Congratulations to ARSP multimedia content producer Lauren Pond, who won the 2016 Duke University Center for Documentary Studies/Honickman First Book Prize in Photography for her color series, Test of Faith. Her photography project, in progress since 2011, documents a family of Pentecostal serpent handlers in West Virginia. In fall 2017, Lauren’s photographs and narrative essay will be published in a book by CDS and Duke University Press.

To read more about Lauren’s project, read an interview with her here or check out her professional website.

Lauren’s book illustrates her sensitive eye–and ear–for the complex dynamics of religious pluralism in the U.S., which also informs her work for the ARSP. We are delighted that she has received this recognition and are looking forward to seeing the finished product. Congratulations, Lauren!