Writing a Book--The Winding Path

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.