Writing a Book--The Winding Path

Focus on a Well for Oltorotua

2010-12-20T06:54:00.002-05:00

A while back I decided to keep this blog for information about the Maasai and their culture as viewed thru the eyes of Jackson Liaram, with the hope of a possible book. I am going to postpone working on the book as the time not only doesn't seem right, but I have several other projects — both writing and working on helping Jackson's village get a well, so I am going to put this blog on hold.

Today and tomorrow (December 20-21, 2010) a hydrogeologist team will investigate the feasibility of a well for Oltorotua, the village at which Jackson Liaram and his family (of whom we are honorary members!) live in the Masai Mara region of Kenya. My husband Carl and I hope for good news that will help obtain a grant and allow us to move ahead with a well because we sincerely believe that clean, pure drinking water is a basic human right. Walking 5 km to obtain only the marginally safe water a donkey can carry on its back is a difficult way to live and raise a family. Helping Jackson and his village build a well is our sincere hope as we enter 2011. As Jackson wrote in an e-mail: “Let’s hope for that great day when I will hold you by the hand, Carl standing next to you, as I introduce you to the people of Oltorotua at the site of the well.”

Please visit Dig this Well!, Bringing a Fresh Water Well to Oltorotua, to find out more.

Need a holiday gift?

2010-12-06T14:13:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago my daughter Jean and granddaughter Haley surprised me with a necklace and bracelet set from the Leakey Collection. Because of my book on the Leakeys, the "ZuluSport" caught their attention while shopping on a trip. A surprise gift is always great and I love this one.

I decided to double the necklace and wrap it around my arm, as you can see in the photo, rather than wear them separately. Admittedly, they look better on the gorgeous models on the website but I think they look pretty good on my "slightly older" wrist.

The jewelry is handmade by Maasai women from sustainable grass and glass beads and literally light as a feather. A Fair Trade item and purchase helps the Maasai, with whom Philip and Katy live. More info. on Katy's blog. And think about the holidays!

Looking deep into the future

2010-11-13T17:49:00.005-05:00

I decided I would never return to Kenya or do lots of other things I think my spouse Carl and I are plenty young enough to do unless I had knee surgery. So Nov. 1 I entered Howard County General Hospital in Columbia, MD, where I was treated well, altho' I am now happy to be home recuperating. I have had many get-well wishes from near and far, electronically, snail mail, and phone, and great attention and (for which non-cooking Carl gives great thanks) food from UUCF church members and friends.

Many e-mails and even a phone call from Jackson (neither easy to make or cheap from half-way around the world!) but his voice was as clear as if he were next door. Here is one of the e-mails:

"I just finished today's duties, then got online. It was a wet day. Driving on mud is like driving on your roads with snow. So good and happy to hear that you are doing well.

I left home yesterday. All is well. The camp is less busy for now but expecting a busy time before Christmas.

Let's hope for that great day when I will hold you by the hand, Carl standing next to you as I introduce you to people of Oltorotua at the site of the well."

I'm not up to par yet but look forward to moving ahead on helping obtain funding for a well and latrines, which his village will manage and maintain, for his village of Oltorotua.

A Liaram Wedding

2010-10-02T12:00:00.003-05:00

I received an e-mail from Jackson and photos of the September 11th wedding of his brother. I could almost hear the pride and happiness Jackson felt when he wrote:

"My younger brother, Simore married a young maiden from another village 5 milies from Oltorotua. It was a big party with about 200+ attendants. We butchered 6 lambs alongside cakes, soft drinks, chips and tea."

The Survival of Wildlife

2010-09-17T15:17:00.009-05:00

Carl took this photo of two "babies" playing at the Sheldrick sanctuary outside Nairobi, where wounded or orphaned elephants and rhino are brought until they can be released into the wild again. Most are orphaned because poachers kill the mothers for their ivory tusks. As you may guess, I am passionate about the need to protect wildlife.

Today I read an an article in The Hindu, in which Valmik Thapar, known as India's "Tiger Man," spoke eloquently about the need for a complete overhaul of the system to protect wildlife in India. When asked if any other country has been able to carry out such a major undertaking, he replied:

"Kenya. In 1980s, its wildlife was being wiped out. The President put wildlife expert Richard Leakey in charge of Kenyan Wildlife Service with the dictum ‘Shoot all poachers on sight'. Leakey's book Wildlife Wars says it all. Today 70 per cent of Kenya's national revenue comes from wildlife tourism. A small national park brings $150 million entry fee to two Masai councils each year." Thapar says that the younger generation "doesn't have the empathy that old generations had with cultural symbolism," and feels he has so far failed in his efforts.

I also recently read Bulu: African Wonder Dog, in which two Brits move to Zambia and, during their adventures with Bulu, a small Jack Russell-mix terrier, build a center to teach the children of the village the need and value of protecting the area's wildlife. Why the children? Because they realize that the older generation is set in their ways but the children will listen and learn.

Think about it: Opposing views of solving the same problem. As in anything else, one way doesn't suit a situation. But the right solution must be found in all countries.

In one of the first letters Jackson sent me, he wrote: "I came to enjoy working in the field and developed a strong interest in wildlife conservation. I thought this was good working in the same environment where I grew up and working close to the animals which are part of our lives." For all of us, wildlife are crucial to our planet's ecosystem.

Jackson's trip to Nairobi

2010-09-06T14:37:00.011-05:00

Way back on July 22 I wrote that I missed receiving an e-mail from Jackson every few days. On July 26 he got off from work and made the trip from Oltorotua, his home village, to Nairobi. Like most Maasai in the Mara, Jackson does not have a car and the trip requires taking several buses and some walking, so it cannot be done in a single day. (He drives the Land Rover at Siana Springs, and seldom needs a car.)

Needless to say, I was thrilled with the e-mail that he was back online. In an earlier post I wrote my thanks to Hellen for the generous donation that helped him avoid returning to the Mara and then back yet again with the money for repairs, but now here is the story in his words. (Note: The distance from Narok to Nairobi is 67 miles or 107.83 km and took him over 3 hours, slowed down by traffic — both vehicles and animals — and roads that don't become highways until close to the Kenyan capital city.) A picturesque but long trip! The photo is a typical scene along a road in Kenya.

How would you like to make this trip if your computer needed repair?

Still nothing definite on a grant for the well, so I can't say more. Hopefully in a few months!

TRIP TO NAIROBI. 26^th July 2010.

A day that I have been waiting for has finally come. In the evening before the morning of travelling, I informed the public bus driver to pick me up from my village.

I woke up early at 4:00 a.m. to prepare for the journey. It was a chilly morning. Wife Susan prepared some hot tea for me as a warm up stimulant. Before I finished taking my tea, the bus was already at our house doorsteps. I snatched my backpack and jumped into the bus. I sat up front since I was the first customer of the bus for that day.

The bus picked up a few more people in the village and a good number at the local shopping centre, Aitong Trading Centre. It was about 6:00 a.m. The journey to Narok now starts! The bus was already full, hence no more stops on the way.

The route from the Mara to Narok is very familiar to me. I therefore need not to peep through the window much.

We arrived Narok at around 8:30a.m. After stepping down from the bus, I entered a barbershop to keep my hair neat and dust free. As usual, Spear Hotel is where I take my breakfast while I am at Narok. I had some coffee, cake and eggs for breakfast.

The bus stage (stop) to NAIROBI is just next to Spear Hotel. Without wasting time, I booked my seat in the bus booking office. We had to wait for 20 minutes for the bus to get full. And now the trip to the city began.

Mid-way between Narok and Nairobi is the Great Rift Valley. Flocks of sheep, goats and cattle graze on the valley floor beside plantations of maize and wheat.

Twenty miles from the city centre is the start of a four-lane highway. As one approaches, traffic gradually increases. At some point, the bus is slower than walking on foot.

Five miles from Nairobi City centre, I stepped out of the bus. I had to walk to Elite Apple Centre, specialists in Macintosh computers sales and repair. Having called Hellen of Elite Computers, she already knew that I was on the way.

Now 1:30 p.m. It was fun and a memorable moment to meet Hellen. Hellen had a quick look at my computer. “Your computer needs a software update,” Hellen said. Allan is the person concerned with computer service at Elite Centre. Hellen therefore advised me to take my computer to Allan for a check up.

After checking the MacBook, Allan said that he needed to update most of the software. “Update of the modern software is not covered by the three year warranty ending 14^th August, 2010”, Allan said. "You therefore have to pay Ksh 4060 for the Macbook service." (4,060 Kenya shillings = about US $50)

I left my MacBook to be serviced for one and half days. I had to figure out how to get the money wired from the Mara, otherwise I can’t collect the MacBook. I e-mailed my loving Mum Mary about my being in Nairobi and about the computer service fee but Kenya law doesn't allow her, in US, to pay by phone with a credit card. Hellen was happy to pay this fee as her contribution to our proposed Well project at Oltorotua village in the Mara.

I spent the night in the city. The night was cool but noisy with traffic on the streets. However, I had a good sleep till morning. I woke up early the following day. I took a shower and went downstairs for a city breakfast.

At about 12:00 p.m., the Apple engineer gave me a call. He had done all the updates for the computer. I took the public transport bus to Elite Apple Centre to meet him. To confirm that his work was okay, I had to send a few emails for verifications. OKAY!!! I found that all is well. I could send and receive mails. BACK ON LINE!!!

My mind started to recall the Mara. I gave Hellen the last hug. I had to take a 1 km (.62 mile) walk to get to the bus stop. Finally, I boarded the bus heading to Masai Mara via Narok.

To Blog or Not to Blog!

2010-09-01T08:11:00.006-05:00

Wendie Old and I presented at our regional SCBWI summer conference, where Children's Literature Comprehensive Database handled book sales. CLCD asked if they could put our handout on their blog. Click here and scroll down to August 3, 2010. The title of the blog post (and the presentation): Leap into Blogging and Social Media. If you aren't sure about blogging, we have some useful tips. Not only ours but from blogger gurus Greg Pincus, Jane Friedman, and Amber Keyser.

Happy blogging!

Happy b'day., Louis Leakey

2010-08-07T06:59:00.009-05:00

Today would have been Louis Leakey's 103rd birthday. He died in 1972, after an exciting and uniquely full life. Many anthropologists today owe much to him and wife Mary, the one who should be credited as the exacting excavator of their fossil finds.

I was disappointed when husband Carl, daughter Bonnie, granddaughter Becky and I visited the new and spiffy Hall of Human Origins at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History this past Thursday. The displays that show us “Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?,” are definitely dynamic and interesting, with life-sized forensically reconstructed faces of early human species, many casts of skulls, a video that provides a few minutes to rest your feet plus shows how we came out of Africa and are now one species, regardless of superficial differences in skin, eyes, and hair, and much more. I loved comparing the skull of Proconsul with early human skulls. People were standing in line at the MEanderthal exhibit to see how they would look morphed into an early human, but luckily I have the app on my iPhone so we turned Becky into Homo floresiensis when we got home. Many displays require a lot of reading, to be sure, if you are truly interested in how humans came to be, but even a cursory walk through the 15,000 square foot hall provides much evidence of evolution.

Here's why I was disappointed and call me picky, if you will: We spent about 3 hours and I do not remember seeing even an oblique reference to the contributions of the Leakeys. We may have missed it, but I don't think so. I recognize that others historically prominent in the field weren't lauded either, but to me the Leakeys are a special case. Dr. Rick Potts helps us answer questions about handaxes and humans at Olorgesailie, Kenya, in an exciting interactive "tunnel" (hard to describe; fun to enter), but doesn't mention how Louis discovered those handaxes, recognized their value, and went to great lengths to protect the area. I thought almost every other skull or skeleton I saw identified it as being from Leakey sites at Koobi Fora, Olduvai, or Lake Turkana, but not a mention of the family that started our quest to prove humans are one family.

The work of the Leakeys is unique in their efforts to prove our divergence from ape ancestors began in Africa about 6 to 8 million years ago. As Dr. Richard Warms, anthropology professor at Texas State University—San Marcos says, "There is much dispute about how and when, but that's the fine details." Love that quote. I just wish there had been just a teeny, tiny, small salute to the Leakey family. (I admit to not being unbiased; Dr. Warms's quote is on first page of my book The Leakeys: A Biography (Prometheus Books for paperback; Greenwood for hardback.)

Have any of you visited the Hall of Human Origins? How did you like it? If I'm wrong and missed seeing the Leakey name credited with starting our march to finding our human beginnings, let me know and I'll post a correction here. In the meantime, Happy Birthday, Louis! And thank you for being so sure you'd eventually find evidence of human origins that you dug in hot, barren soil for over 13 years before you found Proconsul, and 24 years before Mary spied the skull of Zinj.

Computer help

2010-07-26T09:29:00.006-05:00

Jackson has been offline for more than a week because of computer problems. Yesterday he made the trip from the Maasai Mara to Nairobi to talk with Hellen (in photo to right) at Elite Computers. I wrote about her November 10, 2009, and her wonderful navigation of the difficulties in purchasing a computer for Jackson. Although he has had no major problems, Hellen has helped Jackson via phone and iChat over the last three years.

If you read my last post, you know that a trip to Nairobi is no short fun jaunt! When he got there he found his MacBook needed upgraded software. The cost would be $50 or Ksh 4060 (Kenya shillings). This type repair isn't covered by warranty and Jackson had not brought that much cash with him. Because of Kenya's strict laws on requiring a credit card actually be swiped, I couldn't help. A trip home and back with the money did not seem like a good option either. Then Hellen volunteered to pay and e-mailed me to consider it a contribution to digging a well for Jackson's village. What a kind thing for Hellen to do!

Hellen knew that getting Jackson back online is crucial because he and I are working with someone on a grant application to build a well for Oltorotua. To say I'm working gives the impression I'm up to my elbows in writing the grant, but until recently I didn't know the difference between a hydrogeologic survey and an aquarium, except both dealt with water! I am offering only support and a little information; Jackson is gathering the information needed from Kenya and e-mailing it to the grant writer. This wonderful volunteer has built wells elsewhere in developing countries and has almost completed the difficult job of actually writing the grant. We hope soon to share good news about approval of the well project and then I'll begin work on presentations to fund it. (You can the rough beginnings of a blog about the well here.)

For now--Jackson is back online and we have our first contribution! Many, many thanks, Hellen.

How soon we forget....

