Beowulf Sheehan on photographing authors

"Beowulf Sheehan studied photography at New York University and the International Center of Photography.  His childhood love of stories in books and music grew into an adulthood love of storytellers in the arts, entertainment, and humanities.  Beowulf makes portraits, communicates ideas, and shares the stories of compelling artists and figures who impact society and culture." 

His book AUTHOR "captures the essence of 200 writers, historians, journalists, playwrights, and poets from 35 countries, from Roxane Gay to Masha Gessen, Patti Smith to Zadie Smith, Karl Ove Knausgaard to J.K. Rowling, and Jonathan Franzen to Toni Morrison."

I met Beowulf at the Brattleboro Literary Festival, and there talked with him about author photographs, Helumt Newton, father's love, drawing characters in stories, storytelling, studying what you don't like, business experience, farting around in your twenties, ICP, leaping into what you love, celebrating your subjects' journeys, making novel pictures, Leslie Jamison's photograph, the sidewalks of New York City, the Donna Tartt opportunity, commercial viability, serious photographs, Vanessa Veselka's tattoo, close reading, Harper Collins, Anthony Bourdain, humility and mutual respect, Iman, and vulnerability.