Hi everyone, Euletha Dukes here. Shoebox Chronicles is the name of my passion project to document beauty in the mundane. Through the lenses of Musings, Postcards, and Etymologies, I seek out entry points to connect memory with the present, explore word meanings with everyday experiences, and zoom in on nuances that aren’t obvious at first glance. I’d also say that it’s a study of relationships—either how we react to our environment, or how our environment reacts to us.
Shoebox Chronicles got its start in my teens, and at the time it wasn’t a “project.” It was simply the name I chose for a zine that I dreamed up but never happened, named after the overstuffed shoeboxes that I used for collecting just about everything. Postcards and letters—including ones I wrote but never sent—plane tickets and road maps, concert tickets and band stickers, even buttons I’d removed from coats I outgrew. So much of my life was in those boxes that the name seemed apropos.
Fast forward to today when Shoebox has evolved from tangible things kept in boxes into a growing collection of stories, poetry, and photographs. This site will continue to evolve and include collaborations, interviews, and videos.
It all starts with the noticing. Not just slowing down, but stopping and staying in a moment.
You know that moment you realize you just missed something, zipping past the corner of your eye? Or when you realize something is slightly different than the thousand other times you’ve seen it? Or that vivid memory that pops up at the sound of a stranger’s accent or a familiar scent? Or that painting in a museum you always return to?
All of these are moments of noticing.
Noticing is the name of that space where words are born, and I enjoy the challenge of putting words to it.
About fifteen years ago, I got my first point-and-shoot camera for my first overseas travel adventure. Five years later, my interest grew even more when I got my first DSLR, a Sony A350 gifted to me by my father in his will. These days I switch between a Sony A7III, a Nikon FM 35mm, and my handy dandy iPhone.
Subject-wise, I most often seek out empty or barely populated spaces. And moody cinematic scenes, golden light, and pops of color get me every time. I love getting up close, but am also giddy at the sight of wide open vistas.
Whatever it is that moves me to pick up my camera, two questions are at the forefront of my mind: What is happening when I’m not here? And in the loneliest, most abandoned of spaces, what is it that still breathes here?
My favorite scent is vetiver. I wear a lot of black, but I love color. I speak French fluently. My favorite color is green. I laugh loud. My favorite punctuation mark is the ampersand. I’m an ambivert. I’ve lived in Sweden and France. My favorite art medium is sculpture. I like big books and I cannot lie. I’m based in New Orleans.