max s. gerber(the latest shot)

i met vic one day by accident. i was taking pictures at the research lab where she works, it was the summer, it was hot, and i was lugging my gear around by myself. she was standing outside smoking a cigarette. i had a long list of subjects i was supposed to shoot that week, but i forgot all about them. she wasn’t on my list. i started moving equipment slower, hoping to strike up a conversation. she said hello, and i said hello, and then – as i have many times since – i found myself speechless. so i did what dumb guys do, and smiled and tried not to trip over my own feet.

i’m glad to say that since then we’ve gotten past the initial awkwardness, and i’ve been lucky enough to get to know her quite well. she tells me about ordinary things in ways that makes them seem foreign and exciting and magical. she tells me about strange and incredible things in ways that make them seem comfortable and familiar and knowable. in one of the first conversations we had she told me about skinny dipping in bio-luminescent algae, and it took my brain 20 minutes to reset enough to form a coherent thought.

she does breast cancer research but prefers the word “tits”. she worked her ass off and suffered through the pettiness and discrimination of smaller minded people to earn a PhD. she cares deeply about her work, about the process of science and not only has great love for the grand discoveries of life but also for the small, microscopic daily trials and victories. she finds beauty on the cellular level. she shows me very small things i never knew existed, pictures that glow green and purple and bright. she explains technical things in a way that makes me want to know more and be smarter. she’s merciful to mice, patient with students, good to her friends, true to her family.

she puts words together in ways i’ve never thought of, gives magic to simple notions, lends simplicity and understanding to complexity, and makes me want to reread everything. vic kicks my ass so consistently at scrabble (in her non-native tongue, no less) that she’s sure i’m losing on purpose. sadly, i’m not.

she bakes fifty muffins at once, all different kinds. makes bread and truffles and exotic savory things. she’s undaunted. in baking, and in life, she measures carefully, kneads well, mixes thoroughly and licks the bowl clean when she’s done.