In Volume Seven: Chapter Six of The Program, we welcomed Boston-based Photographer, Poet, Writer, Philosopher, and Visual Artist, Steven Seidenberg. 

We discuss Steven’s newest poetry collection, Coda, his ongoing photographic work, including his exhibition at the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art and the forthcoming photographic project Kanazawa Vacancy. In our conversation, Steven reflects on what it means to see his work displayed publicly and discusses his fascination with photographing empty landscapes, abandoned structures, and unstable environments—images that ask viewers not simply to look, but to reconsider what they’ve been seeing all along. 

We discuss Steven’s early creative and intellectual history. He talks about his youthful attraction to poetry and philosophy, describing a compulsive literary obsession that shaped his identity and ultimately led him to leave high school before finding his academic footing at Simon’s Rock and later Bard College. We discuss the influence of reading on writing, the role philosophical literature played in his development, and how his interest in photography emerged alongside his early writing life, including memories of developing black-and-white photographs in his uncle’s darkroom. 

Our conversation also explores family influences, Steven’s path through philosophy and academia, and his eventual transition away from teaching and copy editing toward a full-time creative life. Along the way, we unpack his remarkably patient artistic process, with projects often taking a decade or more to complete. 

This was a thoughtful and reflective conversation about observation, artistic patience, intellectual curiosity, and the lifelong pursuit of meaning through multiple creative forms. 

Contact Steven:
Website: stevenseidenberg.com          Instagram: @steven.seidenberg   

Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: 

Brittany Barker – The Classroom Before the Revolution
Instagram: @iambrittanybarker 

Joshua Bennett – 16 Bars For Kendrick Lamar
Instagram: @sirjoshuabennett          Website: drjoshuabennett.com

Gina Loring – Freedom To Learn
Instagram: @ginastarlight          Website: ginaloring.com 

Steven Willis – Instead Of A Suicide Note, I Wrote This
Instagram: @stevenwillispoetry          Website: stevenwillispoetry.com

Alexis Green – He Used To Send Me Flowers
Instagram: @poetalexisgreen          Website: poetalexsisgreen.com