King City in Mt. Vernon, IL, USA
There is a town in southern Illinois called Mt. Vernon. I was born here and lived in the same house until I went to college. There isn’t much to do for fun in a small town, but with friends and creativity we made our own. The people here are real and the relationships I share with them are priceless. Last winter I began to take pictures of my town. It has grown into a series that I will probably never stop developing, called King City.
Place you live: Mt. Vernon, IL
Place your photo was taken: My friend Jacob’s attic bedroom
Occupation: Photography student at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Preoccupation: Netflix, dilly-dallying, sports, NYtimes, adobe bridge, tumblr
A perfect day in Mt. Vernon, IL? A summer morning drive with a friend out into the country where it’s mostly forest and farmland, cameras equipped. A gyro at Jimmie James Blue Goose for lunch. Do some thriftin’ at the Bargain Box and the Rescue Mission. Find a lake or pool to swim in. Home for dinner and rest. Double feature at the drive-in in Salem. Skip the second movie to camp out with friends.
A perfect meal in the place you call home? Dinner at my grandparents’ house. Roast beef, gravy, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn, red stuff (cranberry sauce), and sweet tea.
A little known fact about where you live? A car dealership in town was built as a scale replica of George Washington’s estate, Mt. Vernon. Also, people call us “the king city.” I’ve never known why.