Photography Commons^™

Fana’ (Annihilation), Houyar Moghaddas

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

In Sufism, fana’ refers to the dissolution of the self, the annihilation of the ego as one transcends individuality. While traditionally a spiritual concept, fana’ also offers a powerful humanistic metaphor for psychological transformation. In both the poem and accompanying photograph, fana’ explores the themes of ego death, grief, and the reshaping of identity: processes central to psychiatric practice, psychedelic therapy and the treatment of emotional fragmentation. The photograph captures an individual standing at the edge of a path, facing an untamed landscape, symbolizing the confrontation with the unknown self and the internal experience of surrender. This work invites reflection …

Rainflakes, Ripples, And The Moonlit Ocean, Saptarshi Biswas

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Raindrops, ripples, and a moonlit sky evoke not just poetic imagery but also profound physiological and psychological responses from deep inside. In a kaleidoscope of colors, rain flakes spiral down like whispers from the cosmos, each droplet a tiny universe reflecting the dreams of wandering souls. They dance upon the surface of puddles, sending ripples that shimmer like liquid silver, weaving a tapestry of sound that resonates with the heartbeat of the earth. As moonlight drips softly from the sky, each moondrop creates a symphony of luminescent echoes, cascading through the air like stardust, inviting us to lose ourselves in …

Rock Outcropping, Kaliakra Peninsula, Black Sea, Bulgaria, Barbara L. Gracious

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

This photo, taken in June 2024 at the Northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, captures our fleeting time against that of ocean and rocks.

Cape Kaliakra (“Beautiful Headland”) has been fought over by various tribes and groups across centuries. Succession included the Dacians, Greeks, Ottoman Turks, the Russian Navy, and in the last century, the communist government of Bulgaria. Now a nature reserve, dolphins play off the coast and cormorants seek its updrafts.

Cape Kaliakra sits on the Via Pontica, an ancient Greek road and major bird migration route from Africa into Eastern and Northern Europe.

Its beauty and its importance …

Message In A Bottle, Saptarshi Biswas

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

The title of the image is inspired by a famous old song by the British rock band The Police. The song featured Sting’s evocative lyrics and captures a profound sense of isolation and longing. The song tells the story of a castaway who sends out a distress signal, only to discover that he is not alone in his feelings of loneliness. Through its haunting melody and rhythmic pulse, the track conveys themes of connection and the human experience, illustrating how, despite physical separation, people share similar struggles and emotions. The metaphor of the bottle serves as a poignant reminder of …

Recollections Of A Tejana Life, Carolina Yáñez

Art Theses and Dissertations

This thesis encompasses the life of a young woman navigating life in Texas through various political and social barriers. My interdisciplinary practice analyzes the historical context of Mexicans in Texas from its Revolutionary period into current injustices. Through fiber, printmaking, and photography I create a visual diary to illustrate what the political has made personal. These works display the beauty of Tejano culture, but also the power struggles that threaten communities I care for, as well as my own existence that persists against far-right wing agendas.

Current politics and government leadership in Texas have inspired me to make artwork calling …

The Infinite Corridor, Houyar Moghaddas

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

This photograph was chosen as a visual representation of the poem "Theory of a Well Mind" to capture the essence of the poem's exploration of the human psyche and the journey toward mental wellness. The corridor, with its repeating arches and vanishing point, symbolizes the cyclical nature of thoughts, emotions, and actions that the poem delves into. Just as the corridor seems to stretch into infinity, the poem reflects on the seemingly endless and challenging process of personal growth and self-discovery. The contrast between light and shadow within the image mirrors the poem's themes of introspection, uncertainty, and the pursuit …

Locked Within, Ambrosia Washington

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

In this work, Locked Within, I examine my relationship with Western and alternative medicines, exploring how both areas can provide holistic treatment when used together. Seen here through the medium of photography, my illness relates to common experiences in Western medical care. Through images that consider themes of time, choice, faith, the effects of illness, the medical gaze, and health as a commodity, this series provides commentary on medical experiences and the influence of the American healthcare system.

