My photography book WE CAME FROM FIRE: Kurdistan’s Armed Struggle Against ISIS is delayed once again. Here’s what the F is going on:
After many stressful attempts and delays when creating perfect color match proofs (the physical prints used to match when running the press), crates of my book arrived from China on to US soil for us too look at.
Why do book publishers print in China? You can save like 40-50% of costs. Considering the state of the publishing industry and that there is virtually no profit to be made on photo books like this, sometimes it’s the only way a small print run can be created.
Long before American support, & before the world knew their name, the Kurds of the YPG & YPJ fought ISIS & other extremist factions interlaced with the Syrian rebels.
The YPG/J believed from the beginning that the world would only learn their plight through their struggle.
Years later, American air strikes, training & intelligence helped the YPG against ISIS. Everyone knew it was transactional and of mutual interest, but the main thing this powerful foreign backer gave was confidence to the society the Kurds sought to reform.
[Photo: International Women’s Day is celebrated in Qamishlo / Qamishli while Turkish soldiers look on from across the border fence.]