News
Read to Roam Book for March: Village Weavers by Myriam J.A. Chancy
On the second page of Myriam Chancy's new novel, there's a scene that will resonate with every one of us who has wondered where our ancestral family came from: how we fit in the world; who we became because our great grandparents left home, made sacrifices, made choices.
In describing a lush, interior, magical world, a grandmother is immersing her granddaughter in an identity that's deeply rooted in the island from which they came. She tells the young girl that they are "of the land":
"Where I come from," Momo says, "deep, deep in the interior of Haiti, there are flat areas that give way to forests and rivers, gullies with springs, waterfalls.....Because of the rivers, the forests, there are also snakes. They are mostly harmless but some are magical. "The snakes are the Simbi coming onto dry land to see what we are up to out there, checking on us to guard from foolishness, occasionally to warn us."
Chancy, an award-winning novelist who is Haitian and Canadian, sweeps us into life in Haiti before the island's people were beset with corrupt leaders and poverty, and follows two best friends whose lives diverge as they emigrate to America.
I love this story for the alluring landscapes and nuanced friendship. Catch my interview with Myriam Chancy on Friday, April 5th on MPR.
Life of Pi Wildlife Safari to India, 2025!
Ever remember the experience of reading an extraordinary book? Not just the book itself, but where you were when you immersed yourself in the pages?
Yann Martel's fantastical, award-winning novel, "Life of Pi," was published in September of 2001. We were in the calamitous aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, I was working fourteen hour days as a journalist and I let the novel ferry me away to a wild and different place and time.
As we journey together in The "Life of Pi" Wildlife Safari, we'll explore misty mountain preserves and thriving nature parks, temples, palaces and historic lodges.
This trip will fill quickly and, as always, I'm keeping the group small. But I can't think of a better way to share my love of this novel with my appreciation for the wonders of India's wildlife, than in the company of book-loving friends.
So, please consider coming along!
https://www.sirensojourns.com/life-of-pi
The Birds in Amy Tan's Backyard!
What does the wonderful Amy Tan see when she gazes into the wilds of her back yard? She has an upcoming book titled, "The Backyard Bird Chronicles" and here's a glimpse via The Paris Review. https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2024/03/13/backyard-bird-diary/
Secret Siren Sojourn! September, 2025
...How's this for a teaser, my adventurous friends?
I'm creating a scrumptious getaway at one of the most delightfully bookish destinations I've ever encountered.
And I'm keeping it a secret!!
Do you dare put your destiny in my hands?
September, 2025.
Clues sent straight to your email when you join the "Siren Sojourns Surprise Me!" list.
Why You Should Read Nikki Giovanni's Poems. And her memoir.
She's a live-wire, an activist, a cage-rattler and one of my all time favorite guests for Talking Volumes.
Don't miss this excellent profile by Colin Grant at The Guardian of London.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/24/at-80-i-still-have-a-lot-of-anger-american-poet-nikki-giovanni