2010-07-22T06:24:00.008-05:00

I'm used to getting an e-mail every few days from Jackson, telling me whether he is at his village of Oltorotua or at Siana Springs camp. In fact, if we don't hear from each other for several days, we anxiously e-mail the other to ask why. About this time last week my phone rang and showed a call from Jackson. Given the cost of phoning, I knew it wasn't good news. He has Internet problems and has to visit Hellen, our personal angel at Elite Computers, the Apple store in Nairobi, to get his computer software updated. This is the busy season in the Mara so it will be about 10 days before he can get away from camp to make the trip.

Jackson's older brother Nterere (in photo) usually goes with him and having someone to talk to helps. It's a full day to walk or hitch a ride to Narok, then bounce in a matatu (small bus) for about three hours over mostly bumpy dirt and gravel roads, and then reverse the long trip to return home, so I'll be happy to get an e-mail that he's back online. I hope updating the software is all that is wrong.

I check my e-mail first thing and knowing I won't have an e-mail from Jackson, half-way around the world, takes the fizz out of my morning. It's easy to forget how easy electronic communicating is!

Photos of the Great Migration

2010-06-30T07:02:00.004-05:00

For gorgeous and dramatic photos of what is actually right now happening in Kenya's Masai Mara, see Paul Kirui's website, Masai Mara Updates. Jackson e-mailed that the Great Migration began early this year and Paul has captured stunning photographs.

A long time between posts...

2010-06-30T06:23:00.004-05:00

Over two months have passed since my last post and I apologize. I finally had arthroscopic surgery on my right knee, am still having PT and, as two friends who know my lack of patience separately told me, I need a big dose of it for what will be a long slog before my legs do what I want them to.

Despite difficulty walking, I decided to follow long-made plans to attend, altho' briefly, the American Library Assoc. conference in Washington, DC. I crashed in friend Wendie Old's room Sunday night after hearing Jerry Pinkney give a witty and wonderful thank you speech when he received a Caldecott Medal for The Lion and the Mouse. A detailed article on his work is here or google his name. I met Jerry and his wife, Gloria, when I chauffeured them to and from hotel at a book festival about ten years ago. They are a delightful couple and he much deserves this prestigious award to place with his many other well-deserved honors.

The Caldecott/Newbery dinner was truly gourmet. One example: Dessert was layered chocolate cake, caramel, and chocolate mousse, with dark chocolate on top and a strawberry sitting on whipped cream to the side. The menu, folded into multiple parts, used illustrations from Pinkney's book — a magnificent wordless picture book (except for animal sounds) of Aesop's fable and takes place in Kenya/Tanzania. He said he spent hours looking in the bathroom mirror, trying to mimic expressions animals would use to "say" something. I am attaching a photo of my menu taken with cell camera to give you an idea but it doesn't really do the art work justice.

Monday the line to purchase and have him sign The Lion and the Mouse was very, verrry long and required more than I could (literally!) stand, so I ordered the book as soon as I got home to go with my copy of Jerry's Aesop's Fables. If you love wild animals, love Africa, and love beautiful illustrations in children's books, you too will want a copy. It is truly a winner!

If you want to know more about the conference, Wendie tells all at her blog.

A Lion in a Tree...?

2010-03-22T15:58:00.004-05:00

I received a wonderful e-mail from Jackson. He was driving a family of tourists from Switzerland in the Masai Mara and trying to spot a leopard for his guests. As he looked up at a tree, he thought he saw one and drove towards it. When they got closer, they were amazed to find that it was a lioness, not a leopard. "This is an uncommon behavior with lions in the Mara," Jackson wrote. Through his experience in the bush, Jackson has two thoughts about this sighting:
1. It is the rainy season and the grasses are tall; lions will need better (that is, higher) lookouts to locate prey.
2. The tall grasses harbor flies that cause much discomfort to lions.
When a lioness has to be above the grass, she usually climbs rocks or kopjes. (A kopje, derived from a Dutch/Afrikaans word, is a small knob or hill.) With no kopjes, they are forced to use trees.

So you don't wonder if Jackson is "pulling our leg," he included a photo he took. Amazing!

Reading books

2010-03-02T07:47:00.003-05:00

A blog about writing a book for middle schoolers and young adults, like this one, is useless without young people who read! My friend and co-author of Busy Fingers and Busy Toes, Wendie Old, has this link on her blog. Ocoee Middle School, Florida, partnered with Full Sail to make a 5 minute video to encourage students to read. No, the students don't sit for 5 minutes holding books--the video is great fun!

Busy Toes and Busy Fingers

2010-02-09T17:56:00.004-05:00

Way back on October 17 and 18, 2008, I posted photos of Kathleen and Georgie Liech who live in Nairobi. They were holding Busy Toes, written by Wendie Old and me under the pen name C. W. Bowie. Today I received photos of another young lady, Hope J. B. Carpenter, with her grandmother Dorothy Carpenter, a friend who lives in Maryland. I feel close to Hope, altho' I know her only thru her grandma, because my oldest daughter is also named Hope. At any rate, the joy and wonder on a small child's face is the same, wherever the child lives--Nairobi, Maryland, or somewhere in between. And seeing that child embrace a book, especially one I wrote, is a wonderful joy, and brings me hope (pun intended) for the world's future.

Links I Like

2010-01-29T13:01:00.007-05:00

If you have checked the Links I Like you see a potpourri and may wonder what ties them together. Really, only the title connects them because all are truly links I like. Blogs by Jackson and Paul Kirui are on life in Kenya's Maasai Mara (Paul specializes in photos of big cats and his pictures are truly amazing; right now his latest post shows leopards, including one killing a warthog). Laura Shovan, Wendie Old, and Susan Taylor Brown blog about writing.

I just added Marilyn Courtot's new blog because I review books for her Children's Comprehensive Literature Database and am enjoying her 6-part blog series to assist reviewers and writers--and I would add teachers and librarians--about what to look for in deciding if a book is worthy of recommending or purchasing. (Hmm-mm, I've been reviewing for Marilyn a number of years and hope I've been following 99.9% of her suggestions! She hasn't complained.) With tight personal, school, and library budgets, the very topic justifies including it as a link I like.

Birth of Jackson's Career

2010-01-25T08:57:00.005-05:00

I am always interested in Jackson's stories about growing up Maasai, so below is a wonderful little story from him (personal correspondence, January 7, 2010), with Birth of my career in the subject line. The tension remains today between cattle herders and what Jackson gives that great term wildlife enthusiasts.

When I was about 8, my older brother Nterere used to take me along to chase wild animals grazing by our flock of sheep. He thought that wild animals were taking too much grass and the sheep had nothing to eat. One day, a ranger caught us. With green bushy-like clothing, he walked toward us and asked, "Why are you threatening wild life?" I quickly ran back toward home. Unfortunately, the ranger was faster than me. He caught me. The ranger did nothing bad to us but he explained about the importance of wildlife in the area. Because I was afraid of the ranger, I had to listen very carefully. This is one of the very first instances that introduced me to loving wildlife and realizing their importance, and now I am a wildlife enthusiast!!

Visit to Kenya

2010-01-24T09:05:00.008-05:00

I was excited when my good friend, Mary Fletcher, said she, husband Bob and two daughters, Lauren and Jessica, planned a trip to Kenya, where Mary had been a Peace Corps volunteer when she was younger. I sent Jackson their itinerary and he arranged to visit her at the camp at which they were staying in the Maasai Mara. Jackson took his computer so she could send an e-mail back to friends and he also showed her photos of his family and friends.

While there, Mary and family visited with Lilian Ochieng, a student at Alliance High School in Kabete (where Louis Leakey was born!). Our Unitarian Universalist congregation supports her tuition through Kenya Self-Help Project. It was a wonderful visit there too, as Lauren beautifully described in an article published in yesterday's Frederick News-Post. Small contributions can make a huge impact on someone's life, and Lauren captures the pride we all feel about Lilian's academic success. (Mary, Lilian, Jessica, and Lauren are in bottom photo, taken at Lake Nakuru, although you may not be able to spot the famed flamingos.)

More and more often I realize, we are truly a global village, a much-overused term but so true.

Thank you, Jon Scieszka

2009-12-31T18:15:00.008-05:00

This is a short post because it deals with nothing Maasai but is definitely appropriate from a children's book writer. I want to thank Jon Scieszka for his work over the past two years as the first Ambassador for Children's Books appointed by the Library of Congress. I don't know if being an Ambassador helped him evade traffic or parking tickets in DC but it should have, and then some. I heard him speak at a meeting of the Children's Book Guild of DC and he was fantastic. He spent his time as Ambassador encouraging reading and especially encouraging guys to read. In a children's book-depressed dark economy, Jon provided a bright spot. May his work continue to glow as he leaves the position.

Xmas in Maasailand

2009-12-29T08:10:00.005-05:00

I received an e-mail this morning from Jackson, the first in several days. I usually get more frequent e-mails when he is at Siana Springs because his modem makes it easier to connect online there than in his village, but I also knew the camp would be filled with holiday visitors — lucky folks! I smiled at what he wrote:

"I have been very busy taking guests on safaris and had some rest in the evening as I prepare my Land Rover for the next morning Game drives. Family at village butchered a he goat for Xmas dinner. Poor Jackson could not get a share of the roasted or fried meat."

A Maasai holiday meal makes my roasted turkey seem rather tame! What did you eat for the holiday? Hope it was tasty!

Phone call to Jackson

2009-12-19T15:23:00.003-05:00

I have had much difficulty phoning Jackson and, in fact, the last time we actually talked was on the drive to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for the March 2008 trip back to the US. Thank goodness for e-mail! However, I realized I was online at the same time as Jackson and was able to phone him. I was so excited that I talked way too fast and am sure he could understand only a little of what I said.

Jackson's voice was amazingly clear. He wishes everyone a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. Good news! -- He said the Mara has had some rain and the land is now green and Siana Springs camp is busy getting ready for holiday visitors (wish we were among those lucky folks!). The days, he reported, are hot but the evenings "chilly." I told him that his idea of chilly is different from ours, since we have about a foot of snow in the Washington, DC, area today and the temperature is -4 degrees Celius (28° F.). My husband Carl just sent him a photo of the view of white we see from our doorway.

I join Jackson in sending holiday greetings and a wish of peace for all people, everywhere.

Maasai Jewelry by Katy and Philip Leakey

2009-12-14T11:29:00.005-05:00

Jonathan, Richard, and Philip are the three sons of Louis and Mary Leakey. In The Leakeys: A Biography, I wrote about Katy and Philip marketing environmentally friendly jewelry that is “hand made by Maasai women, who have a long tradition of stunning bead work” (p. 130). Maasai women make the jewelry from dead or renewable plants, woods, and dried grasses indigenous to Kenya. The jewelry is available online and through U.S. stores, and the money earns much-needed financial income to the Maasai.

While updating information for the Prometheus Books paperback edition, I “met” Katy Leakey, an artist and designer, online. What a delightful person! She wrote me, “Yes, Philip and I are still making and selling Zulugrass Jewelry as well as all the items on our website. We live in tents among the Maasai and are developing new products all the time.”

You may also want to read Katy’s blog to find out more about living in a remote but fascinating area in Kenya and about the Maasai people.

Please check their web site if you still need a holiday gift, want to nudge someone to give you a gift, or perhaps purchase a gift for yourself! Their jewelry is truly varied with a wide range of prices. (Is anyone who is still looking for a gift for me reading this?)

A Well for Jackson's Village

2009-12-09T10:45:00.003-05:00

If you have read some posts on this blog about Jackson, you know he shuttles between two worlds. In one, he guides guests as they enjoy Kenya’s wildlife, in the other he helps his family herd their cattle.

Jackson and his wife Susan Nekwama have two children, Mereso Sanau and baby Lesiamon. When I told Jackson that I want to find some way to help his village get a well, he replied, “This is very great. I have had this idea for long. Now during the dry season, Susan and others are getting water four miles away from our village. I always pity them but I had nothing to do to help them. I support this 100%.”

My goal is to one day visit Jackson and draw water from their village well. I have begun another blog to tell the story of getting help from old friends and family and making new friends as Jackson and I work to provide a well for Oltorotua, his village.

Dr. Donald Johanson's Nat Geo Presentation

2009-12-04T07:19:00.007-05:00

A cold rainy night in Washington, DC, but a warm audience to hear Dr. Donald Johanson's presentation, Lucy's Legacy, at the National Geographic Society. A sell-out audience enjoyed his slides and wide-ranging stories told with a great deal of humor about his personal ambitions when, as a youngster, he heard about the Leakey find of Zinj to how earth strata help date fossils. Having visited Kenya, I particularly relished the fantastic photos and description of the Rift Valley, which runs much the length of Africa.

Again, the excitement and enthusiasm of the audience, a broad spectrum of ages, reminded me how sad that speaking about the magnificence of the human story on earth—a story that spans millions of years—is so difficult to get into public schools. A writer friend who personally knows Dr. Johanson has written a young adult biography of him but so far has only rejection letters. I appreciate Prometheus Books' publication of The Leakeys and hope we're at a turning point for better understanding by Americans of how we evolved. Science is slowly but surely filling gaps in the mystery of human history on earth. Yet research sadly reports only 26% of Americans believe in evolution and 64% believe creationism should be taught along with evolution.

Darwin himself said that the "mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us" — and he also said, “I have tried lately to read Shakespeare, and found it so intolerably dull that it nauseated me”! The U.S. constitution allows us to believe or not believe Darwin, but we shouldn't foist our opinions on others.

Jane Goodall on Bill Moyers Journal, PBS

2009-11-25T11:39:00.005-05:00

Michael Winship, senior writer at Bill Moyers Journal on PBS, has written a wonderful article about Jane Goodall and her passion to encourage future generations to steward the earth and its creatures better than we are now. Winship quotes Goodall as telling Bill Moyers, "The worldwide chimp population is down to fewer than 300,000 now, spread across isolated fragments of forest, Goodall says, in 21 African nations. Moyers asked, what do we lose if the last chimp goes? 'We lose one window into learning about our long course of evolution,' she replied."

Dr. Goodall will be Bill Moyer's guest this Friday evening on most PBS stations. Check local airtimes, find out more at PBS, or download the podcast when you can. But tune in to what Dr. Goodall says!

