Every time Paola Corso’s grandmother saw a church, she made the sign of the cross. Corso adopted her grandmother’s tradition when she crossed a bridge over one of the three rivers in Pittsburgh: “In the name of the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the holy Ohio, amen," became Corso’s personal prayer.

In Vertical Bridges (Six Gallery Press), a new collection of poems and photos, Corso brings a similar reverence to one of Pittsburgh’s hidden landmarks: the steps that connect city neighborhoods.