Kristy Billuni's Reviews > Don't Forget Me Ghost Bikes-A Photographic Memorial

I've been learning about grief lately. It's such a big and challenging topic that I can't yet articulate what I've learned, but I'm compiling a grief kit and this book is part of it. Thumbing through its pages feels a lot like taking a meandering walk through an old cemetery.

Dark and beautiful, this very special photo and essay book offers rich, sensual pleasure but also asks you to face exquisite pain. Ghost bikes, as a phenomenon, symbolize loss and memorial. They speak lovingly and loudly about how fleeting life and beauty can be. They also offer commentary on the fragility of life and the cruel danger of fast-moving traffic and our fast-paced lives.

With her combination of photos and words, Genea Barnes wrestles all of these issues and more. She also combines her signature darkroom trick, double exposure, to place ghosts in some of the images. Some images offer stunning still life composition. Others tell a story. Still others beckon from landscapes and road trip snapshots.

It's also gorgeously printed and bound so that holding it in your hands just feels good. I think it makes a unique and thoughtful gift for anybody struggling with grief as well as bicycle and photography enthusiasts.

*Full disclosure: Genea is a friend and creative collaborator. She takes my professional headshots, and I'm proud to display artwork from her Body Project on my wall at home. I was involved in this project on an editorial level.*