My Book Donation to "Papa's Shadow"

During the recent Ramble Pictures fundraising campaign for the documentary film, Papa's Shadow, I contributed a little money and copies of my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences. to be given to donors who gave 200 dollars and above.

Today, Jimmy Gildea, founder of Ramble Pictures and maker of Papa's Shadow, who was one of the students in my Hemingway in East Africa course, visited me at St. Olaf College as we had agreed, to get the books. I signed five copies, and we had some time to talk about Ernest Hemingway, our visit to Montana, the fundraising campaign, and so forth.

Jimmy also took the opportunity to film some footage of me reading Green Hills of Africa and taking a short walk in St. Olaf College's quadrangle. Jimmy wondered if I had any photos from my childhood or younger days. I could tell he was keen to add these elements to Papa's Shadow, although it is a wonderful documentary as it is. I know because I have seen it.

Papa's Shadow will be released soon, Jimmy believes, probably in February. It is not a work of fiction but a documentary on the life, travels, writing, and philosophy of Ernest Hemingway, especially as pertaining to his East African safaris in 1933-34 and 1953-54. Much of it is a conversation on these topics between me and Patrick Hemingway, the only remaining child of Ernest Hemingway. I can hardly wait for the release of this documentary to the world.

Matema Beach, Here we Come

Lately, I have been thinking a great deal about Matema Beach, a little village at the northern tip of Lake Nyasa, Tanzania. I have never visited it, but I am planning to, this summer, with students from the Lutheran Colleges Consortium for Tanzania.

I normally don't blog about places I have not yet visited. I write after I have been there. From all accounts, Matema Beach is different, nothing short of bewitching. Intrepid tourists who get to Matema Beach extol its charm. I find myself dreaming of the magic of the Lake, its sparkling clear water and its gorgeous, sand laden beaches, over which the waves break repeatedly with either a hushed or mighty roar I myself witnessed at Mbamba Bay, further south.

I have been reading about Matema Beach and consulting friends. I know, for example, where to stay. There is the Matema Beach Resort and the Lutheran Center.

I look forward to adding Matema Beach to my list of favourite spots on planet earth. It is going to be quite an adventure, as others have described it, and I hope to join the growing group of bloggers who have written about it, in English, German, Swahili, and perhaps other languages. Matema Beach, here we come.