The "E" word: EVOLUTION

2009-11-23T16:39:00.008-05:00

Deborah Heiligman wrote a great article for The Washington Post in which she enumerated twelve reasons we should teach young people about Charles Darwin and, of course, about evolution, almost an unmentionable word in schools today. Heiligman is author of the new book, Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith, a 2009 National Book Award finalist. I had the pleasure of hearing her speak, and she is an excellent and witty speaker who made about 50 writers, illustrators, and librarians enthusiastic about a married couple who lived over 150 years ago. Having written a book on the Leakeys, who embraced Darwin's ideas and carried them further in his search for fossils of early humans, I strongly concur. Evolution, including the ideas of Darwin, the Leakeys, Johanson, and many other scientists, should not be shunned.

Even if school budgets are tight and schools are reluctant to take on topics that may alienate some students or anger their parents, allowing a minority to hold the majority of young people hostage to a limited view of the scientific world is wrong. Surely administrators can allow those who don't want to be informed on scientific principles to be absent from a unit on evolution. Of course, better that everyone be present and have a lively discussion, with freedom of thought and speech.

Heiligman ends with her twelfth reason: "12. Charles Darwin is a great role model. He was a genius who worked hard. He was a loving father and husband. His kids adored him. So did his friends. He was honored by his country when he died. We should teach our children about Charles Darwin." I agree!

I also highly recommend Heiligman's book. It is well researched, carefully referenced, and represents the best in narrative nonfiction writing. Give students her article and let them decide if their minds should be closed to evolution or if they want to investigate what evolution is — and isn't — if you believe, as I do, that teaching young people to think for themselves is what education is about, or should be.

Mary Amato and the Writing Process

2009-11-21T08:28:00.003-05:00

Mary Amato, a Maryland writer of fiction for upper elementary age and teen readers, made this wonderful short video to show teachers and students the process writers go thru in writing a book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCGYIY87aR0

The Leakeys: A Biography, now in paperback

2009-11-19T16:22:00.007-05:00

For the adult or young adult with an interest in East Africa or human origins, my book, The Leakeys: A Biography, is now available and listed in Prometheus Books Holiday Gift Guide!

Prometheus is running a sale offer from now until Dec. 31st. Customers save 20% on all orders plus free shipping by UPS ground within the US.

The book tells how three generations of the Leakey family have scratched in the baked, unfriendly soil of East Africa to unearth fossil evidence of the earliest humans and their ancient ancestors. The cover is spiffy and eye-catching, with a picture of Louis and Mary Leakey on the front. The back cover includes wonderful blurbs from Dr. Louise Leakey and Dr. Nasser Malit. A headline at the top of the back cover says, "It's hard to imagine the study of human origins without the Leakey family." (I didn't write that last sentence but it's absolutely true!)

Weather Report

2009-11-19T15:34:00.003-05:00

Jackson's e-mail of October 15 read:
"The mara is still dry, hoping for the announced heavy rains soon. I am just back from a long game drive, saw lots of lions."

I haven't had an e-mail from Jackson for several days but I have been checking the weather at Narok on an iPhone app. Not good. As the e-mail above said, in November the long rains are anticipated, with rain most days. The grass soon turns lush green for the cattle and wildlife to enjoy until the next round of rain. But the weather in recent years hasn't followed regular cycles. The repercussions are immense and many. The Maasai must move further to find grazing land, wildlife suffers from lack of water and consequently food, and the entire shaky balance between humans, domestic animals, and wildlife shifts. Sunny weather is the norm in Kenya—but rain is needed. Is lack of water a preview of life on our planet in the future, as many scientists say?

iMaasai

2009-11-10T10:44:00.012-05:00

I spent a fantastic long weekend at a Highlights for Children Foundation workshop in Honesdale, PA, on Nonfiction Storytelling, presented by Kim Griswell and Barbara Kerley. Now that I'm finishing up other writing projects, my mind is returning to writing about Jackson Liaram's adventures as a Maasai who is a safari guide. In going over material, I found a fun piece I wrote last year. (If you've read much of this blog, please forgive the background information.)

NOTE on photos: Jackson recently purchased a modem but this photo shows him accessing Internet via cell phone on hood of Land Rover. Here you also see Hellen and me standing under a photo of Ghandi. Given her patience working thru the computer purchase, my husband, Carl, felt the symbolism was appropriate.

iMaasai
By Mary Bowman-Kruhm

"Now I'm with you in the Internet. Two worlds!"
The first e-mail Jackson Liaram sent me, using his new MacBook, from Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

My tale begins when I had the idea to write a book for readers ages 9-14 about a young Maasai warrior, Jackson Minteeng Liaram. Although Jackson and I had never met, my husband and I supported him for his training as a safari guide and he was willing to help me write his story. I didn’t want the book to read like an encyclopedia, and sending me information that would make the book interesting is almost impossible via international snail mail and expensive phone calls. Then I got a letter from Jackson. He had an idea. He would cover the cost of Internet access if I set him up with a laptop. Wonderful!

I began a search online and offline to arrange for a computer to be safely delivered to a young Maasai warrior who lives and works in the Kenyan bush. For Jackson, travel to the capital city of Nairobi means a six km, or almost four-mile walk to the village of Narok, where he boards the first of several buses on which he’ll bounce over rolling roads for the next six-hours. But I discovered his picking up the computer would be the least of our problems. I had many conversations like the this one:

Me: I want to purchase a computer, pay for it by credit card, and have it picked up at a store in Nairobi, Kenya, that sells your computer.

Sales Rep: We can’t do that.

Me: Why not?

Sales Rep: We just can’t. We can ship it to a post office for you. But we can’t insure it.

Me: There’s no way I’m going to pay for an expensive computer and have it shipped to a post office box to be picked up whenever the young man can get there.

Sales Rep: Sorry. I can’t help you.

One day, almost ready to give up, I googled the yellow pages of the Nairobi phone book. Suddenly I noticed Elite Computers Ltd. I e-mailed and received a quick reply. I was soon working with Hellen Mutungi.

I quickly realized she would not even consider using words like, “Sorry. I can’t help you.” A flurry of e-mails flew between continents. She sent me a price quote and explained the differences between purchases in the United States and Kenya. She suggested a different printer; she would give Jackson basic training. We ran into major problems having my credit card accepted in Kenya without actually swiping it. I had no idea how one connects to the Internet in Africa, but she volunteered to help Jackson purchase the new cell phone he needed and show him how to connect online. Hellen persevered in working around all the difficulties.

On August 14, 2007, Jackson traveled to Nairobi to pick up his new computer and I received the e-mail that he was now part of the new electronic world as well as the traditional world of the Maasai.

On March 4, 2008, I walked into Elite AppleCenter to personally thank Hellen and her bosses, Riyaz Kurji and Kasim Kasmani, who had initially helped, and tell them my husband and I were on our way to the Maasai Mara to meet Jackson for the first time!

Hellen is amazing. She has stayed in touch with Jackson to solve problems by cell phone and online chats. She has shipped him ink supplies and answered what I suspect are many questions. I still don’t have a book contract but I am rewarded every few days when I get a “Hi, Mum” e-mail signed “Love, Jackson.”

Comments on Books about Kenya

2009-10-29T09:55:00.009-05:00

As a writer I know how a review that criticizes my writing hurts. As a book reviewer for Children's Lit, whose reviews appear on the Children’s Comprehensive Literature Database, I read a number of books and am always reluctant to criticize but I also feel I must objectively provide advice that will help schools, universities, and libraries around the world wisely spend limited funds.

The same applies on this blog. A few weeks ago I high fived 14 Cows for America. Today, despite excellent reviews elsewhere, I discuss some concerns about several books because they do not give an accurate snapshot into the Kenyan culture. Based on my initial problems with content in these books, I checked with friends Linda Trice and Jackson Liaram and they not only agreed but added details to support my view.

I give Kenya in Colors a positive review but note some incongruities. The most egregious shows a small Maasai house, children, and a warrior wearing purple, a color worn only occasionally and then only by older men. The text is also incorrect on several counts when it tells the reader, “At night some farmers bring their animals inside to sleep” (p. 13). The Maasai consider themselves herders, not farmers, and cattle are not brought inside. At night, they enclose livestock in an open kraal, or corral, near their houses.

The unlikely plot of First Come the Zebra revolves around a Kikuyu boy and a Maasai boy in competition with each other. The story includes several subtle but excellent points about cooperation and economics; however, using Kikuyu and Maasai children to illustrate these points is a cultural stretch. The Maasai are pastoralists who generally shun towns and cities and seldom have rivalries with non-pastoralist peoples. I wonder if a Maasai was chosen as a main character because his unique clothes add visual interest…? Someone who is ethnically Luo or another group would dress like the Kikuyu.

For You Are a Kenyan Child is a beautifully told story, but it would not happen in Kenya, where cows and other livestock equal wealth. I asked Jackson what the result would have been if his mind wandered and some of his family’s animals strayed. His expression showed the horror of reporting the lose of a single small goat. “Very bad picture,” he said. Imagine a similar story in the U.S.: Small child is given $10,000 to take to bank, loses it when his attention wanders, but grandfather finds it and all is forgiven. Unrealistic in so many ways!

If you're a teacher or parent, perhaps my comments will lead to a discussion about the Maasai and Kenya. And, at the risk of sounding preachy, I caution writers and editors to delve further, to have the text and illustrations vetted by someone who knows a culture well, before they write or publish a book about a particular group. A picture book’s story must be engaging for youngsters — and it should also accurately reflect the culture described.

Any comments about my comments?

National Day of Writing

2009-10-20T09:31:00.011-05:00

Today is the big event that began with a brilliant idea of the National Council of Teachers of English -- a National Day of Writing. My daughter Hope and I jointly wrote an article about our trip to Kenya in March 2008. You can find it in the "Memories" gallery and, if you want to read further, you'll find over 10,000 other submissions of all types and genres. Since copyright for the submission remains with the authors, I am adding it below. I do, though, encourage you to look through other entries and to submit your own piece of writing. Contributions can be uploaded until June 2010 and the NCTE has very complete, concise, and clear directions. After all, what would you expect from English teachers!

THREE GENERATIONS IN KENYA

By Mary Bowman-Kruhm and Hope McGonigle

From February 27-March 11, 2008, four of us traveled to Kenya: Mary (children’s book writer), Hope (Mary’s daughter and research assistant), Jennie (Mary’s granddaughter, also assisted with gathering information), and Carl (Mary’s spouse and photographer)

Our goal was to enjoy a trip together while gathering information for a young adult book about the story of average Kenyans in their struggle to defend their heritage, protect wildlife, and concurrently move the country forward. We had financially supported Jackson Liaram, a young Maasai warrior, during his training to become a guide in the Masai Mara Game Reserve in southern Kenya. Jackson fluently speaks three languages (English, Swahili, and Maa, his tribal language) and strides easily between work in a 21st century world and home in a Maasai village where he leads a life centuries removed. Mary wanted to meet and interview him, his colleagues at the camp where he is a nature specialist and safari guide and we were all anxious to visit with his family in their home village.

We met in Amsterdam and flew to Nairobi, arriving late in the evening. Peter of Origins Safaris met us the day major political parties signed a power sharing agreement that brought the disputed election to a peaceful end and restored calm to the country. Next day Peter drove us to Aberdare National Park, we returned to Nairobi for three days of local trips, and then traveled south to the approximately 700 square mile Masai Mara Game Reserve that borders Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. Peter is ethnically Luo and from Kendu Bay, where Barack Obama’s Luo grandparents live, so we enjoyed great conversations about American and Kenyan politics and everything between.

The highlight of the trip was visiting Jackson’s home and becoming honorary Liaram family members, complete with Maasai garments and jewelry—definitely our favorite souvenirs. We witnessed a cow, after a well-placed arrow to its jugular, donate blood to make their tribal drink of coagulated blood and milk and then trot off when it was released. The Liaram family gracefully allowed us to refuse tasting, although we enjoyed drinking chai in their home.

The memories of the time spent in Jackson’s Maasai village gave us a window into Maasai life, a sense of their community, and personal insights into their unique and exciting culture. Before we drank chai with his family we investigated several of the family’s small houses. These houses are made of termite-resistant tree branches covered with a cement of dung and mud, are not smelly and seem sturdy and comfortable.

A surprise to us was the openness of the Kenyan people to discuss their way of life, political environment, global issues, and the overall awareness of life in and out of their country. But it was no surprise that Kenyans are hospitable and welcoming to American visitors.

A trip to Kenya isn’t complete without seeing the animals that live in the Masai Mara. From lions feasting on a buffalo to hyrax, the wildlife amazes. Hyraxes are little critters whose sound, like huge metal clacker noisemakers, belies their size. A visit to the Solio rhino preserve near Aberdare gave us an opportunity to appreciate both black and white rhino that, if not helped by humans, will become extinct in our lifetime. And we found the gentlest game when we visited Ann and other orphaned giraffe at the Giraffe Centre. These tall, stately giants loved eating food pellets from our hand. Trust us on this: Ann’s thank-you kiss is wet and slurpy.

Although thoughts of Kenya bring wild game to mind, Kenya boasts findings of early human remains. In Nairobi, the flagship of the National Museums of Kenya is home to priceless fossil collections and the countryside boasts a number of fascinating small museums. Only a day trip from Nairobi, our excursion to Olorgesailie offered a view of hundreds of what Dr. Richard Potts at the Smithsonian Institution calls a Stone Age version of Swiss Army knives. No one knows how prehistoric humans used these hand axes, but they have been left exactly as paleoanthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey found them in 1942.

On our first trip to Kenya in 2004, we flew to several locations but this time we elected to drive so we’d see more of the countryside. We don’t regret that decision, but roads are what our guide Peter called “roly-poly” and traveling secondary roads is time-consuming and body-wearing. Although we might choose to fly within Kenya to save time on another trip, an up-close view of the smaller towns and their residents is a huge bonus. Every minute is a new photo op. We love one photo of a small brick building with metal roof that bears the sign “Blessings Hotel ‘N Butchery.” The Maasai in bright red and blue shukas, or tunics, proudly herd their cattle along the roads and are easy to spot from a distance. Peter stopped suddenly to point to an African buffalo peering at us from a wooded area. And after a box lunch, we walked across the flat land of the Mara and mingled with Maasai sheep and goats.

Visiting and shopping at Tuesday’s Massai Market was simply unadulterated fun. Although we watched our wallets because of buying too much to lug home, we found so many wonderful and inexpensive gifts and souvenirs that a trip to the mall now seems boring.

The days passed quickly. As on our previous trip, a day room at the Norfolk Hotel provided a relaxing place to swim and enjoy lunch before Peter returned us to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for our flight home.

