need to do so.  It will make an impact on you).  She inspired both Jess and I to want to do [...]