Lo Scalzo, Jim 1967–

PERSONAL:

Born 1967, in Washington, DC; married, wife's name Deirdre; children: two. Education: Loyola College, B.A.; University of Missouri, M.A.

ADDRESSES:

E-mail—jloscalzo@usnews.com.

CAREER:

Photographer and writer. U.S. News and World Report, staff photographer, 1994—.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Awards from Pictures of the Year International and White House News Photographers' Association.

WRITINGS:

Evidence of My Existence (memoir), Ohio University Press (Athens, OH), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Jim Lo Scalzo was born in 1967 in Washington, DC, and although his birthplace has remained his hometown throughout much of his life, Lo Scalzo has traveled throughout the world as a photographer. Lo Scalzo earned his B.A. in creative writing from Loyola College and his M.A. in photojournalism from the University of Missouri. Lo Scalzo has put his education to good use in his career, working as a staff photographer for U.S. News and World Report since 1994 and winning several awards from Pictures of the Year International and White House News Photographers' Association. Although Lo Scalzo is not yet a published creative writer, he is a published nonfiction writer. His memoir, Evidence of My Existence, was published in 2007. In the memoir, Lo Scalzo discusses the places he has visited in his travels as a photographer for U.S. News and World Report. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to a specific place, and Lo Scalzo relates his impressions of each locale as well as his experiences there. Although there are no pictures in the book, pictures are posted on the book's corresponding Web site. Throughout the memoir, Lo Scalzo also provides glimpses of his family life and his early childhood as a budding photographer. Lo Scalzo even includes discussion of his wife's miscarriages. When Lo Scalzo and his wife finally have a successful pregnancy, Lo Scalzo relates that he decides to travel less in order to be with his family more. A Kirkus Reviews critic stated that although this is "not an unexpected epiphany," it is "an affecting one."

Reviewers found much to applaud in Evidence of My Existence. The Kirkus Reviews critic commented on the book's "lovely lift off and stirring journey." Noting Lo Scalzo's descriptive language, Donna Marie Smith, writing in Library Journal, called the book a "compelling memoir." Smith observed that the memoir is unique because it combines the author's "personal journey, an insider's look into the field of photojournalism, a study of the creative process, and a descriptive travelog." In an interview with Justin Anderson in the Southeast Review Online, Lo Scalzo commented on his photography and stated that "writing about these places was merely an extension of that act. And as an added bonus I was able to reference my pictures for all those little details you might otherwise miss or forget." Lo Scalzo added: "With writing, though, you can keep tweaking your work until it's precisely how you want it. It's so liberating—and so annoying, as I found myself obsessing over every sentence."