A Word Please

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to strap on a backpack, head off to a new country, and explore for a few years? Tom Carter, today’s guest author, has done just that! One day he lived in California, the next he was finding his way around China. From his experiences, he has created a masterpiece of photos that make up his book, CHINA: Portrait of a People. Tom’s a fascinating guy whose adventures would make a spellbinding memoir. And hopefully someday he will write one! Today, Tom answers a few of my questions about his experiences in China and what drew him there to begin with.

But, first, a bit about Tom:

Travel photographer Tom Carter (1973) was born and raised in the City of San Francisco and graduated with a degree in Political Science from the American University in Washington, D.C. Following a political career with a number of high-profile state and national campaigns, Tom decided to “peek over the fence” and subsequently spent 18 months backpacking down the length of Mexico, Cuba and Central America. Tom later spent one year in Japan, one year in India, and four years in the People’s Republic of China, travelling extensively throughout the country’s 33 provinces and autonomous regions. The result was his first book, CHINA: Portrait of a People, hailed as the most comprehensive book of photography on modern China ever published by a single author.

Tom’s book, CHINA: Portrait of a People:

Despite increased tourism and rampant foreign investment, the cultural distance between China and the west remains as vast and unknown as the oceans that separate them. China is in fact made up of 33 distinct regions populated by 56 ethnic groups – and American photographer Tom Carter is one of the only foreigners in history to have visited them all. At 640-pages and over 800 photos, CHINA: Portrait of a People is a visual tribute to the People’s Republic of China, with an ardent emphasis on the People.
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A chat with Tom:

What drew you to China?

The irony of being an author and a photographer in China is that it was the last career move I ever expected of myself. Coming to China was a combination of several factors. First, as a San Francisco city native, I have been around Chinese people and culture my entire life, yet due to their isolationist tendencies, I never felt that I really understood them. Coming to China was a way to learn about their customs and finally get to know them as a people. Another factor that brought me here was the stagnant US economy circa 2003. Despite a university degree and professional experience in my field (politics and communications), I couldn’t for the life of me find a good job at that time. I have no doubt this is what a lot of people back home are presently experiencing as I write this now, 7 years later. So I took my skills where they were wanted: China! I was hired as an English teacher (FYI to unemployed Americans: there are no end to English teaching jobs in the PRC; come on over!). My first year was spent in a small town teaching primary school students, then, once I felt comfortable in this new culture, I moved to Beijing to teach corporate business English, which was more in line with my professional background. The final factor that brought me across the world is my insatiable wanderlust. I love to travel, and teaching English in China was a way to travel and get paid for it.

How did the language barrier affect your ability to interact and work within the different Chinese cultures?

Actually, despite having traveled extensively across both hemispheres I have very little capacity for languages. I tend to hit a ceiling after a certain number of words. Usually I can learn enough to get by – what I call Survival Chinese – then the rest of the time I wing it. This is easy to do in China because first of all, Putonghua (spoken Mandarin) requires no conjugation; it’s just straight memorization of vocabulary and tones. Second, the authorities and people in charge here (like bus ticket vendors, hotel clerks, police, students, etc.) tend to speak enough English that you can fall back on them when you need help. There are literally hundreds of dialects spoken across this country – even Chinese people tend not to understand other Chinese people outside of their home provinces – so really, everyone is kind of in the same situation as you. Lastly, the Chinese are so darn friendly that you can literally communicate solely on smiles and warm gestures. This is how I obtained most of my photographs in CHINA: Portrait of a People.

Did you run into any difficulties or restrictions from the Chinese government?

