Goodreads asked Marisa Scheinfeld:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Marisa Scheinfeld I began this project in graduate school – during a time when I was quite confused about my path as a photographer– and what kind of work I wanted to make. I received some poignant advice – and that was to shoot what I know. I knew my hometown region had a vibrant past, and that it had truly slipped away. Driving through the landscape of the former Borscht Belt today, its unavoidable to see a ruin, or remnant of what was once a grand vacation industry. I was aware that the Borscht Belt had been widely documented in memoirs, narrative histories, and archival photographic
anthologies. I did not know of however, a visual record of the truth of its built and natural environment in the early 21st century. With this incentive, I began to make seasonal trips back to NY (I was at the time living in San Diego, CA) and started out by just driving. I drove to hotels and colonies I had never been to before, and others that I recalled visiting as a child. In conjunction with a bit of exploration, I did a lot of reading and research...and then photographing.

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