With a nod toward scientific documentation, this photographic study documents my journey toward health. The element of typology in my work forms …

Visual Representation Of Cultural And Collegial Collaboration, Afsah Ali Hussain

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Our colleagues are those on whom we not only rely to help us with patient care and advocacy but also to establish a meaningful and collaborative relationship. The connection between comrades of different departments and specialties facilitates a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in treating a variety of maladies, and we quickly find ourselves ardently discussing our own life struggles, achievements, woes, and joys with those whom we once considered strangers, which only demonstrates the steadfastness of our professional and collegial relationships. However, for a holistic approach to the discipline of healing, the interconnectedness of other subdisciplines needs to …

F-1, John H. Washington Iv

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

This photograph was taken in 2016 in rural South Texas as a part of a series called Americana, which explores the idea of rural America and its values in spite of a narrative that paints rural regions as bleak and desolate. The owner of this truck pointed it out as an example of reliability, pride, and perseverance—all attributes that were apparent in his community.

Glam Girl, Christina Vasquez

Forces

No abstract provided.

Solitaire, Lydia A. Pyla

Forces

No abstract provided.

Deception, Lydia A. Pyla

Forces

No abstract provided.

A Thinking Man, Gilbert Hu

Forces

No abstract provided.

Penny For Your Thoughts, Gilbert Hu

Forces

No abstract provided.

See Vo Blow Troubles Away, Gilbert Hu

Forces

No abstract provided.

A Vista Of Kahana Bay, Haryashpal Bhullar

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

This is a picture of Kahana Bay in Honolulu, HI I took when I was visiting my friend stationed at Tripler Army Medical Center last year. Like me, he is a Psychiatry resident and I had not seen him in over a year, so meeting him was quite meaningful to me as we had so much more to talk about. Having this vista behind us while we climbed and shared stories made for one of the best hikes of my life. I often look at this photo and realize the freedom we had to fly to all sorts of beautiful …

Movement In Stillness, Shalini Chaliki

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

These images feature the Lower Antelope Canyon which was originally called Hasdestwazi, a Navajo word that means “spiral rock arches.” After hundreds of years, monsoons, winds, and flash floods eroded the slot canyon into the geological wonder that it is today. It enchants tourists and engulfs visitors as it flows around them in every direction. Just east of Page, Arizona, the massive sandstone formation is sacred to the Navajo Nation for its representation of Mother Nature’s many gifts and the passage to time; it is also a reminder that things are larger and greater than ones’ self. While these photos …

We’Re All On This Spaceship Earth, Nancy Si

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

The photo features the geodesic sphere at Epcot, Disney World in Orlando, FL. Inside the dome, there was an iconic ride called “Spaceship Earth”, which has since been shut down for refurbishment. This photo was taken November 2019, approximately 6 months before it was shut down. Much like how the ride emphasized the progress that human civilization has made in the last several hundred years and hopes to make in years to come, the current pandemic has shown us how far we have come in the medicine and other STEM fields. We hope only to do better and be better …

Volume 95, Number 1 - Spring 2016

The Alembic

Volume 95, Number 1 - Spring 2016. Full issue, 133 pages in total including front matter & table of contents.

Table of Contents:

• Levy, Jeffrey, A Story to Tell, 1
• Durbin, Branan, Namesake, 2
• Durbin, Branan, Hannah, 4
• Durbin, Branan, Zoraida, 5
• Price, Devyn, The Surly Bonds of Earth, 7
• Perchik, Simon, *, 17
• Moglia, Greg, Three Steps, 18
• Moglia, Greg, Try to Get Away, 19
• Moglia, Greg, Commander, 20
• Wright, Ben, 1000 Tea & Topology, 21
• Wright, Ben, Herstein & More Caffeine, 22
• Wright, Ben, Irrational Pi, …

Volume 94, Number 1 - Spring 2015

The Alembic

Volume 94, Number 1 - Spring 2015. Full issue, 193 pages in total including frontmatter & table of contents.

