Episode 25 ft. Meryl Meisler

Sighs and Whispers

Meryl Meisler is an acclaimed photographer known for her street and documentary work. Meisler began photographing in the mid-70s, focusing on the Jewish community in her hometown on Long Island as well as the nightlife scene in NYC. After becoming an art and photography teacher at a public school in Bushwick, Brooklyn, she continued to shoot the world and people around her. Following her retirement in 2007 that she began to delve into her old, boxed-up contact sheets and negatives—revealing a New York that was long gone, captured in a totally individual and unique manner. Since then Meisler’s photographic career has had a renaissance; publishing three books of her photographs—centering mostly on Bushwick, disco and Long Island suburbia—and has participated in countless gallery exhibitions. She joins host Laura McLaws Helms to discuss her childhood, NYC in the 70s and 80s, her creative process, balancing a full-time job and her creative pursuits, and her future projects. For full show notes, episode resources and a slideshow of photographs, head to https://sighswhispers.com/episode-25-meryl-meisler Produced and hosted by Laura McLaws Helms Featured Guest Meryl Meisler