Author Talks: Liza offers the following talks

The Fast Disappearing Nomadic Culture of Mongolia

Join author, and Concord resident, Liza F. Carter on a visual journey into the inner world of a modern-day, nomadic Mongolian family. Learn how Mongolian nomads milk their horses to create a fermented drink called airag.  Discover why Mongolian children will share their mittens with their playmates, even if the temperature is 20° below zero.

Liza’s talk will draw from her photo-documentary book, Moving with the Seasons: Portrait of a Mongolian Family. The book focuses on one nomadic family who became her collaborators in documenting a way of life that is fast being obliterated by the modern world and climate change. The family’s willingness to share with the rest of the world the annual cycle of nomadic life on the Mongolian steppe makes for an unusually intimate portrait. The life of this nomadic family reveals the unique culture of Mongolian nomads and their remarkable capacity to thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments.

The Joys & Challenges of Publishing a Photo-Documentary Book

Join Liza F. Carter, artist, author and photographer as she shares the process of how to develop and publish a photo documentary book with today’s technology. Using her recently published book, Moving with the Seasons: Portrait of a Mongolian Family as a case study, Liza will cover such topics as how to find subjects, using a camera to build connections across cultural divides, and being alert for that “decisive moment” that captures an larger story in just one image. Liza will also talk about the process of editing photos, creating the layout and working with an editor on the text, as well as using crowd-source funding such as Kickstarter for self-publishing the finished book. Fifty percent of the profits from her book are going to support healthcare for nomadic children in Mongolia. Copies of her book will be for sale.