‘Our hair stood on end as the air around us became supercharged. There were telegraph poles and hailstones the size of oranges dropping out of the sky’

I am a proud American, although that notion has been politicised to death in this country, where you’re not considered patriotic unless you’re a Republican. For my Spina Americana series, I chose to explore a part of the US where people are solidly conservative and won’t budge – partly because they feel abandoned by the rest of the nation.

This area is typically referred to as “flyover country”, and has been written off politically, socially and culturally for decades. I wanted to meet and learn about its inhabitants while also sharing my own fears and hopes for our mutual land. It involved making myself vulnerable, but if I only approach people who are like me, what am I really gaining?