This is a list of the pieces I’ve published so far in my Copper Belt Project:
—A Diamond in the Wreckage (May 1, 2011) recounts the story of an ex-miner from Winkelman, Arizona who is making a new start for himself as he clears away rubble from the abandoned café in which he has made a makeshift home
—Damaged Beauty (April 23, 2011) contrasts the deathly pall that hangs over contemporary Clifton, Arizona with the sense of liberation that I experienced exploring the ruins of the town’s Reardon Hotel
—Mining the Copper Belt (April 14, 2011) uses the story of one find — a Ken doll in an abandoned RV — to reflect on the ethics of collecting artifacts and makes a case for respecting the integrity of all ruins, however modern or small in scope they may seem