Mourning Dove by Alexander Knudsen reflects on the intertwined memories of family and place. Knudsen writes, “My grandfather taught me how to cup my hands together, thumbs pointed to create a mouthpiece to mimic the coo of the bird that calls each morning. The mourning dove is thought to be a harbinger of deliverance, or a spiritual message of hope. Its soft, sorrowful call marks the beginning of a new day.”
The daily sound of a mourning dove forms a rhythm for life in Ipswich, Massachusetts, where the artist lives with his family and where his mother and grandfather before him also called home.
Made along the tidal banks, river paths, and marshlands of Cape Ann, these photographs show the textures of this coastal landscape. Morning walks, fleeting encounters, and Craigslist connections weave together with intimate family moments to create a layered portrait of place.
Both personal and universal, the book shows how place and memory intertwine, and how noticing becomes an act of remembrance and grace.
Printed and bound in New England
6.5” x 11”
76 pages
32 images
Hard cover with lay-flat binding
Afterword by Barbara Bosworth
Design by Emily Sheffer
Published by Dust Collective
Spring 2026