Disappointment Turns to Joy

2009-10-16T15:03:00.008-05:00

A few weeks ago I wrote how disappointed I was to miss hearing Jane Goodall speak. Well, in today's mail a signed photo of Dr. Goodall appeared. I am uploading it here so you can see it and am thrilled that not only someone read this blog but that Dr. Goodall cared enough to respond with a photo I'll frame and treasure. And for my blog readers, young and old but mostly young, please know that people do read what you write and the written word works wonders.

Thank you so much, Dr. Goodall. And I love the expressions on both faces in the photo!

I'm off to the KidLit Blogging conference in VA, where I hope to pick up lots of tips to make this blog even more interesting for you, my readers.

P.S. To hear Dr. Goodall's presentation at the Library of Congress, click here.

Road to Tater Hill

2009-10-01T06:51:00.006-05:00

Friend Edie Hemingway celebrated the launch of her book Road to Tater Hill with an open house. I saw lots of children's writer friends and viewed my granddaughter in the trailer filmed that rainy Friday afternoon. You can watch it too!

Photos from Jackson Liaram

2009-09-18T08:31:00.005-05:00

Here you'll see photos from Jackson — one of him, one of black rhinos (rare, but, thanks to conservation efforts, returning from the brink of extinction), and one of giraffes.

Jackson is leaning on his safari Land Rover steering wheel as he explains to his guests about the great migration grazing. (Can't you almost hear him talking to us?)

"It has been quite dry in the Mara during this great migration season. It has been difficult to monitor the actual movements of the herds. Instead of clustering as one bigger group as usual, the herds have formed smaller groups and are widespread all over selected locations with remnants of tall grass.

"There are about 33 black rhinos living naturally in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya. Rhinos are the only animals being monitored by a special team of Rangers. This mature female is called SIXTEEN, she was counted rhino number 16. The baby is called SOILA. They have a territory not far from my Safari Camp (Siana Springs).

"Giraffe are known to have a social grouping system of temporary association herds. As a way of showing dominancy, males perform a NECKING fight. A good necker is ranked higher in the group. During this fight, the guy on the left won."

Disappointment!

2009-09-10T14:26:00.006-05:00

Bitter disappointment! Or maybe I'm feeling bitter and disappointed! Over the past few weeks I've checked the events scheduled at the Library of Congress to be sure I was reading correctly -- no tickets required for Jane Goodall's presentation at 11:30 today. What a fantastic opportunity to hear her speak!

I wore the beaded bracelet the Liaram family gave me and matching red shirt and black pants, Maasai colors, and felt very upbeat about hearing Dr. Goodall talk about her new book Hope for Animals and Their Worlds: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink. In research for my biography of the Leakey family, I read a great deal about Dr. Goodall and admire her immensely. She was, as I wrote in The Leakeys, "the first of Louis's three protégées who became world famous for studies of primate behavior in their natual habitat. Her success paved the way for Dian Fossey and Biruté Mary Galdikas" (p. 62). (Note: I'm proud to say a paperback version of The Leakeys: A Biography is due out in November.)

Spouse Carl and I left Frederick for the 35 mile drive to Rockville, MD, parked and took Metro (the subway system) to Metro Central in the District of Columbia (DC). Trains were backed up so we hustled to get a taxi to the Library of Congress. At 11:25 about 50 people were ahead of us and about 100 behind us in line. Then a woman walked down the line and told us there was no longer even standing room and so we could leave.

Some people walked casually off, saying they would visit other tourist attractions. We've enjoyed all the Washington sites many times so sadly headed home. But not before I got a name to whom I'll write a letter of complaint. I would gladly have paid for a ticket to hear one of the most famous women scientists in the world. I also lost a day of writing and the costs involved for a wasted trip. And I didn't have her autographed book to read on the long trip home.

To find out what I can't tell you about why Dr. Goodall has hope for endangered species, click here. And if you're ever in DC, beware of those "free" events at the Library of Congress. :-(

14 Cows for America

2009-09-08T07:09:00.003-05:00

This weekend I made a fantastic purchase with a gift certificate! I bought 14 Cows for America, by Carmen Agra Deedy, with illustrations by Thomas Gonzalez. The true story begins with Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah returning to his Maasai village in Kenya from his studies in the U.S. and telling his people about the horrors of September 11th. The villagers respond with a gesture that resounds around the world. To them, "the cow is life," and they present the American ambassador with 14 cows as a gesture of friendship. Although the illustrations and words combine magnificently, the last line in the book is absolutely perfect: "Because there is no nation so powerful it cannot be wounded, nor a people so small they cannot offer mighty comfort."

This book should rightfully win many awards. The book pictures (literally and with words) the Maasai the way I see them: Proud of their culture and heritage, confident, and incredibly generous and kind.

As writer and educator, lover of Kenya and honorary member of a Maasai village, no book has ever made me both wish I had written it and wish I were back in the classroom to use it with students! For more, see Betsy Bird's School Library Journal review that includes an extensive list of resources, from videos to Podcasts to additional reviews. Friend Wendie Old also has a review you may want to check out along with her other Nonfiction Monday reviews.

Making a Book "Trailer"

2009-09-07T07:26:00.012-05:00

Delacorte Press will soon release Road to Tater Hill by my friend, Edith Hemingway. It tells the story of Annie, a young teen who struggles with grief when her newborn sister dies. As you can see by the photo of the cover, my granddaughter Haley looks so much like the main character that Edie asked her to portray Annie in filming a trailer. Attached are photos Doug Hemingway and I took of Mica Hemingway and John of Connectivity during filming.

Ah, the filming! A story in itself! My daughter Jean, Haley, and I arrived at Cunningham Falls, a bucolic state park near Frederick, MD, on a cloudy August 28th. Mica already had storyboarded the trailer and showed us the rough draft of each scene that would be filmed, including action involved, what would be said by Haley, and, during the scene in the log cabin where Edie holds her writing workshops, by the grandmother, whose own grief keeps her from recognizing Annie's pain. While the filming crew put the camera on rails to move it easily in and out for long shots and close-ups, the sky looked more and more threatening.

All too soon Haley's lovely flowing red hair that swirled around her as she ran down the wooded path became a dripping mess. In her last scene -- picking up stones and throwing them in the stream -- her rock throwing got vicious as she struggled to stand, shivering, on the rocks. We finally walked the half mile back to the car and wrapped a fleece blanket around her to stop the teeth chattering.

Edie will be posting more on the filming and her book launch at the Class of 2K9 blog and the One Potato...Ten site. Haley has decided being an actress has a down side and is happily returning to New Oxford (PA) Middle School and I'm going to continue writing nonfiction, without making a trailer for The Leakeys: A Biography.

Baby Liaram

2009-08-11T06:05:00.003-05:00

I got an e-mail this morning from Jackson. Last week they had the official naming ceremony for the baby. I would love to have been there as it sounds like a wonderful reunion of extended family. They butchered two goats, which indicates that it was an important and happy event.

The baby was named LESIAMON, after Jackson's grandfather. This name is derived from "ESIAMO" which means delegation. LE is a prefix meaning: OF. Thus the name means "HOST OF DELEGATIONS."

Because there are two young girls named Mereso, both with the last name of Liaram and they will probably attend the same elementary school, Jackson's mother suggested adding the name SANAU to Mereso's name. Sanau means the beautiful one.

I hope this works out better than using first and middle names did with me. My family calls me Mary Louise but from day 1 in school, I was called Mary. So I need to sign or respond to both names, depending on the situation, because neither family nor school would accommodate the other. :-(

We'll follow Jackson and his family as the children grow. By the way, if a Maasai becomes Christian, they then add a Christian name. Hence, Jackson goes by his Christian name and Nterere, his brother, uses his Maasai name.

Update on Jackson Minteeng Liaram

2009-07-29T06:16:00.004-05:00

Good news! On July 23 Carl and I will toast our wedding anniversary and also the birth of a wee one 7,500 miles away. We missed his 5:30 a.m. phone call but Jackson followed up with an e-mail that the night of July 23 his wife, Susan Nekwama, presented him with a second child, a boy, to join daughter Mereso. He said I could post a picture of the baby for all of you to see.

ALA Conference in Chicago

2009-07-27T12:56:00.011-05:00

Wendie Old, with the all-black cat she takes to schools when speaking about her Halloween Book of Facts and Fun, Gwendolyn Hooks and Amy Hansen , just before we spoke, and Christine Taylor-Butler taking some photos. I'm sorry I don't have more photos, especially of Anastasia Suen, who kept us on task online and worked so hard on the PowerPoint presentation and other logistics.
I have been home over a week and very busy but want to say how great the American Library Assoc. conference in Chicago was. Laura Purdie Salas, Gwendolyn Hooks, and I had an excellent writer chat one afternoon. Gwendolyn and I joined 16 other writers and, amazingly, almost 300 attendees at the Nonfiction Bookblast. None of us expected the crowd to hear us to be so huge! Nonfiction is definitely a hot topic in the world of children's lit. these days. It's also fun to meet old friends I don't see too often, like Marilyn Courtot, who also belongs to the Children's Book Guild of DC and for whom I review books for her database.

A wonderful trip!

Speaking about The Leakeys book

2009-07-10T08:06:00.003-05:00

This will be short, as I'm off to pack and fly to Chicago to join a panel of other nonfiction writers at the American Library Association conference. Meeting fellow writers face-to-face that I now know only online is exciting and seeing old friends, like Amy Hansen and Wendie Old, will also be fun.

I hope Wendie has her camera. For my booktalk, I'm wearing a gorgeous necklace and cape in the Maasai colors of black and red that the Liaram family gave me when we visited. Hopefully, my next post will include some photos.

If you're at the ALA, join us at the "Non-fiction Bookblast: Booktalks for Reluctant Readers"
Sunday, July 12, 2009, 10:30 a.m.-noon
ALA Annual Conference, Chicago Convention Center, room W181
Wiki at http://nfbookblast.pbworks.com/

Great Migration in full swing!

2009-07-07T13:22:00.006-05:00

Today's e-mail from the Mara Triangle said "Not very professional video, but gives you a small sense of the spectacle." That's understatement! True, it's not professional but the sheer drama of huge wildebeests tumbling over each other to get down a ravine and across the Mara River, with a lion twitching its tail in gleeful anticipation of a fine dinner is amazing! For more, see the Mara Triangle blog.

Wildebeest Crossing Mara River - Oh **** there's a lion! from Stood in the Congo on Vimeo.

Weather and watching the Mara change

2009-07-03T05:09:00.005-05:00

I keep a weather app on my iPhone that tells me the temperature at various spots where family live. I check Dexter, MI, where my daughter and family live -- colder in winter than Maryland. I check Ocean City, MD, and think how great it would be any time of year to walk along the beach.

Nairobi has a consistent temperature. It may be snow-cone cold or Hades hot in Maryland but it's usually between 70 and 80° F. (21-27° C.) in Kenya year-round. Despite minimal swings in temperature, the Mara has a rhythm of rain that changes patterns of animal travel. More animals when rain makes green grass and easy grazing then means more animal watchers. I had an e-mail from Jackson. He wrote: "We are getting busy and the Wildebeests Migration has just spread all over the Mara. This year they have come early, perhaps the Serengeti is very dry."

So the greatest wild animal show on earth is beginning early this year! Check out Paul Kirui's Mara blog to see some fantastic photos of lion and cheetah in trees!

Nonfiction Book Blast: Booktalks for Reluctant Readers

2009-06-05T16:13:00.006-05:00

Eighteen -- 18! -- nonfiction writers will speak!

If you're attending the American Library Association conference in Chicago July 12, you are definitely invited to attend! I'm one of the 18 and would love to have you introduce yourself to me and say you read about this on my blog. Here's when and where:

Sunday, July 12, 2009
10:30 am to 12:00 pm
ALA Annual Conference, Chicago
wiki at http://nfbookblast.pbworks.com/

Track: Children & Young Adults; Literature & Collection Development

Despite the emphasis on fiction for leisure reading in schools, many reluctant readers are often more drawn to reading nonfiction. Expand your nonfiction repertoire as 18 authors booktalk their latest work.

My booktalk will be on my paperback book to be published in November from Prometheus Books: THE LEAKEYS: A BIOGRAPHY. Friend and my co-author of BUSY TOES and BUSY FINGERS, Wendie Old, will also be speaking, Amy Hansen, also a friend and fellow Children's Book Guild of DC member (as is Wendie) will speak and a lot of new friends I know only online from planning our booktalks.

"Visit" from a friend

2009-05-16T18:24:00.006-05:00

Here is a photo of friend Paul Kirui, my daughter and trusty research assistant Hope, and me at Mara Intrepids Lodge in March 2008. Last fall Paul e-mailed me that he had been a commentator on an episode of the BBC's Big Cat Diary. Unfortunately, not only was the program not shown in the US, but the program couldn't be accessed here on the BBC Web site. A few days ago I checked again, and was delighted to see a video of Paul and hear his voice talking about a favorite subject--vultures. Click here. Scroll down to Vultures Close Up. Also, you can see a video Koiyaki Guide School, which Jackson Liaram attended (and we visited last March), and other Mara and Mara River sights.

After you watch the wonderful BBC videos, check out Paul's Web site on the Mara and read back thru my blog for information about him and his research with vultures. He'll convince you that they are far from being just ugly birds; they are fascinating and help maintain the balance of life in Mara.

A video from the Mara Triangle

2009-05-07T14:21:00.006-05:00

This is a wonderful video that shows both the enthusiasm and spirit of the Maasai people and also the difficulty of living in the Mara. Please sit back with a cola or cuppa and spend 7 minutes learning about this vibrant, pulsating community. Click here to visit the Mara Triangle blog.

Resource for Teachers and Writers

2009-05-05T08:15:00.003-05:00

Since I began this blog to talk to teachers (among others interesting in writing or Kenya), whose students would then hear about the long, tedious process of writing a book, I want to pass on information about a new blog written by authors who are also teachers. Here is what I received in today's e-mail box:

I am pleased to announce a new resource for teachers, librarians, and writers: www.TeachingAuthors.com. This is a new blog by six children's book authors with a wide range (and many years) of experience teaching writing to children, teens, and adults: April Halprin Wayland, Esther Hershenhorn, Jeanne Marie Grunwell Ford, JoAnn Early Macken, Mary Ann Rodman, and Carmela Martino. Via the blog, we plan to share our unique perspective as writing teachers who are also working writers. One of our regular blog features will be "Writing Workouts"--writing exercises that can be used by young writers and those who are, as Esther Hershenhorn likes to say, "young at heart." We invite classroom teachers to try these exercises with their students, and adult writers to try them on their own.

