PHOTOGRAPHY
I have a deep-rooted passion for photography and its history. The themes of my work center on the individual, whether it be a portrait, human habitation on the landscape, or images of spiritual devotion. Zen influences my approach, and I view the creative process as a quest—intuitive and experimental.
I am a writer, photographer, and editor home based in New Orleans. My photographic work centers on creative portraiture, urban landscapes, and expressions of individuals’ spirituality.
I received a photography and queer theory degree from Hampshire College, where I studied with Jerome Liebling (of the New York Photo League) and Carrie Mae Weems.
But returning to the source of a thing—the real source—means the photographer has to watch, dig, listen for voices, sniff the smells and have many doubts. —Jerome Liebling
WRITING
I am the Owner/Publisher of Rebel Satori Press . My books are detailed here. My work has also been included in the anthologies Fever Spores: The Queer Reclamation of William S. Burroughs, Suffered From the Night: Queering Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Madder Love: Gay Men in the Precincts of Surrealism and I Do/I Don’t, as well as the journals Ashé, The Gnostic, Abrasax: Journal of Magick & Decadence, Lambda Book Report and Chebacco, among others. My short story “Dim Star Descried” was selected for Wilde Tales 2009: Best Gay Speculative Fiction.
The creative process, like a spiritual journey, is intuitive, non-linear, and experiential. It points us toward our essential nature, which is a reflection of the boundless creativity of the universe.—John Daido Loori Roshi
SPIRIT
My work centers on reclaiming, not just preservation. I attempt to take folklore and transform it into a new living tradition.
Forging new myths from ancient ore. —Sven Davisson
I’ve been a spiritual explorer for as long as I can remember. I take a “language” approach to spirituality, striving to be at least street conversant in various traditions (e.g., Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, traditional paganism, bhakti yoga, techno-shamanism). In high school, I discovered the works of the Beat writers (Ginsberg, Snyder, Kerouac, and Burroughs) and their interest in spirituality. When I was fifteen, my journey crossed paths with my first teacher, leading me to paths of meditation and love—Zorba the Buddha. The core of my practice is primarily rooted in listening to the universe, developed through the practice of shikantaza (zazen).
The United Rite
I founded the United Rite, a registered Louisiana non-profit, to expand this exploration of how ancient lore and inform modern queer praxis.
UR’s mission is to support, educate, and empower gay and bisexual men in the areas of mindfulness, Earth-based spirituality, and esoteric mysteries. To achieve this goal, we promote, teach, and publish these traditions and the associated arts. Our focus areas include but are not limited to, Traditional Witchcraft, meditation, and the occult arts. Additionally, we collect and maintain an archive of materials and ephemera related to gay and bisexual men and spirituality. To further our mission, we host educational workshops, online and in-person classes, seasonal celebrations, spiritual guidance, and community-building events.