The pairing of the song "How Many Christmases" and a slideshow of Chicago Tribune photos from 2008 is meant to jar the senses a bit. The viewer is set for an inspirational ride with Christmas bells, but is suddenly confronted with scenes of despair. Slowly, the images become more positive and the piece ends with a message of hope. The inspiration for this Soundslides piece came when I first heard the song at a Christmas recital at my son's school, where his fourth-grade class sang the chorus. The composer of the song, Jim Papoulis, was a visiting artist at the school, and gave the Tribune permission to use the song.

Chris Walker
Staff photographer, Chicago Tribune
Platypus Workshop graduate, '99