Embarrassed!

2009-05-03T16:12:00.009-05:00

Well, I consider myself a pretty good editor but I must admit I goofed! Okay, it happens and admitting the truth is the best thing to do. About 17 of us nonfiction writers are speaking at the American Library Assoc. conference in Chicago on July 12. We're all developing either a postcard or a bookmark to distribute at our "Nonfiction Bookblast." My grandson Scott Eargle wrote the first paragraph and I finally felt I had worded the rest just right and then spent a frustrating day uploading my postcard to a Web company printer. When 100 of them arrived, I proudly sent one to Prometheus Books, the publisher of my paperback edition of THE LEAKEYS.

I got a brief e-mail today noting that I had neglected to name Prometheus or give its Web site on the card. CLICK HERE for that information. That's right -- I listed my name, Web site, date of publication, ISBN, even the size of the book (6"x9"). But not the publisher! I am even more embarrassed because the folks at Prometheus have been wonderful to me, allowing me to add a postscript that updates people whose stories I tell and correct some minor errors. They have also written wonderful publicity that will soon be sent out.

Apologizing was all I could do. Librarians, if I see you Sunday morning at 10:30 at the NF bookblast, please notice the postcard you'll get -- I will put a sticky label on the back with all the info. you need to order. And I'm posting a preview of what the front of the card that you'll receive looks like. Email me if you'd like me to send you a postcard.

Getting Inspiration from Stretching Myself

2009-04-23T12:39:00.005-05:00

I'm not referring to leg stretches to limber up before a race or a long walk. I mean mentally stretching myself. Despite years of teaching English, poetry has never been a strength, so last Saturday I took a class with Edie Hemingway and Laura Shovan, known in Maryland schools as Ms. Poems. The ambience comes thru in the photo, taken in Edie's log cabin. You can tell we're enjoying our day.

One of our activities, and one I recommend to teachers or to ANYONE, is to take a passage, highlight important words and turn them into a poem. I used a journal I kept on a Mediterranean cruise. To be honest, my journal entries were long, rambling, and dull. Months after the event even I don't care what I had for dinner each night and had thankfully forgot someone stepped on my foot during lifeboat drill. The poem, emphasizing memories I want to keep, reads much better:

"Mediterranean Cruise"
Lunch in Windjammer
Lifeboat drill
Tour of Dubronik, Croatia
A leg-muscle pulling challenge but magnificent view.
Town bathed in white--
White stone streets, houses, and walls.
On to Santorini, Greece.
Bus to top of island,
Narrow streets, single bus back to ship
Press of mob to get on.
We didn’t.
Finally a second bus.
Ship sails.
Waves like texture of old person’s skin.
Rockin’ and rollin’ to sleep.
Ah, the beauty and mystery of Casablanca.
Sail on.
Terra firma.
Then home.

Publishing and Self-publishing

2009-04-18T06:18:00.003-05:00

For those of you who want to write, the web is a wonderful resource. I spend way too much time in front of my computer, I know, but reading listservs and articles keeps me on the cutting edge of what's happening in writing for children and also keeps me from feeling isolated, only Mac and me, for hours on end.

I like to write but, to be honest, love even more to see my name in print. Books are very far between, even in the best of times, so I write articles for Children's Book Insider, a newsletter for writers of children's books whose web presence can also be found at the CBI Clubhouse. Part I of my latest article is about the proliferation of self-publishing, since little investment is required to hold a book with your name on the cover in your hands. The article points out the problems (like selling that book and keeping tax records!). The biggest problem, however, is that most writers who self-publish don't want the time or expense of having a good editor help them have the best book possible. Everyone (STUDENTS -- NOTE) needs to revise and rewrite.

In May Part II will discuss when self-publishing is a good idea. And, despite protestations from many traditionally published writers, sometimes it is. But even under certain circumstances the writer has to hire a good editor who looks at both content and the conventions of English. As friend Linda Trice says, no one wants to read a book with commas sprinkled like the writer put them in a salt shaker and sprinkled liberally throughout!

The fun but important side of researching & writing

2009-04-08T18:39:00.016-05:00

A quote attributed to sports columnist Red Smith says roughly that writing is easy--you stare at blank paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. That thought translates easily into today's world by changing blank paper to computer screen. However, there are two fun sides to a life of writing. One is getting together with like-minded writers. The second is seeing what you write in print. I'll talk about the latter in my next post. Today I'll describe a wonderful visit from Linda Trice, a writer friend who arrived last Thursday and we talked about writing almost non-stop until we put her on the train back to New York City on Monday. Attached are photos Carl took of Linda, who brought us a kalimba, an African percussion instrument that now hangs on our wall. Carl is musical and can tease some tunes from it. I just admire the carving and talent involved in making it. In a Maasai robe Linda bought at NYC's African Market (and left with me!), she fit right in with Kenyan memorabilia from our trips.

Linda & I went to the Children's Book Guild of DC/Washington Post reception in which Susan Campbell Bartoletti was honored with an award for her nonfiction books, and then Sunday some friends, many who belong to the MD/DE/WV chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, came for dinner. Lots more great talk about writing, sharing tips, and discussing trends in children's writing.

In the back row of the photo are (l. to r.) Gina Hagler (click here), Linda Trice (click here), Sue Poduska, Susan Detwiler (click here), Carolyn Reeder (click here), Laura Shovan (click here), Mona Kerby (click here), Lois Szymanski (click here), and Edie Hemingway (click here). I'm to the left in the front row, along with Wendie Old (click here), my co-author of BUSY TOES & BUSY FINGERS. Fine writers and fun folks! (I love alliteration!)

2009-04-02T06:23:00.008-05:00

I received a digital copy of the cover for THE LEAKEYS, an updated version of my 2005 Greenwood book that will be published as a paperback this fall by Prometheus Books (click here). I forwarded it to family and close friends and have got some really positive comments. Daughters Hope McGonigle and Bonnie Redmond like it. Bonnie said "the cover makes the book look inviting," and grandson Scott Eargle e-mailed "wow," that he can't wait for it -- digging bones must be exciting, especially if you find something.

I hope you like this bold, bright cover as well as my family and I do. It puts Mary Leakey in the foreground as a meticulous professional, shows the East African landscape, and suggests the difficulty and tedium that accompany fossil-finding. Kudos to the art department at Prometheus!

I am now anxious for fall when this paperback edition comes out. I wrote Scott that he gets the first copy! But it will be near the end of the year. The postscript I'm writing for it is due at Prometheus tomorrow, so back to writing.

We've come a long way ....

2009-03-23T13:17:00.003-05:00

When I feel discouraged, I look at a Life magazine I bought in an antique store. It is dated June 10, 1957, and an article titled “Helicopter Safari in Africa” features Arthur Godfrey, an entertainer whose name was as well known at the time as, say, Jon Stewart is today. General Curtis LeMay and other friends are with Godfrey in "French Equatorial Africa," and they are described as having great courage to set up camp 500 miles from the nearest white settlement. (Given mid-20th century communication technology, they did face challenges and danger.)

Godfrey is shown as a "great white hunter," bagging all sorts of game, including a lioness and a huge bull elephant, "a six-ton behemoth" (p. 91). Of course, the indigenous helpers receive credit (saying this tongue in cheek)! One man is pictured carrying the huge elephant foot on his shoulder, with the caption: "Carrying the elephant carcass, men lug the heavier parts while women tote the rest." (p. 91).

We have come a long way toward preserving and respecting our planet and all who live here. Of course, a loooo-ong way to go but there's progress!

"Milking the Rhino"

2009-03-20T09:28:00.004-05:00

My spouse Carl and I went to the National Geo. Society in DC to see "Milking the Rhino," a highly acclaimed film about two conservation projects in Kenya (a Maasai project near Lewa) and Namibia. David Simpson, the writer-producer-director-film maker, answered questions afterward and the entire evening was great. The movie features scenery that is gorgeous, the Kenyans interviewed (Kinanjui Lesenderia, James Ole Kinyaga, Helen Gichohi, and Ian Craig) are very articulate and Namibians equally impressive. Although filmed north of Nairobi, the life of the Maasai pictured was very much what we have seen on our visits to the Maasai Mara, in the south. Click here for wonderful photos.

See web site to locate showings across the US, Canada, and the world. Oddly, the web site lists premiers in Namibia, Egypt, Israel, and Poland but not Kenya! Simpson said it is going to be shown on US television on PBS in April and DVDs sold on web site. DVDs will then be distributed for film to be shown across Africa, esp. Kenya and Namibia. Go to the web site from here.

Please let me know your comments if you see the movie.

Jackson

2009-03-03T08:02:00.006-05:00

Jackson wrote a brief biography for the Heritage Hotel web site. Since I know some of my readers have not gone all the way back in this blog, I will publish it here, to bring everyone up to date on who Jackson is. Here is what he wrote, along with his photo. (He looks very serious; I think of him as smiling a lot!)

Jackson Minteeng Liaram, a Maasai born in the Mara, worked as a Herdsboy before he started going to school. Looking after cattle is when he enjoyed learning the general behaviours of wildlife. He never thought that this knowledge would be of great help in the future.

After graduating from high school, he was enrolled at Mara Intrepids Camp as a Volunteer Camp Naturalist and Guide in 2003/4. This is where he got in touch with other experienced guides like Paul Kirui.

In mid-2005, he was enrolled at The Koiyaki Guiding School pioneer class. After the one year course, Jackson graduated as a Professional Safari Guide and Member of KPSGA Bronze Level.

Jackson thereafter joined up again with Mara Intrepids Camp where he was employed as a Guide/Naturalist. After three years in the field of guiding, he sat for his Silver Examination and passed. He is now based at Siana Springs Intrepids Camp as a Safari/Driver Guide.

Threads of my life

2009-03-02T07:15:00.006-05:00

It's amazing how sometimes various important threads of life intertwine. As a writer, I do a lot of research and reading. (An aside: Many thanks to friends who send me links to articles.) Today I found an article while reading the Daily Nation, Kenya's equivalent of the NYTtimes or Washington Post. Click here to learn more.

The Maasai, University of Maryland (from which I earned three degrees and feel much affection, especially since they won a big basketball game last evening!), and my problem of lactose intolerance all come together! Jackson has told me about the milk he and his family drink. It is the basis of their diet. The photo shows his father leading their herd out of the kraal (or corral) and toward grazing land.

When we visited Jackson's village we enjoyed milk boiled with tea and sugar to make chai (think yummy rich creamy tea, no spices). I took a pill because, if I swallow even a tiny amount of milk, cheese, or ice cream and no pill for lactose intolerance, I get stomach pains and feel awful for several hours. And I am definitely not the only Westerner with this malady!

Well, University of Maryland researchers have found that the Maasai have a gene mutation that gives them a high tolerance for milk and the researchers have applied for a patent. South African researchers are very unhappy. Those on the side of the University of Maryland say they want to keep others from exploiting the Maasai, should the process, which is actually what they are patenting, be used for industrial purposes.

Obviously, I don't know enough to even explain it well but if, like me, you get cramps from eating an ice cream cone, you too would appreciate someone solving the lactose riddle!

Speaking at "Chronologically-Gifted Luncheon"

2009-02-21T14:38:00.006-05:00

On Sat., Feb. 14, I spoke at the Chronologically-Gifted Luncheon of my Unitarian Universalist church. They spread out much good food and then we had an informal talk. I talked about how I moved from a school system to a writing life and then shared books to help them connect with their grandchildren. Most were written by friends who live locally. Wendie Old and I have co-authored two picture books and I showed pics and read an excerpt from her award-winning TO FLY for middle schoolers. I also read an excerpt from Edie Hemingway's ROAD TO TATER HILL (in press) and showed the cover photo plus two Civil War novels, BROKEN DRUM and REBEL HART that Edie and Jackie Shields have written. I wrapped up with KENYA'S WORD by NYC friend Linda Trice. The group was very receptive and interested and asked good questions so it was a fun afternoon. I'm sorry the photos are a little blurred--Guess I show those books fast!

I stressed to the lunch bunch and want to say it here: Altho' fiction may be based on truth, children's nonfiction writers meticulously research and double-triple check details. In fact, if I want to know more about a topic than I can easily find online but not an adult book full of info., I head for the children's room of my library. Nonfiction writing has evolved into telling a story. That means a nf book written for young people these days doesn't read like an encyclopedia, even tho' the information is definitely accurate. Tonya Lee Stone has an article in this month's SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL about how she dug out the details for her new book ALMOST ASTRONAUTS: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream (Candlewick, 2009). It's due out next week and I'm anxious to get my copy.

Polishing a Rejected Manuscript

2009-02-09T07:20:00.011-05:00

Final paragraph from "Finding the Spirit of Historical Picture Book Biographies," Children's Book Insider newsletter, Sept 2008, p. 3:
"And finally, share your draft with other trusted children's writers. After reworking it forty times, it may be ready for submission."

How true! This past weekend was glorious--weather-wise and work-wise. Two writer friends, Edie Hemingway and Susan Detwiler, and I retreated to Ocean City, MD, to focus on writing and sharing our work with each other. As professional writers, we didn't want the stamp of approval on our work--we wanted comments that would make it publishable. Each of us felt the time was productive. Edie began her second novel, Susan revised a picture book, and I completely revised Elephant Charge! Vishindo vya Tembo! Both Edie and Susan contributed ideas to make my story more visual and more dramatic.

Writers must look at our work without being defensive and make changes that may, or may not, work. I am afraid to count the number of versions of this picture book that I have accumulated over the months, as I changed the words again and again. The story is Jackson's but my words have to entice children to read it.

Because Edie and Susan felt I needed to add dialogue and I wanted to get Jackson's "voice" just right, this weekend I listened to interviews with Jackson that I recorded during my trip to Kenya last March. I read articles for writing advice. I checked and double-checked facts about elephants. I talked with Edie and Susan and then returned to the computer yet once more. We write because we love it, but that doesn't eliminate the pain involved. The satisfaction of feeling material is much improved makes the work worth it.

A walk along the beach on a rare (for Maryland) warm February day helps!

