I did not stage the photo below. I repeat: I did not stage the photo below. 7 and 3/4 year old Violet did. She’s taken to having one of her American Girl dolls sit at the dinner table with us. I’d just cooked a 4 pound octopus for dinner (using Mark Bittman’s New York Times Video Recipe here). She’s used to me shooting dinner, so to speak, with my camera. It turns out she sat her American Girl right under the dining room lamp that shows food in its best light (I know, I know, octopus, no matter how well-seasoned will always look a bit monstrous). The photo kind of reminds me of the pics in The Lonely Doll.
—Hugh
