First published in late 2007, New York-based photographer Paul Graham's A Shimmer of Possibility was hailed as "one of the most important advances in contemporary photographic practice that has taken place in a long while" and was said to "redefine what a photobook can be." Inspired by Chekhov's short stories, the book is a series of photographic vignettes--taken from 2004-2006--of quotidian moments in contemporary American life, which Graham occasionally punctuates with the sublime. For example, there is an image of a man mowing his lawn while it begins to rain and the sun illuminates each drop. These filmic haiku avoid summation; life simply flows past, enveloping the viewer in its beauty.
Comprised of 12 individual hardcover books, the first limited edition of 1,000 copies sold out immediately. This new paperback edition, published concurrently with an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, unites the 12 books in one volume.