Table of Contents:

FICTION

• Barefoot Princesses, Jennifer Cyr, 4
• My GPS, My Love, Walter B. Levis, 19
• Rejection, Sten Spinella, 28
• Kamaloca, Stephen Jarrett, 47
• Blinded by the Sight, Diana Vlavianos, 74
• Choice, Blake Kilgore, 102
• Four-and-a-Half Feet, Neal Mercier, 121
• The Village, Collin Anderson, 133
• Purple Petunias, Lee Varon, 159

POETRY

• Simic, Guy Thorvaldsen, 1
• Nomad, Catharine Lucas, 2
• Eileen Marú, Matt Gillick, 3
• Beams, Laurie Patton, …

Volume 27, Number 3 - February 1949

The Alembic

Volume 27, Number 3 - February 1949. 78 pages including covers and advertisements.

• "Editorial"
• "Exchange"
• Daley, James T., Jr., "Miller's Reputation"
• Eagle, George L., "Embers In The Mist"
• Plummer, William H., "The Critic"
• Brott, Clifford J., "A Pastoral Meditation"
• Vayo, Harold E., "One Autumn Afternoon"
• Vayo, Harold E., "Winter Scene"
• Wooley, Charles F., "Kaleidoscope"
• Vayo, Harold E., "A Passing Thought"
• Henry, Wales B., "Meditation After Reading Dorothy Parker"
• Plummer, William H., "To A Meadowlark"
• Honnen, William, "Thirty Pieces of Silver"
• Henry, Wales B., "Unrequited Love"
• Henry, Wales B., "Idee Fixe"
• Eagle, George L., "Morning Classes"
• Vayo, Harold E., "I Wonder" …

Volume 27, Number 2 - December 1948

The Alembic

Volume 27, Number 2 - December 1948. 90 pages including covers and advertisements.

• "Editorial"

• Doherty, Robert E., "Editors Also Know Despair"

• Brott, Clifford J., "Reunion"
• Boning, Thomas H., "66th Street, East of Broadway"
• Henry, Wales B., "Timpani in Tom-Toms"
• Geffroy, Guy, "The Way A Friend Would"
• Honnen, William, "Rue De Bom Jesus"
• Wooley, Charles F., "The Concrete Jungle"
• Brott, Clifford J., "Reverie"
• Beausoleil, Norman D., "Evolution of French Literature"
• Lynch, John J., "Gross Negligence"
• Henry, Wales B., "Five and Twenty Years Ago"
• Cochran, George Hunter, "Sonnet to Beauty"
• Eagle, George L., The Felon"
• Cochran, George Hunter, "One Rose"
• Marino, L. …

Volume 27, Number 1 - October 1948

The Alembic

Volume 27, Number 1 - October 1948. 58 pages including covers and advertisements.

• Paolino, Daniel, "Not I, Lord"
• Scungio, Raymond, "Rain in Trinidad"
• Doherty, Robert, "Adventures of Blunderjohn"
• Cochran, George, "Day Coach"
• Brott, Clifford, "Short Essays"
• Cruz, Valentine, "On F.E.P.C."
• Cochran, George, "Windsong"
• Kirtland, Robert, "St. Thomas Aquinas"
• Fleck, Richard L., "Resurrection"
• Henry, Wales B., "Clouds"
• Fitz Simmons, E. P., "Simplicity"
• Henry, Wales B., "Soap"
• Doherty, Robert, "On Gertrude Stein"

Volume 26, Number 3 - March 1948

The Alembic

Volume 26, Number 3 - March 1948. 105 pages including covers and advertisements.