FYI: Edie's novel, Road to Tater Hill, will be published in September by Delacorte Press, www.randomhouse.com. She blogs with www.onepotatoten.blogspot.com. Susan is also an artist whose magnificent illustrations you can see this spring in One Wolf Howls! (Sylvan Dell, www.sylvandellpublishing.com).

Gorilla in Virunga National Park

2009-01-14T07:21:00.003-05:00

Have you seen an old movie or a cartoon in which a big gorilla beats his chest to let everyone know how great he is? Well, gorillas do that! You can see a wonderful video of two mountain gorillas who never actually fight but try to impress each other (and the females, of course) with beating chests and striding around. You can even HEAR the chest thumping! Go to www.gorilla.cd/blog

The gorillas live in Virunga National Park, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo--a map is on the site. Africa is a huge continent and, despite its beauty and great diversity of cultures, has many problems. The rangers trying to save the magnificent mountain gorillas in Virunga face dangerous conditions for both gorillas and humans and deserve great credit. Please check out their web site. You'll be touched, charmed, and horrified (and feel about ten other emotions).

And the winners are ...

2008-12-31T14:21:00.002-05:00

A while back I wrote that I agreed to judge literature entries for the Reflections program sponsored by the National Parent Teacher Association. Reading the entries was a pleasure, but judging the four winners was very difficult. All the entries were well written, very different from each other, and showed not only writing skill but creativity.

I picked the following students as winners, congratulate them, and hope they will continue to write, whether for publication or pleasure: Harrison B., Emily B., Gabrielle N., and Ariana Y.-L.

I also applaud Cabin John Middle School, a fine Montgomery County (MD) Public School.

Finally, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!

Certification Good News and Elephant Fun

2008-12-17T08:41:00.005-05:00

On November 10th I received the news from Paul Kirui, friend and Chief Safari Guide for Heritage Hotels, that Jackson Liaram was among the 12 (of 27) guides to pass silver level exams administered at Koiyaki Guiding School by the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association (and only the third with this certification among 40 guides with Heritage Hotels). We feel very proud of Jackson. Paul also wrote that his pass is very encouraging to other guides at junior level or even those in the villages aspiring to be guides.

FYI: After obtaining the bronze (first) level, a guide has to work in the field for 3 years before attempting the exam for the silver level and then another 3 years before sitting for his or her gold level, which requires original research and an oral exam, much like a doctoral dissertation. Paul himself just received the gold level last week with a study on vultures, so--

CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH JACKSON AND PAUL!

And I hope that some of you put a trip to the Mara at the top of your holiday gifts! Along with a camera.

My husband took an 8" x 10" copy of the above photo that he snapped at Kenya's elephant orphanage to a gift exchange of the local Camera Clique. The recipient was so pleased that he asked Carl to sign it. And another member wanted to purchase a copy. Don't think your monitor's color is off. The skin of elephants that roll and play in red dirt turns red! I think it's a great shot. But sad that poaching often leaves baby elephants without a mother.

Big Cat Diary

2008-11-18T08:04:00.006-05:00

During this past year, BBC's Big Cat Diary was based in the Mara. Friend Paul Kirui worked with an episode that I look forward to seeing when it's available in the US. Below is one snippet from the series in which Jackson Looseyia, one of the Big Cat presenters, spoke at Koiyaki Guiding School. Okay, we need to keep our Jacksons straight. "Son" Jackson Liaram, the Maasai you're been reading about in this blog, was in Koiyaki's first graduating class. When Carl, Hope, Jennie, and I visited Koiyaki last March we met the current class and I told them how pleased I was to see women studying to be guides, as you'll see in the video below.

For more fascinating video clips from the series with spectacular animal shots, go to www.bbc.co.uk/bigcat.

Moving on

2008-11-09T10:39:00.002-05:00

I believe Kenny Rogers's "Gambler" song has a message for writers. It's not time for me to fold because I'm holding some aces, but it is time to consider what to throw away and what to keep.

I sent the original proposal to two publishers and was turned down, but I wasn't crushed because I myself felt a need for revision. Plus several friends whose opinions I respect pointed out that the book was not directly connected to state middle school standards. Asking help from others and listening to my gut aren't easy and I suspect the same is true for many of us introverted souls who have a good idea but trouble moving it forward.

A variety of considerations are sending me in a new direction. With tons of great research material sitting on both real and virtual desktops, I now feel the book should move to YA and have given it the working title KENYA TODAY: THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, the story of average Kenyans in their struggle to defend their heritage, protect wildlife, and concurrently move Kenya forward. I will still focus on the story of Jackson Minteeng Liaram, a Maasai herdsman who also guides tourists fascinated by the world’s wildest show of wildlife, but I will also profile others whom I interviewed during my March trip to Kenya:
· An East African guide who is Luo by tribe and originally from Kendu Bay, where Barack Obama’s Luo grandparents live; a founder of Kenya Self-Help Project to educate and empower young women, a major step toward prevention of AIDS.
· The manager of a camp that is a model for eco-tourism in Kenya’s vast Masai Mara Game Reserve.
· The Chief Safari Guide, ethnically Kalenjin, for a large company that manages many camps in the Mara.

Although still intended as a trade book, I hope--no, believe--this book will be of high interest to young people interested in the country of President-elect Obama's roots, will support the current thrust by schools for informational books that focus on story, and will address state science and social studies standards.

Part of the difficulty I foresee is that many publishers of nonfiction books for young people are looking for encyclopedic-type books or those that fit into existing series. I want to focus on story while still telling the truth. This type of writing is called creative nonfiction. Can I find a publisher?

Good news or bad, I'll let you know! Input invited.

Kathleen, Georgie's sister

2008-10-18T10:25:00.002-05:00

And here's a photo of Kathleen Liech, George's sister. She is a charming young lady who was proud to demonstrate her skill in speaking very correct and perfect English. Remember that at an early age many young people learn Kenya's two national languages, Swahili and English, plus a tribal language.

Busy Fingers, Busy Toes

2008-10-17T12:08:00.003-05:00

Wendie Old and I have written two books, BUSY TOES and BUSY FINGERS (Charlesbridge Publishing) for children ages 2-8. We wrote them using the pen-name C.W. Bowie. I'm the Bow-, Wendie is the W and -ie and the first one was written with Claudine Wirths (C.W.) We combined our names and used the Bow from my name because Wendie, a librarian as well as writer, wanted them to be shelved next to the very popular Berenstain Bears books.

All authors like to know their books are read and enjoyed. Yesterday Wendie sent me to the blog of the Mission Viejo Library in California, where Busy Fingers had been used for storytime. Many thanks, Mission Viejo! Last March, when we met the family of our safari guide, Peter Liech, in Nairobi, we took pictures of Kathleen and Georgie with the books I gave Kathleen in 2004. Kathleen is a young lady now and reads more difficult books but Georgie is just the right age. You can see a picture of me with that good-looking young man, who looks VERY serious in the photo. What a thrill to see my books enjoyed across the country and half-way around the world.

Update

2008-10-11T06:30:00.003-05:00

I am revising my proposal, with the help of friends Clare and Linda, who have read it and offered ideas. A proposal for a nonfiction book consists of an outline, several chapters, and my biography, along with a cover letter.

In my initial chapters I'm trying to harness words that describe the flavor of Maasai culture, the beauty of Kenya, and the warmness of the people while still discussing the warts that every person, every culture, and every country have, along with the issues of conservation and environmentalism. Just saying those two words make the book sound dull and the trick is to weave those issues into Jackson Liaram's story. People like stories but a nonfiction writer must be absolute in telling the truth while making it read like fiction. No one has yet hit on the correct term to describe this kind of writing but one often used is "creative nonfiction."

Jackson and I e-mail several times a week. I searched through all my notes (which, if printed out, would stand high on my desk) and couldn't find the date of his initiation into adulthood, a notable event in a Maasai warrior's life. Here is his e-mail reply to my question.

"I know when I got circumcised/initiated because I was in school and I kept the records. It was the 13th of December 1999, in the middle of the short rains. I was 15 years old and in Form One, the first grade in High School."

I think his reply captures the delightful flavor of his slight accent. (Again, I'm amazed at the ease with which he speaks and writes three languages and switches back and forth so readily! Most Americans are so limited with other languages.)

Good news!

2008-10-03T14:50:00.008-05:00

The photo above was taken in 2004 when Dr. Louise Leakey showed my grandson Michael McGonigle how she and her team excavate a bone from a fossil pig.

Which leads to my news: I received word that Prometheus Books will publish a paperback version of my book THE LEAKEYS: A BIOGRAPHY in late 2009 or early 2010. This book received good reviews and I think, as a paperback by a well-respected publisher, it will gain a new audience and do very well. One review, for example, called it “outstanding” and highly recommended it for any high school to college-level library. As a paperback, sales should put the book in the reach of many more people, adults and young people, interested in the fascinating challenges, controversies, and contributions of a dynamic and important family whose three generations have sought to answer questions about our human origins.

You can read excerpts from two chapters right now on my web site: www.marybk.com.

Reflections--A program and a good idea

2008-09-04T06:31:00.002-05:00

Tabatha A. Yeatts, PTSA Cultural Arts coordinator for Cabin John Middle School in Potomac, MD, and a writer herself, has asked me to judge entries in the literature category for the Reflections program sponsored by the National Parent Teacher Association. Since my main goal in this blog is to introduce young people to writing by showing them the work a writer does, I of course said yes. Each young person must submit his or her original work, fiction or nonfiction, on the theme of “Wow!” by mid-November. I’ll pick the top four, who will compete at the county level. The winners then go on to the state level, which leads to the national level.

The National PTA Reflections Program is an arts recognition and achievement program in six areas, including literature, but, as the web site points out, the program isn’t a contest so much as a way to encourage “creativity and exploration.”

Cabin John MS students -- Get those fingers and brains moving. WOW! I hope to read some awesome entries.

This is a great opportunity for students K-12 across the country whose schools are participating. More information at http://www.capta.org/sections/programs/reflections.cfm

Feeding an Eland from Mara Triangle Blog

2008-08-11T07:56:00.004-05:00

Probably the most photographed eland in the whole of the Masai Mara. from Joshua Naiguran on Vimeo.

The rangers who patrol the Mara Triangle have a fantastic blog at http://www.maratriangle.org/blog/ They share many photos and stories about what they do to protect the wildlife from poachers and work with the local Maasai to help the area survive economically and remain a tourist-friendly location.

Jackson's camp is east of the Triangle. To locate places in the Masai Mara, you may want to google a map of Kenya, because the Mara covers 583 square miles, twice the area of New York City’s five boroughs. It is almost the same size as Greater London, which encompasses the City of London and 32 boroughs.

Jackson e-mailed me:
The Mara Triangle is the whole section of the Masai Mara Game Reserve west of Mara River.
The 3 points of the triangle are:
- The Mara River
- The Mara/Serengeti border
- The Oloololo/Siria Escarpment. This is the western wall/border of the Masai Mara Game Reserve.

July 2008 Great Migration

2008-08-04T05:32:00.013-05:00

Jackson sent me a photo of this summer's Great Migration across the Kenyan plains. Isn't that line of wildebeest unbelievable?

And here's a closer view of one of these magnificent animals that Carl took on our first trip to Kenya.

Moving on

2008-08-03T11:08:00.005-05:00

I began this blog to acquaint young people with the process of researching and writing a book and eventually seeing it published. This is indeed a slow process. I have sent proposals to three publishers, one who immediately sent me a letter saying their policies have changed and they no longer accept manuscripts except through agents (see my post of June 24). I have not heard from the other two but I continue to work on chapter 3, Jackson's experiences at Siana Springs Intrepids camp. It is now, Jackson e-mails me, rainy because it's their "winter," (down to below 70 degrees F.!) I'm hoping to hear some more stories about visitors who see the Great Migration of thousands and thousands of wildebeests and other animals across the plains of Tanzania and Kenya. And maybe a photo...?

Irony

2008-06-28T12:59:00.012-05:00

Well, after grumping about editors and publishing houses in my last post, I am eating virtual crow! An editor asked to see my book proposal so I thoroughly reviewed my outline, first 2 chapters and bio, prepared a cover letter and packaged it up, double-checking everything before I made the trip to the post office. On the way home I realized that the stamp I carefully stuck on the self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) -- absolutely mandatory to include so the editor can reply that he or she is rejecting the proposal you labored to produce! -- was one with a glorious picture of a wildflower, a stamp valued at $.41, not the $.42 now required. Sigh!

So I e-mailed the editor to apologize. SASEs seem a relic of horse-and-buggy days anyway. But I do feel annoyed at myself for forgetting rates went up.

To cheer myself up, I'm attaching a photo of Jackson and me. Hope, Jennie, Carl, and I all would LOVE to return to the Mara but we'll have to be content with looking at our photos.

Jackson's blog and pondering the publication process

2008-06-24T06:00:00.005-05:00

First, the good news. Jackson has his own blog. He's still getting acquainted with the process for posting but you'll find him at http://jackson-maasai.blogspot.com.

Second, the bad news. Alas! I received a rejection letter from one of the publishers to whom I sent A MAASAI WARRIOR: LIVING HIS DREAM, LIVING WITH NATURE. (Note slight change in proposed title.) The editor wrote she is so overwhelmed that she is not accepting any unsolicited proposals, even if members of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Since I do not have an agent, I have wasted time, money, and effort, not to mention the discouragement involved. As an ex-English teacher, I wonder how editors go thru their slush piles, as unsolicited manuscripts are called. I used to do a quick sort when a stack of 165 essays faced me, and divide them into piles I quickly and arbitrarily ranked as "probably tops" thru "whoa! major problems." After grouping that way, I had a sense of how to deal with each separately. Do editors do that? Or just send out rejections to anyone whose work they haven't seen before?

I guess I was lucky to get a rejection! Many publishing houses now have a policy that, if you don't hear in 6 months, assume they are not interested in your manuscript (ms). Can't they pay someone minimum wage or give a volunteer intern the job of e-mailing a brief note: "We're sorry but your ms doesn't meet our needs."

My writer friends (real time and virtual, on listservs I belong to) are professionals. Sometimes I feel publishers treat us as peons rather than needed partners in creating good books for kids. The majority of books readily published and heavily marketed seem to be (1) rip-offs of popular money-making cartoons or movies or (2) those written by movie and television stars, president's wives and children and other VIPs. Not written by professional writers. Some of these books are good, most bad. What does that say about the probable quality of children's literature in the future?