As one might presume, living in China is not without its restrictions. The Communists prefer to keep the general public misinformed, so EVERYTHING from the media to blogging is either heavily censored or totally blocked. Heck, I can’t even access Darcia’s blog to do this interview. Moreover, foreign journalists are eyed with extreme suspicion (understandable; most western newspapers only write negative stories about China), so even a freelance photographer such as myself has a really hard time taking pictures here. I had my camera swatted out of my hands numerous times by police, security guards, etc. for taking photos of the most innocuous things like demolition sites, hanging laundry, etc. They don’t mess around here. Once I took some photos of a peasant riot (pictures appear in my book) and minutes later I was surrounded by plainclothes police threatening to imprison me if I didn’t delete my memory card. Such is the life of a foreign photographer in China. But I should point out that real people (meaning non-cops) in China are unbelievable good natured about having their photo taken. As you can see from my photos, their friendliness shines through.

You take some of the most amazing photos I’ve ever seen. What is your inspiration?

Thanks, Darcia, but I have to decline the compliment; I am just a backpacker with a camera. Literally, these are photos that any tourist can take, it just requires the patience and resolve to get out there and see parts of the world that AREN’T on the tour itinerary. Fans email me saying that they prefer my book over the usual “postcard-perfect” coffee table books for this very reason; because it helped them realize that you don’t need to be some pro-photog or well-funded journalist to take decent travel pictures. So, if my book inspires a new generation of photographer and world-travelers, then that is compliment enough for me.

What surprised you most about the country and its people?

The better question would be: what DOESN’T surprise me in China. Seriously, every turn of the corner is a new adventure waiting to happen. Every neighborhood is a whole new photo-essay waiting to be written. This country is magical like that. Beijing and Shanghai might have been over-developed by city planners to the point of being unrecognizable, but the rest of the country, the rural countryside, is literally the world’s final frontier. I’m not just singing praise for China because she is my new adopted home. There are many things about China and its culture that frustrate me to no end. But still, nobody can deny that this is a true land of opportunity where even a foreigner can reinvent him/herself and achieve success that would otherwise be impossible back in the States.

Can you share one experience from your time in China that impacted you the most?

Just one? I have so many, heh. Well, I think the most profound experience I have had in China thus far was when I almost died from Encephalitis. This is a viral disease that attacks the brain and kills within 7 days. I had it for 3 before I was treated. And even then, the Chinese hospital staff had no idea what to do. Luckily, my mother has been an Emergency Room RN for 30 years . She got on the phone long-distance with my Chinese doctor (and a translator) and instructed him step by step on how to diagnose and treat me. That was a pretty intense 10 days for me.

What has your publishing experiences as a new author been like?

Actually, my book is not really new. It’s just “new to you”, ha ha. CHINA: Portrait of a People was published in Hong Kong in 2008, however it was not sold outside of Asia or on Amazon until just this past July 2010. Finding distribution abroad was a real challenge for my publishers. And getting the book reviewed has been even more frustrating; there is a certain bias in the mainstream press against indie books like mine; we tend to get passed over by well-financed authors. But strong word-of-mouth combined with diligent viral marketing, such as conducting this type of blog interview, finally broke down the literary barriers. I am now on Amazon and in American bookshops. But the good fight is not over: now it’s up to my fans to keep the momentum going by writing their reviews of my book on Amazon. In that way, CHINA: Portrait of a People will remain competitive against the corporate coffee table books that presently dominate my genre.

What’s next for you?

After 4 straight years in China, I lived a year in Japan in 2008, teaching English again so I could save my money to go travel in India, which is where I was all last year to photograph my next book. But that project is still a long ways off. In the meantime, you can visit my homepage for updates and new photos.
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Check out the trailer for Tom’s book and see some of his gorgeous photos:

Unfortunately, due to Internet restrictions in China, Tom won’t be able to join us here today to answer any questions or comments. But you’re welcome to share your thoughts here and I will be sure to pass them on to Tom! You can learn more about Tom and his work in the following places:

His website: www.tomcarter.org
Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/pages/CHINA-Portrait-of-a-People/37283293610

And you can purchase his book on Amazon!

Tags: author interviews, Books About China, China, CHINA: Portrait of a People, Chinese Culture, Chinese travel, Guest Authors, photo journalism, Tom Carter, travel books