Stephanie

One of the central strands of the novel focuses on Stephanie, a photographer who moves back to New York after working in London for several years. Stephanie grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Her father died when she was a child, and her mother later committed suicide. In college, she develops a strong friendship with Bridget; a “wild devotion” (259) ties the women together. Occasionally, their intimate friendship borders on romance. Stephanie supports Bridget during her sickness and comforts her during her final moments.

In her first appearance in the novel, Stephanie accepts a fellowship at the Carrier Institute in New York. Unable to sleep, she begins to wander around the city at night, photographing buildings, streets, and passersby. At the start of Stephanie’s career, photography gave her “a taste of what she was going to remember, a glimpse of reflected time that made her scull...