Co-published by Aperture and the New York Times, Race Stories is a collection of award-winning short essays by Maurice Berger that explore the intersections of photography, race, and visual culture. Written between 2012 and 2019 and first presented as a monthly feature on the New York Times Lens blog, Berger’s essays analyze images from diverse photographic traditions and pivotal historical moments, making them approachable and engaging. In designing this book, we allowed each essay’s images to guide the layout, creating a balance between structure and spontaneity to enhance the visual and narrative impact.