Scenes from Ohio - The Atavist Magazine

This summer, I photographed Jeffrey Fowle, a man from Ohio who spent thousands of dollars to go to North Korea, just so that he could leave one Bible in a nightclub. Like everyone who heard about his stunt, I was curious to find why someone would do such a thing. I spent two days with Jeff and his family trying to figure that out. They were a welcoming and devout group. On the first day, Jeff showed me the mementos from his trip. He had purchased a basketball he hoped would take attention away from the Bible he was smuggling. While he held in custody by the North Korean regime, he’d made lists to pass the time: Beatles songs, hymns, presidents. He pulled out a coat that one of his guards gave him. When he laid out his travel documents, a shaft of light came through the blinds creating what looked like a cage on his passport.

The next day, we went to the two Sunday services that his family attends every week. The first was a large Baptist church where people were baptized in a clear tub to the sound of electric guitar. The second church was more quaint with wood paneling and American flags on the walls. It was clear how important his faith is to Jeff. His family shuffled in and out of their minivan and I just tagged along for the ride. One of my favorite photos was the last one I took. After the second service ended, we waited in the pews because there was a nasty storm. When it passed, we walked outside. Jeff and his three kids, all wearing shades of blue, looked up into the sky as a double rainbow appeared.

Read “Holiday at The Dictator’s Guesthouse.”