Mesha Maren // THE LILY

Mesha Maren’s

“Sugar Run” for the lily

We felt an easy connection photographing author Mesha Maren back in February. Her debut novel “Sugar Run” was featured in The Lily (a women-focused offshoot publication of The Washington Post). The Lily asked us to capture a series of portraits of her in Carrboro, NC as well as an image of her new book in a natural setting. The final images, presented in black & white, accompanied her feature interview and were published on The Lily’s social media channels. Maren’s novel dissects a character rebuilding her life after prison, who finds a second chance by returning to her Appalachian roots. Read the full interview here.

A vulnerable start

Mesha candidly spoke with The Lily’s deputy editor Neema Roshania Patel about writing a complex story against the backdrop of the seemingly simple concept of home. Her character’s chance encounter with a new person unleashes a familiarity, something that Mesha describes as personal. “I wanted to think about how vulnerability can open us up sometimes,” she told The Lily. “When I am most vulnerable is when I am most open to making a connection.”