Bedford County resident, journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet Veita Jo Hampton joined forces with California photographer Scott Clarkson, a former student at a school where she formerly taught, to create "Windows to Vietnam -- A Journey in Pictures and Verse."

"Windows to Vietnam," through Clarkson's photographs and Hampton's poetry, creates an image of a modern Vietnam vastly different than most Americans' perceptions.

"There are few large format photography books with poetry in English that shed much light or truth on the culture, economy or contemporary lifestyle of today's Vietnam," said Hampton.

The book, unusual in that it is not about the American war in Vietnam, shows "how the small country of near 83 million people is quickly moving toward western capitalism and a developing free-trade philosophy, and that thousands of tourists are discovering the tropical beauty of mountain, coastal and rural scenery in Vietnam," according to a news release.

Clarkson's original plan did not include poetry. Rather, for six months he planned a trip to Vietnam in hopes to produce a book of photographs and travel journals.

Clarkson had reconnected with Hampton, a photo editor and former photojournalism professor, with the help of the Internet after they had lost touch with each other for 30 years. As a high school student, Clarkson, who is now an attorney, spent time in the journalism lab where Hampton taught.

"We lost touch for 30 years, until 2002...we became friends," said Hampton. "Our families spent time together and the evolution of this book began when Scott asked me to compile a small collection of pictures from his Vietnam trip so that he might share them with friends and clients."

Hampton later asked if she could write poetry to some of his photographs. Sixteen months later their book was born, and it's receiving a lot of attention -- including a Pulitzer Prize nomination. She said it looks like the book will be sold out before spring of 2008 and Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com are currently out of stock.

While the final list of nominations for this esteemed award will be announced in March or April, Hampton said "having been entered is a great compliment to the book effort."

Of all the many articles and poems Hampton has written, "Windows to Vietnam," has been her favorite project.

"[This is] the first time someone considered my work of such merit, and the photo editing that went with the package, to have such merit, as to warrant an investment of time and money," Hampton said. "We did not know for whom we were working, but it turns out the book appeals to a very broad audience. Exciting, since we made selections from more than 1,400 digital images, and not everything written made it into the book. We believe the design by Lilli Colton is unique and the size and weight of the product makes a beautiful piece of art for any gallery or living room."

Hampton said she found no challenge in not physically making the nine-day journey to Vietnam with Clarkson.

"Writing to someone else's photos gives a degree of objectivity one might not have otherwise. [It was] challenging, difficult and fun. And as a journalist, I care very much about presenting the truth. Also, Scott was enthusiastic about the possibilities. I like his pictures. He liked my words. We made a good team."

They made such a good team that they're already discussing doing another project together.

"With the critical, artistic and commercial success of 'Windows to Vietnam,' we are already planning the next book, and will be revealing the destination/subject in early 2008," said Clarkson.

Hampton, who recently did a book signing at The Gathering Place, a new art gallery in Shelbyville, is the owner of Bluestocking Press, which published "Light Travels," a black & white and color collection of her photographs and poems in 2006. She has edited or co-authored five nationally distributed photo-related books and she is also the author of the novel, "August in Defiance."

Hampton also serves on several community organizations including the executive board of the Fly Cultural Arts Center and the Bedford County Arts Council.

For more information on the book, visit www.windowstovietnam.com.