Jackson

2008-04-21T14:10:00.005-05:00

Here is a close-up photo Carl took of Jackson.

I'm going to stop blogging for a few days and get my proposal off to a publisher--and then wait for months till I hear back. Editors are probably the most harried group of people in the US but waiting does get frustrating for a writer.

Check back about June 1! And if you're an editor, hey, ask me to send the proposal to you. I've finished the cover letter, book outline and a short chapter one. Just chapter 2 to finish up. :-)

Family Photo

2008-04-01T06:29:00.005-05:00

Here is a photo of us and our new family. I wish you could see the lovely beaded jewelry Hope, Jennie, Carl, and I were given. Jackson's wife Susan and Jackson are to my left (your right). Jackson's father is in front. Isn't his hat stylish?

Question and Answer Post

2008-03-20T09:20:00.005-05:00

Many thanks for the questions and comments you've e-mailed. In today's post I thought I'd answer some questions that seem to be high interest.

Q: Weren't you concerned about danger?

A: Our nearest city is Washington, DC, and every time I take Metro (subway) and visit a museum or theater, I get nervous. Being in Kenya seems much safer. We work with Origins Safaris, a Kenyan travel service that has been in business for many years and our guide for two trips, Peter Liech, is fantastic--very knowledgeable and protective without hovering, and a great person with whom to talk about everything.

As far as the recent turmoil, Kenya definitely has economic problems that must be solved, but I sense most people want to solve them with peaceful negotiation and hopefully widespread violence is now a thing of the past. In the U.S., given this country's history, suspicion lurks under the surface in racial interactions. Similar suspicions of mistrust exist among tribes in Kenya, but Kenyans are friendly and helpful to Westerners and remember, there is no language barrier in the towns and cities. Again and again, people told us to be sure to tell Americans to please visit. I agree--given the weak dollar, your $ will go a lot further than in most other countries.

Q: Did you dance with the women in Jackson's village?

A: Yes, I did join in and grabbed my daughter and granddaughter so we all danced. It was great fun but I put the camcorder down to dance so I'm not in the video clip.

Q: Did you get close to the animals?

A: Absolutely. Again, we trusted Peter and his knowledge of animal behavior and also Jackson, when we were with him. For example, Peter, who did the driving, took us within a few feet of a pride of lions. The males were sprawled on the ground, asleep after having gorged themselves on a buffalo. The females and cubs were enjoying their huge meal and oblivious to us, so Peter could drive close. Needless to say, he didn't have to tell us to stay in the Land Rover!

Above is a picture Carl took at the elephant orphanage where an elephant just growing tusks is being fed. BTW, elephants take on the skin color of the dirt they roll in, so this one is very red.

Welcome to Jackson's Village

2008-03-17T06:57:00.009-05:00

The highlight of our trip was a visit to Jackson's village. The women first welcomed us with two songs and dances, as the video clip shows.

Then the men took their turn. Like young men in the U.S., they each show how high they can jump. Unlike young men in the U.S., they have a long stick that they call a club rather than a basketball in their hands.

Next, we went into the corral and watched how blood is obtained from a cow without harm to the animal. An arrow has a piece of leather tied about one inch up the shaft to limit it from entering too far into the cow's jugular vein (Jackson, correct me if my memory is wrong--I was so intrigued that my notes are poor). After it was shot into the cow's neck, a woman collected the blood in a gourd already holding milk. She mixed blood and milk until they coagulated. I must admit that we Americans were too cowardly to taste it, but the gracious Maasai didn't hold it against us.

We sat around a fire where a kettle of chai, or tea with sugar and much milk, was boiling, in the house of Jackson's father and mother and learned about their village and traditions. Then on to the house of Jackson and Susan Nekwama and daughter Mereso where we drank the chai. Jackson's house is a little different from his parents; Susan has hung lovely lace panels on the walls and it has a corrugated metal roof (pics tomorrow!).

Then--I still am in a daze about this--we were made honorary members of the Liaram family, decked out in gorgeous Maasai outfits. The women formed a semi-circle and dressed Jennie, Hope, and me, and then photographer/husband Carl. Most of the village people speak Maa, some also Swahili, and a few English. Happiness, however, transcends language barriers, and being outfitted in such lovely fabrics and beaded jewelry brought tears to my eyes. We exchanged the gifts we brought them, chatted a little more, and said good-bye to new friends now half a world away.

Walking the Mara

2008-03-13T19:44:00.011-05:00

After lunch under a tree, we decided to walk across the vast open plain called the Maasai (or Masai) Mara. Usually getting out of the Land Rover isn't allowed but this was a safe area during the heat of the day. So, from left to right, granddaughter Jennie, I, Jackson, and daughter Hope took a stroll. (Jennie and Hope were my research assistants on this trip and a huge help in asking questions during interviews, tracking finances, and generally handling nitty-gritty details.)

Two Maasai children about 8 years old were nearby herding cattle and we treated them to food from our box lunch. A little fearful at first, their smiles soon told us how much they welcomed a midday treat. Maasai boys take responsibility for herding at a young age, Jackson said, and typically eat no lunch when caring for cattle. In the evening each animal is counted, no matter how large the herd -- even 80 or 100 cows plus goats and sheep -- to assure all are present. To the Maasai, livestock equals money, and caring for cattle is serious business. By the way, Jackson's tunic is called a shuka. It always struck us Americans as funny when a cell phone went off and one of the Maasai reached up to get it from under his shuka.

Kenya!

2008-03-03T08:11:00.006-05:00

JAMBO from Nairobi. The official web site is called magical Kenya and that says it all. We were met at the airport with happy smiles and news that the two parties had agreed on a compromise and violence is now a thing of the past as the sides try to work together for the good of the country. The weather is perfect, we have visited prehistoric sites, seen elephants and warthogs and all sorts of animals up close, seen both rare black and white rhinos by the dozen. On Wednesday we head to the Maasai Mara where I meet Jackson and his family. More later. I'm having trouble with a strange computer, but Carl is downloading pictures.

There are not a lot of visitors so to anyone thinking about a wonderful trip--you'll be treated like royalty and have a trip you can only imagine! More later.

Marc Aronson's blog

2008-02-22T21:02:00.004-05:00

Good news. I'm delighted that Marc Aronson, a well-respected writer and editor, is featuring my upcoming research trip to Kenya on his School Library Journal blog, "Nonfiction Matters." He is uploading my introductory post this weekend and even gave me an anonymous intro. in his post today. Go to http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1880000388.html

When I'm in Kenya, e-mailing him posts to upload may be easier and quicker than adding to this blog, so please check out his SLJ blog. You can also find out more about him and his writing at his web site http://www.marcaronson.com

But I will soon return with gorgeous photos to upload and much information. Jackson and I have exchanged "it will soon be Xmas in March" e-mails!

Researching

2008-02-20T11:09:00.005-05:00

The best kind of research, as I've written, is in the field--actually traveling to the location about which I'm writing. Research also involves reading and not just web sites but books and articles of all kinds.

A writer needs facts but also needs to capture the flavor of the book's topic. There are many great web sites about East Africa but one that made me go aw-www--WOW! is http://www.maraconservancy.com/gallery.html. Each of the 3 photographers' photos capture what we westerners consider the essence of East Africa, foreign to us and yet so exciting that our adventure genes kick in! Take a break and relax as you do "research" with me. :-)

And aaa-way we go!

2008-02-17T13:48:00.004-05:00

I got a small camcorder and hey, I even got my first video uploaded. Stay tuned. Hopefully, the next video will be Maasai dancers, who love showing their high jump skills! (And maybe Jackson, his wife and baby daughter will allow me to tape them.)

Positive thoughts

2008-02-15T14:46:00.004-05:00

Now that the situation in Kenya is calming down and our trip plans are moving ahead, I'm putting my writer's hat back on. Although many things clutter up my "to do" list, I'm trying to spend time pulling together information for the book and returning my attention to writing. I've been:

* reading several books I've begun to give me background information about the Maasai and Kenyan history,

* making a list of questions to ask Jackson and others with whom we'll talk,

* listening to interviews with Kenyans I'm met here in the US and taking notes on the good information they provide,

* reviewing and revising my thesis statement and outline.

Oh, and, of course, washing clothes. And, I admit, thinking of the great time on my 2004 trip. We'll visit the giraffe orphanage again. Yes, giraffes drool. Yes, it's slimy. Yes, it's fun to feed them and I can hardly wait.

Update

2008-02-14T08:15:00.005-05:00

A children's book writer in the US trying to summarize the situation in today's Kenya is pretty audacious, when you think about it. But I do feel a need to update this blog.

The good news is that violence has subsided. The bad news is that the potential is still there. The problems in Kenya are now in the hands of the politicians and that means slow movement to solving long-term economic and social issues because both sides are very protective of their own turf. For the average Kenyan in most of the country, life goes on.

Because several members of my family and I are planning a visit, we are monitoring the situation carefully. The US State Department and those of other western countries are cautious about travel there but we're not relying solely on them. Because tourism is such a big part of the Kenyan economy, travel operators want to keep tourists safe, so their web site gives up-to-date information on any trouble spots, even naming specific roads and areas to avoid.

We also read news from the BBC and East African newspapers daily. Daughter Hope has contacted ex-pats, the common term for a country's citizens living abroad, and news from them is positive. One ex-pat from New Zealand reported having a great safari last weekend in the Masai Mara, where we hope to meet Jackson in several weeks. Jackson himself is anxiously awaiting our visit. Steve Turner of Origins Safaris says in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital city, it's business as usual. So our plans are moving ahead.

I'm gaining much research for my book as I absorb what I read and try to reconcile past Kenyan history with present violent events--but I'd rather not have to!

Update, January 23, 2008

2008-01-23T07:24:00.000-05:00

http://www.uusc.org/blog/2008/01/kenya-crisis-up-close-and-personal.html reports exactly what it says. Charlie Clements is leading an emergency three-person delegation from the Unitarian-Universalist (UU) church to assess the political and humanitarian crisis. His Jan. 22 report is chilling. Because one delegation member is Kenyan and speaks Kiswahili, he has personal stories not reported elsewhere.

A Kenyan friend e-mailed that unfortunately our news media is correctly reporting that 250,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and are now living in churches and various safe shelters. Some are receiving food, medicine, and other assistance but more is needed. He urged, as I do, that you support through a church with workers in Kenya who can be trusted to get the help to those who need it. Many unscrupulous organizations divert funds for personal gain. Or assist only those in the front lines, where the media can easily photograph them.

For a better understanding of the violence and the depth of human suffering that follows, go to http://www.uusc.org/Kenya/index.html. A map of Kenya that shows the impact of the violence is at http://www.uusc.org/pdf/KenyaEducationMaterials.pdf. (I apologize that my browser won't let me make these URLs direct links and you need to copy and paste into your browser.)

So please work through a trusted group. If you do not know who to trust, you can contribute through the Service Committee of UU. UUSC is an independent, nonsectarian, nonprofit organization with a strong history of human rights and humanitarian support locally and globally, http://www.uusc.org/.

Update, Jan. 22, 2008

2008-01-22T13:25:00.000-05:00

Unbelievably, in almost 3 weeks little seems to have happened to calm the political situation in Kenya and, indeed, more killings and violence are reported daily. Jackson e-mailed me today that many people have been displaced and the Red Cross and other concerned agencies around the world are offering them food and medicine. (A delegation from the Unitarian Universalist church arrived Jan. 19 to assess what we can do to help and I feel sure many churches and other organizations are similarly involved with humanitarian efforts.) He also wrote that few tourists are visiting the Mara but he believes the situation will be normal as soon as the violence ceases. Which we all continue to hope will be soon.

Better News from Kenya

2008-01-08T08:03:00.000-05:00

Both the BBC news and e-mails from Jackson, friend Paul Kirui, Chief Safari Guide of Heritage Hotels, and Steve Turner of Origins Safaris, with whom we have re-scheduled our trip for early spring, say that the situation is calming down, politicians are talking, and we will hope common sense prevails.

A Sad Time for Kenya

2008-01-06T15:28:00.000-05:00

Sadly, I postponed my January trip to Kenya and will wait until spring because of turmoil in various places across the country. I am no authority either on African history or present politics but I want to give my blog readers some information. I developed these views from books, articles and conversations while researching A Maasai Warrior’s Two Worlds: Living his Dream, Protecting the Land.

People around the world have been shocked about events in Kenya. In a country still considered poor despite recent economic gains and on a continent with many weak governments, Kenya’s government has been a model of stability. What brought about the present outbreak? An article in The Washington Post summarized, observers question “…the results of Kenya’s presidential election, which began with great promise and degenerated into suspicion, chaos, and violence during the vote-tallying phase” (McCrummen, 2008).

You may have seen pictures showing outbreaks of violence, torching buildings, and maiming and killing men, women, and children linked to election results but these events have underlying causes with deep roots. Part of the turmoil is based on what we in the United States call tribalism. In the U.S. the words tribalism and tribe are usually viewed as derogatory or critical terms. In Kenya, the word tribe does not have a negative meaning because people in a community usually belong to the same tribe, or ethnic group. Rather than tribes, we in the U.S. often belong to a number of groups, or communities. What communities do you belong to? Most of us belong to several--church, school, sports, band, clubs and all kinds of organizations, in addition to the neighbors who immediately surround us.

We often have friends who don’t attend the same church and school that we do and other friends who live far away. We stay in touch by using all kinds of electronic gadgets, like phone, e-mail, and instant messaging and hop in the car or take a plane, bus, or other transportation to visit. This is our way of life. It is based on seeing many people each day but having casual interactions with most of them. When talking to people we often say something like, “How are you today?” or “Have a nice day”--casual greetings without expecting a serious reply. Except for a few people with whom we are close, we live in an impersonal world.

In areas like much of Kenya, people are less linked by easy transportation and less connected electronically. They are mainly members of the communities in which they were born and have lived their entire lives. They interact every day with each other and depend on neighbors for help and for friendship. They share what they have with each other, both material goods and time. They literally rely on each other to survive. Living in the community is usually very low keyed, without the impersonality, competition, and busyness we in the West take for granted.

Personal relationships are needed to support a relatively isolated, rural Kenyan life. Years ago the 40 plus tribes who lived in East Africa interacted with each other and often married outside their own group. Then when Kenya became a British colony about 1900, the Brits wanted to govern in the easiest way. Breaking the Kenyans into tribes helped the British oversee what each group, or tribe, did and control their behavior (Ochieng’ K’Olewe, personal correspondence, August 22, 2007). Some of the tribes cooperated with the British and some did not. Forcing the people into isolated tribal communities kept those that did not from joining with each other against the British colonial government (Elkins, 2008)!

