Saundra Amrhein shares her experience interviewing and writing about immigrants in her new book, Green Card Stories, with the Tampa Bay Times. She discusses immigration trends, the importance of education, and the perception of America and its political system.

When asked about surprising themes she encountered while conducting her interviews, Saundra notes:

“…Despite what everyone had gone through, they all had such a deep appreciation for this country. It was very moving. I did six, seven, eight hours of interviews with them and saw no bitterness or anger. Not that they had an uncritical eye. But they would say, ‘You don’t understand the systems we come from. Even when it breaks down, this is an amazing system.’”

Click here to find out more about the Green Card Stories project.

We are excited to announce the arrival of advance copies of A Girl and Her Room. This intimate look at girls from two contrasting places, the United States and Lebanon, is revealed through Rania Matar’s vivid images and complimented with compelling essays by Anne Tucker and Susan Minot. This book has come to life–and it is quite beautiful!

CNN posts an impassioned interview with author Saundra Amrhein about her experience meeting, and writing about, immigrants for the newly released Green Card Stories. When asked what the narratives from the book convey about the character of people immigrating to America, and about America itself, Saundra notes:

“About the immigrants themselves, it requires a phenomenal amount of resilience to come here and go through what they go through. Whether they’re coming from poverty, or come from their countries as professionals and had to start cleaning floors when they got here. They have such a tenacity and strength, you find that not only has that strength enabled them to become really productive people, but that has also led them to pursue what they love in life.”

You can view more images from Green Card Stories at CNN’s Photo Blog. To learn more about the Green Card Stories project, visit their website.

Daylight magazine features Grace Before Dying with a video feature on their website. Lori Waselchuk discusses her work with the hospice program at Angola prison in Louisiana, accompanied by the portfolio of her photographs. Grace Before Dying, published June 2011 and currently on exhibition at our Gallery, follows the heart-wrenching transformation of one of the most dangerous prisons in the country into one of the most humane.