Summary

In the first six pages of this excerpt, Frances Pell, or Franny Panic, a former musician writes an introduction to deceased photographer Lillian Preston's collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Frances explains her introduction to Lillian's work, the way Lillian’s most infamous photo "Mommy is sick" inspired her most popular song. Years after Lillian's death, the photographer's daughter Samantha contacted Frances and asked for her assistance curating the posthumous show.

In the first section of the catalogue, "Greenwich Village, 1953-54,” curated and written by Samantha, Samantha begins tracing Lillian's life through a series of photos, accounts from Lillian's friends, entries from Lillian's journal, and letters to her parents and companions. After joining her high school's camera club and befriending her classmate, Sam Decker, Lillian is hooked. After Sam is deployed to Korea, he and Lillian keep up...