Today the Spotlight shines on different territory as we talk with Gena Mohwish about her stunning photography, how rules don’t establish beauty, and what it means to be candid.

First off, tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from? What fires you up? Is the world ever going to end?

i am finding that where i am from has had more of an impact on me than i would have hoped for. i am just trying to make it all come together without tearing it apart, although that seems impossible sometimes. i don’t like thinking about the inevitable destruction of the world. or maybe i just don’t like thinking about the inevitable destruction of myself.

Tell us about the differences between a posed and a candid shot? Is one superior to the other? Why?

a posed shot captures what someone wants to portray, whereas a candid shot captures verity. i don’t like comparing things to one another when it comes to superiority, but personally, i like candid shots better; although i’m sure the subject being photographed would disagree. i think it comes down to people’s inability to control things that makes their preferences differ from mine. i do completely understand and empathize with those who dislike being photographed candidly though, as it is a vulnerable situation to be in.

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– Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.

Don’t worry. We won’t get into policies or delegates or jurisprudence or back taxes or strategic foreclosures or right or left or constituents or education (well, some, hopefully) or economies or deficits or Barack’s ears or mole or his presidential head.

Just monuments like these. That’s it. What we’re about, coño. ‘Nuf said.

Oh, yeah: God bless the US of A.

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Writers are always Facebook posting about books they’re currently re-reading. I don’t buy it for a second. Nothing can shame you like a gape in reading history. This is always downplayed. “Sure I’ve read that [classic/important title name goes here], it’s just that it was a long time ago.” Course you did. Funny thing is, I see far less Facebook updates about old books being read for the first time. Everyone re-reads everything. They’re soooooooooooooooooooooo excited to be doing so. Can we quit being posers? Just admit you’ve never read the damn book. You didn’t read it in high school. You didn’t read it in college. It’s okay. It doesn’t make you less cool/able to be a great writer/intelligent/reliable as a source of literary validity to your peers. Some books you haven’t gotten to. Let it die with that. Quit re-reading books for the first time. It’s as bad as when you lost your virginity again.

I am not a part of a redneck agenda. “Punk,” the old lady chuckled. Yes, with a punk background, topical political statements and scenarios seem oddly simple to me, like Chip the Marxist in The Corrections. But I love simple — Benjy Compson or Claggart’s innocent Billy Budd, simply complex, I reckon. Some things are too complex for the big screen, like As I Lay Dying. Some people should probably just stick to books. Allan Lomax stuck to the simple man. And how hard is it to pen the philosophical novel? How long should it take for the novel to adapt to innovation? Here is how libraries are. I say rest in peace, Reynolds Price. Salinger survived D-Day, and so did Holden. Who needs the Oscars, the 2011 National Book Awards finalists are here.