• "Alembiscope"

• Eagle, George, "Another Vintage"

• Brott, Clifford J., "Those Tender Years"

• Kurguz, Peter William, "A Students Prayer"

• Meagher, Francis T., "History's Lesson"

• Lynch, John J., "Modern Trends"

• Henry, Wales B., "The Dim Red Glow"

• "$64 Question"

• Cochran, Hunter George, "Modern Poetry and the New Slavery"

• Doherty, Robert E., "Memoirs From Bedlam"

• Weir, Fantasy, "Illustration"

• Scungio, Raymond, "Things Are Really Racy In Rio"

• "Football and the Friars"

• Eagle, George L., "Hearse-Verse"

• Doherty, Robert E., "From Europe About the Marshall Plan"

Volume 26, Number 2 - January 1948

The Alembic

Volume 26, Number 2 – January 1948. 71 pages including covers and advertisements.

• Editorial
• Poutray, A.R. "Three for a Dime"
• Cochran, George Hunter "To St. John of the Cross"
• O'Brien, John J. "Design for Intellectuals"
• Doherty, Robert E. "Austrian Interlude"
• Eagle, George "How Far We've Come!"
• Henry, Wales B. "The Twelve Steps"
• Scungio, Raymond "The Commander's Husband"
• Knickerbocker, Jr., M.R. "The Catholic Novel: Its Problems"

Volume 26, Number 1 - November 1947

The Alembic

Volume 26, Number 1 - November 1947. 71 pages including covers and advertisements.

• "Editorial"
• Henry, Wales B., "The Uncertain Mind"
• Cochran, George Hunter, "Man To His Soul"
• D'Ambrosio, Raymond, "Turret and Tree"
• Goulet, Norman, "Social Justice"
• Doherty, Robert E., "Resume"
• Cochran, George Hunter, "Infinitus"
• Deasy, John, "Looking Down The Years"
• Boning, Thomas, "Tears"
• Fitz Simmons, Edward P., "The Village Art Show"
• Eagle, George, "Peculiar Company"

Volume 25, Number 1 - February 1947

The Alembic

Volume 25, Number 1 – February 1947. 58 pages including covers and advertisements.

• Editorial
• Doherty, R.E. "The Beast"
• O'Brien, John J. "On Coffee"
• Eagle, George L. "A Stranger in Strasbourg"
• Shanley, Joseph V. "Reflections"
• Doherty, R.E. "Thoughts on New York"
• Gnys, Edward L. "Chaos"
• Morrison, Coleman "On Floorwalkers"
• Eagle, George L. "Moment of Vision"
• Deasy, John "Living History"
• Fortin, Andrew G. "Effects of Studying the Essayists"
• Critique

Volume 25, Number 3 - March 1943

The Alembic

Volume 25, Number 3 - March 1943. 49 pages including covers and advertisements.

• Stafford, John, "Frustration"

• Davitt, John H., "Among The Missing"

• "War And Nutrition"

• Weintraub, Jerome Irving, "A Study Of Sir John Falstaff"

• Fournier, Conrad A., "Come Follow Me"

• Carroll, Jr., Walter F., "Auntie's Favorite"

• Buckley, John F., "Isaac Hecker And Brook Farm"

• "Reveille"

• "Divertissement"

Volume 25, Number 2 - December 1942

The Alembic

Volume 25, Number 2 - December 1942. 54 pages including covers and advertisements.

• "Fingers In The Pi"

• Lee, Edward A., "In God We Trust"

• Gorman, Jeffrey, "On Etiquette"

• Davitt, John H., "Before The Wave"

• Stadnicki, Francis A., "Saroyanism And Surrealism"

• Shiel, James F., "Rauschning Has The Answer"

• Fournier, Conrad, "Check--$50,000"

• O'Shea, Joseph C., "Blueprints For A Just Peace"

• "By The Way"

Volume 25, Number 1 - October 1942

The Alembic

Volume 25, Number 1 - October 1942. 58 pages including covers and advertisements.

• "New Fingers in the Pi"
• Hughes, Riley, "A Catholic College and War"
• Gerhard, John, "The Father"
• Kelly, Matthew "Fast Freight"
• Kenny, Joseph, "Revolution in the Making"
• Holleran, Thomas, "Journey to Scotland"
• Kiernan, Leo, "Cancer Research"
• Fay, Michael, "We Shall Meet Again"
• Gerhard, John, "By the Way"