Most families continued to live in their tribal area after Kenya became an independent country in 1963. Of course, in Nairobi and other cities, people mix but they are still aware of their own community, or tribe. Almost three-quarters of the people in Kenya belong to one of five tribes. Most Kenyans are Kikuyu (22%) or Luo (13%). Only about 1.5% of Kenyans identify themselves as Maasai, Jackson’s tribe, although to the Western world the Maasai often represent the Kenya we see on book covers and in magazines and travel brochures.

For many years all these tribes lived together peacefully. But, as is often the case, poverty combines with politicians intent on manipulation. Mark Doyle, writing for the BBC News, and Caroline Elkins, writing for The Washington Post, are two writers who believe politicians eager for personal power are exploiting tribal differences and “using their followers as proxies in a smoldering war” (Elkins, 2008). Whether the situation can be diffused by the efforts and pressure of church and other leaders from inside and outside the country and from most Kenyan citizens, who seek sanity over bloodshed, is not clear.

I cannot tell you how saddened I am from this conflict. Postponing our trip is a buzzing mosquito compared to what Kenyans must survive. Lives lost, emotional tensions stretched tight, and economic impact in a country that can scarce afford any of these is a stampeding elephant in every living room. As Jackson e-mailed this morning, “Let us all pray for peace in our country.”

References:
Berman, M. (2006). Dark ages America: The final phase of empire. New York: W. W. Norton.
Elkins, C. (2008, January 6). What’s tearing Kenya apart? History, for one thing. The Washington Post, p. B3.
McCrummen, S. (2008, January 6). Kenya’s president seeks to end crisis with coalition offer. The Washington Post, p. A6.

A Maasai Christmas

2007-12-30T08:25:00.000-05:00

When I e-mailed Jackson to wish him a merry Christmas, he happened to be on e-mail at the same time. (I'm still amazed by instantaneous messages from half-way around the world!) He said the camp had many holiday visitors so almost everyone, including him, had to work.

"I am bringing a group of 15 young men from the village nearby to perfom a dance when the guests enjoy their Xmas dinner.Like any other special day, we also take today as a special day even in the village. My family (i.e., parents, brothers and sisters, wife and young Mereso) will have a common dinner. They are killing two goats. Meat is considered the most important part of a meal in any party."

I had turkey and lots of good stuff (including stuffing) with many family members present and hope everyone reading this had a wonderful "common dinner" with your family and friends too.

From Lizann

2007-12-16T07:03:00.000-05:00

Lizann Flatt http://flattperspective.blogspot.com/ (cute name) left a message I finally interpreted about being tagged and now being it. I finally made sense of "IT" and found I should write 5 obscure things about myself and then tag other children's book writers.
1. I never forward an email that tells me to send it to x number of other people. So far, I've evaded bad luck.
2. Similar to Lizann, I love an afternoon handful of potato chips and ignore health concerns.
3. My office is a horror, w/ papers and books everywhere. I'd have to be sick in bed for 3 years to get everything read!
4. I'm compulsive knitter. Yes, I knit at church, at meetings, in grocery line. I have at least 10 WIPs (knitters' talk for Works in Progress).
5. Now I'll get serious--helping Jackson and several other Kenyans with schooling is a passion. It is wonderful to find people who truly want an education, not just so they can make money, but because they have a solid goal. I know I can't change the world but I want to change a teeny corner. Kenyan friend Paul sent me information about a school near Jackson's camp and today our church is contributing 1/2 of collection to the school. (Further information at http://www.heritage-eastafrica.com/giving_back.html#2 and scroll to Empopongi Primary School.) I'm also collecting to help a young Kenyan woman take nursing training. Luckily, I have contacts like Paul and can feel sure contributions are going to help and are not a scam.

Up on my soapbox: Americans can't control how our tax dollars or even our donations to huge charities are used but we can help individuals and small charities. Warning: Anyone should check out a recipient before giving to any charity or individual. If you don't have a personal contact, the husband of a friend works at Global Giving, http://www.globalgiving.com, a clearing house for contributions to projects from all over the world.

Now to figure out who to tag. Ah, Wendie Old www.wendieold.blogspot.com is first!

Such is the writing life!

2007-11-10T07:18:00.000-05:00

I have submitted ELEPHANT CHARGE! VISHINDO VYA TEMBO!! to three publishers. Researching publishers to whom to submit a manuscript (ms) takes a lot of time. Many publishers do not accept manuscripts from writers without an agent and most agents deal only with fiction writers. Even editors with whom I have worked take a long time to respond. They are overwhelmed with the work load. Reading through a mountain of manuscripts to find one worthy of publication and then to get approval to move ahead from the publisher takes at least 6 months. I have friends who have been waiting to hear yea or nay from an editor for two -- 2 -- years!

Yesterday I received a letter from one publisher to whom I sent Elephant Charge on August 22, almost 3 months ago. A writer knows a letter is definitely NOT good news; with good news, most editors phone. This letter was not a rejection. Not quite! It said that the publishing house had been bought by another company and they are no longer publishing children's nonfiction books.

Now I need to decide if I send it out again or wait to hear from the other two publishers.

So the only good news this week is that THE LEAKEYS: A BIOGRAPHY will be published by Prometheus Press as a paperback. That will make it much more accessible to high school students and adults who want to find out more about how humans came to be and the family that has spent 3 generations seeking fossil evidence in the stark, arid, heat-scorching soil of East Africa.

Trip to Kenya

2007-10-28T07:52:00.000-05:00

My husband Carl, daughter Hope, friend Sally, and I have booked a flight to Kenya early in 2008. I am anxious to interview Jackson and meet his family at their Maasai village near Narok, not too far from the Mara, where Jackson works at Siana Springs camp. Hope wanted to spend time at a camp where she could do some hiking. Since Jackson takes visitors on nature walks, it will be exciting for a new friend to lead her on walks.

Although it's fun and interesting to get e-mails from Jackson, I have my iPod with mike all ready to record! What questions should I ask him? Either e-mail me (writer@marybk.com) or add a comment.

A million animals crossing the plains!

2007-10-21T11:28:00.000-05:00

The Serengeti is the vast animal preserve in Tanzania that joins Kenya's Masai Mara. One of the most fantasitc sights is the annual summer migration of animals across these plains to find better grazing north in the Mara. Writers viewing the migration have written that the earth literally shakes as their hooves strike the ground. This year rains have interferred in the migration. Jackson wrote in an e-mail:

"Every year in July, millions of wildebeests and zebras from the Serengeti spread all over the rolling spotted vast plains of the Mara. The migration comes to the Mara in search of good palatable grass and water during the dry months of the year. This year, the patterns of movements were very unusual. The Serengeti has been receiving some rains of late, which confused the animals. Many animals arrived late--by the month of August. The numbers are not as many as last year’s, perhaps just a million animals. Some of the animals are still in the Serengeti.

If the rains stop in the Serengeti, they will still come and join their colleagues in the Mara. The migrating animals are expected to go back to the Serengeti by the end of October."

A Summary of the Trip So Far

2007-09-11T06:11:00.001-05:00

Last spring when I began this blog, my idea was that some teacher friends and their classes, along with other friends and interested folks, may like to periodically check in to follow the sometimes painful, always slow process of researching and writing a nonfiction book for young people. I stopped my journey over the summer but it's a new school year and a fresh start. Here's a review for those who don't want to read through all the posts, although you may want to skim back to see Carl's great photos.

I also suggest you click to the right to subscribe to a cool little service that alerts you when I post somethng new. I use this to monitor web pages I enjoy reading and to my knowledge no spam comes from subscribing!

My book has the working title A MAASAI WARRIOR: LIVING HIS DREAM, PROTECTING THE LAND.
* Who is the warrior in the title? Jackson Liaram is a very intelligent young man who has worked hard to gain his bronze level guiding certification and is a nature specialist at Siana Springs camp in the Masai (or Maasai) Mara, a vast wildlife reserve in southwest Kenya. His village is in the Narok area of Kenya.
* How am I researching? I read everything I can about the Maasai, correspond via email with Jackson, and talk to Kenyans I meet who now live in US. I'm also planning a return trip to Kenya within the next 6 months.
* Do I have a publisher? No. I am writing on spec(ulation) that I can sell it.

Side trips: One letter from Jackson described taking visitors on a nature walk and encountering a mother elephant determined to protect her baby. I turned that adventure into ELEPHANT CHARGE! VISHINDO VYA TEMBO! I'll let readers know about the ups and down of also getting a picture book published in a very tight publishing market.

Will I end up with "egg on my face," to use an old cliché? Possibly. But that's life. Whether school, sports, a job or whatever, you may do the best you can to work hard, make choices, and consider options and sometimes things still don't work out the way you hope. That's life! But I'll let you in on what happens -- good and bad, happy and discouraging -- along the road I'm taking in this winding trip to a published book.

A long letter from Jackson!

2007-06-21T05:14:00.000-05:00

One feels close to nature in Kenya and cannot help marveling at the beauty. Here is a photo and yes, the sky is that blue.

Jackson sent me some wonderful information about his life. I don't want to be a nosy American and probe too personally but, to write an interesting book, I need to collect much information, some I may not use but some that will make the book come alive. He shares fascinating details about his culture. "Religion," he wrote, "is a big part of Maasai life." It is compatible with Christianity and Judaism because they believe in one God, Enkai, from whom all originates.

Jackson grew up in a typical Maasai traditional way but studied religion in school and is now Christian. Since the Maasai believe that God created everything in the universe and value all that lives, there is no conflict. "Being a professional guide and a naturalist, I should protect wildlife for the benefit of future Kenyans and the rest of the world. In this way, I am appreciating and realizing nature itself."

Some people have asked me how he got the name "Jackson," if it has religious or other significance, etc. Good questions and here is his answer: "My English teacher in high school (Mr. Carden) was British and had difficulty in saying Maasai names. He wrote a list of English names for persons to choose. Jackson was the first name and I chose it."

Draft Of Picture Book Completed

2007-06-10T08:07:00.000-05:00

With the help of Norah Olaly, a teacher who speaks Swahili and provided a translation for the title of the picture book, and Edie Hemingway, my writer friend who gave me substantive ideas to improve the telling of the story, I completed a draft of "Elephant Charge! Vishindo vya Tembo!" and sent it to Jackson Liaram and Paul Kirui for vetting.

Although this book is about an elephant, "vetting" in the writing world has nothing to do with animals. To vet means to look critically at content. Jackson provided an exciting story but it needed some fleshing out to turn it into a 28-page picture book. That meant I needed to add some details, like the elephant spreading her ears before charging, and my wildlife experts should have the final word on the final words before I seek a publisher. It is Jackson's story, after all, and he will be senior author. I am simply the conduit who wants to give children in the Western world a taste of the life of a Kenyan guide in one of the most beautiful, exciting, exotic places in the world.

Why 28 pages you ask? Almost every picture book has 32 pp., with title, copyright info. and similar information on 4 pages and 28 pages of writing and illustrations. The book is printed on huge sheets that are then cut into 32 equally-sized pp. It would be a huge waste of money to have a, say 24 page picture book and discard 4 blank pages. You may toss 4 sheets of paper in the recycling bin but if you're a publisher and multiply sheets not used by the number of copies initially printed, perhaps 10,000 -- well, no publisher can afford tossing away the money that amount of paper represents. So 28 pages of words and illustrations is the standard.

The Mara

2007-06-06T08:36:00.000-05:00

In Maa, the language of Jackson’s tribe, "mara" means spotted or dotted. His ancestors, gazing across the grassy land long, long ago, may have named it for the bushes and small trees that look like spots.

Or perhaps the Maasai scanned the distant horizon, as Jackson does today, and the animals they saw appeared to be tiny dots. Are they zebras, grazing as they roam the wide plain? Perhaps they are huge and dangerous gray African buffaloes. Or perhaps nimble impala, enjoying some stems of grass while one, fearing danger from a lurking lion, silently stands guard atop a huge anthill. A guide like Jackson can quickly name the animals moving quietly in the distance.

When we were in the Masai Mara, Paul Kirui, our guide, amazed us by telling us exactly what animals were in Carl's photo, as he snapped it.

A New Plan

2007-06-05T08:11:00.000-05:00

Just for fun, here's a picture of me feeding a giraffe at the Giraffe Centre outside Nairobi. The giraffe was very gentle taking the pellets from my hand, but he did drool!

Like most writing projects I undertake, the middle grade book on my Maasai young man and Kenya conservation is become more involved than I expected. Wow, the subject of the book really sounds boring -- but I feel I can make it into an exciting read, given time and research.

I mentioned a picture book several days ago and began it. But it seemed to cover too much. Then yesterday I awoke with the idea that I should take the description of an incident Jackson sent me, about an elephant charge, and turn only that story into a picture book. I spent most of yesterday writing it. It lacks the ever elusive writing pizzazz but I have turned it over to a writer friend, Edie Hemingway (yes, her name is E. Hemingway www.ediehemingway.com) for a critique and suggestions.

And that's a good idea for any of you guys reading this (regardless of age) who are in school:

(1) Let what you write cool a while, as I mentioned a post or so ago, and ...

(2) Use a buddy for suggestions, including both content and conventions of English (spelling, punctuation, word choice, etc.) The buddy shouldn't re-write it but another pair of eyes can be helpful and pick up things you don't catch and spell and grammar checks won't catch.

One of Jackson's experiences

2007-06-02T19:49:00.000-05:00

Does this sound like a young (or old) person you know?

The visitors watched in awe for two hours while thousands of wildebeests crossed the Mara River during their yearly migration north from Tanzania into Kenya. When the driver of the Land Rover told them it was time to return to their camp for lunch, the ten-year-old girl became disappointed and then angry and wanted to stay. Watching the animals swim and fight their way across and clumsily scramble up the river bank while avoiding dangerous predators wanting a tasty lunch was far more interesting than her own lunch.

“No,” her parents said as the driver pulled away, “it’s time to return.” Suddenly the engine of the Land Rover coughed…and stopped. Jackson radioed the Siana Springs Camp and asked for rescue. At last a very happy young girl, who was able to watch the crossing for two more hours, and her parents finally sat down to their own meal.