Writing



                                           





                

"Foday Musa Suso: A Village Boy and the World" is available as an e-book or paperback from Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores!

In the summer of 2014, Gambian griot and virtuoso musician Foday Musa Suso sat down with me to begin recording what would end up being over 200 hours of his lifetime of memories.   Our friendship of 40+ years made it a very enjoyable process, from our first session to the many hours of compiling the recordings into a one-of-a-kind, written autobiography.  Its 30 chapters detail his amazing journey from a childhood in a remote and traditional Gambian village to performing and recording all over the world with some of the preeminent composers and musicians of our time.   It's over 450 pages, including a foreword by longtime friend and collaborator Philip Glass, and over 50 photos from Foday's personal collection. 

The photo above was taken at the book release party on September 16th, 2019, which was held at  the NYC home of Susan and David Rockefeller.

I have finally recently begun writing another book, one that has been "brewing" in my mind and heart for many years.  


It's hard to give a quick description of what it's about, but basically it's a personal journey of understanding the complexities of my ancestry and family history, and of understanding my own experiences growing up in a country that has been plagued with racism since its inception.


Its working title is: 1/32 (One Thirty-Second).  

This is a photo of my great-grandparents near their home on the Isle of Pines, Cuba, holding my mother.

Over the years, many people have asked me why I haven't written a book about organic gardening, and/or about my 25+ years of outdoor teaching experiences with kids.  Perhaps someday I will... but until then, I think you'll enjoy my Tales from the Garden blog.  It's filled with true stories about gardening and nature in the Pacific Northwest and Desert Southwest, and tips for gardening in both areas.

For several years, I also wrote a monthly column for The Southern Arizona Connection titled "Tales from the Garden", about the wildlife and plants of the Sonoran Desert that live in or visit my garden in Arivaca.

The Connection was a wonderful, free, open-forum newspaper in publication from 1983-2022.

Back issues are still available to read online.  

Other Published Garden and Nature Writing, Photos, and Illustrations: