Dust (51 page)

Seed-planters: family, teachers, mentors. Daddy, irrepressible, eternal, dearly missed Tom Diju; Mummy, gorgeous great-souled story-woman, Mary Sero; long-suffering siblings who have survived some dangerous yarns, always love. Gilbert Kairo, life saver; Uncle Okoyo, who convinced a child that hares lisp and plot; Mrs. Saunders, who stuck five gold stars to a desperately shy student’s first poem; Margaret Odhiambo, who lit fires in darkness; Sr. Maureen, who tore open the essence within words; Ben Zulu and the ASDF, who demanded more from the stories Africa tells; Eugenio Ferrari, CM who asked, “The book?” Then prayed.

Nick Elam and the Caine Prize for African Writing family, thank you for the flame. Chris Merrill, Hugh Ferrer, Natasa Durovicova, Kelly Bedeian, and the 2005 IWP cohort—you salvaged story sense for me. I am indebted to the Lanaan Foundation for the treasured gift of time and place, and always to Beverly Singer and Jon Davis, for dragging open New Mexico’s doors for me, land of light-painted memory and enchanted friendship journeys; to all the students of the IAIA, for your beauty, inspiration, and the anvil of words; monks of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, New Mexico: I needed the liturgy, the starkness, that silence. I needed your hearts and The Presence, thank you.

Brisbane! The 2010 Writers’ Festival community, the array of zealous readers. “Didgeridoo” Joel, Carien, Theodora Le Souquet, Joe Bageant, who summoned songs from darkness, and honey-voiced Christa,
who pointed out
a
way. Later, the University of Queensland and Veny Armanno, for the gift of inspired space to create unfettered, Gillian Whitlock, for order out of chaos, and Paul and Kay Bertini, who made their hearts a sanctuary for a wandering soul.

A long but still an imperfect thank-you litany: Michael Onyango, Elly Kaniaru, Ken and Pauline Mbogo, Ebba Kalondo, Rob Burnet, Munira Humoud, Mshai Mwangola, Wambui Mwangi, Bettina Ng’weno, Ngwatilo Mawiyoo, David Oluoch-Olunya, Lucia Rikiaki, Reinhart Kisaala, Joseph Ngala, Joy Muballe, Reshma Khan, Shiko Kihara, Chris and Irene Okoko, Dodo Cunningham-Reid, Ludovico Gnecci, Sarah and Tristan Callinan, Jin-Hee O, Aghan Odero, Atsango and Maureen Chesoni, Chiuri Ngugi, Giang Nguyen, Christine Bala, Kim Lee Seok, Gerry Gitonga, Kitenga Muhidin, Maina Kiarie, Georgina Okoyo, Nilofer Elias, Arthur Moke, Alphonse Ouma, Anto Poruthur, Jean-Marie Bilwala-Kabesa, Haji Gora Haji, Helen Peeks, Sammy Muvelah, Daudi Were, Guillaume Bonn, Debra Mugobogobo, Isobel Manuel, June Wanjiru, Kees van Velzen, Jane Omollo, Ntone Edjabe, Joan Vilakati, Mary Odongo, Chris Odongo, Emerson Skeens, Newton Osiemo, Musonda Mumba, Rasna Warah, Jael Alaro, Anna Okayo, Myra Mutsune, Wanjiru Gikonyo, Luhindi Sinzomene, James Murua, Alex Awiti, Emma Ganda, Onesmo ole Moiyoi, Julian von Hirschberg, Njalis ole Shuel, Salim Talib, Don Henry, Leah Gachui, Godrick Otieno, Paul Nyawade, Nestanet Tadesse, Gladys Gitau, Peter Kariuki, Pete Tidemann, Antoinette Kankedi, Tom Burke, Fiona Cunningham-Reid, Shailja Patel, Peter and Danielle Onyango, Esther Achieng, Rafique Keshavjee, Christine “Maga” Agallo, Eric Orende, Muthoni Garland, Jan Selman, Andrew Harrison, Monica Karanja, Davis Tashboya, Mercy Ojwang, Fellician Mabunda, Maryann and Marilyn Skelly, Martin Kimani, Tony Mochama, Mike Murnane, and many, many others who knowingly or unwittingly participated in this adventure.

Finally, thank you, Kenya—my canvas, haunting, rage, passion, song, impulse, yearning, love, frustration, and inspiration, and your fierce, fun, and fascinating peoples, who laugh at themselves, and muddle hard toward a good ached for. To “disappeared” Kenyans, the ones we prefer to forget. Thank you
jo’ nam lolwe
and denizens of our northern lands, gifted teachers and trustees of life; I beg your indulgence. I have reshaped trails, places, words, narratives, people, creatures, landscape, and names in order to carve out this story.

A Note About the Author

Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor was born in Kenya. Winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing, she has also received an Iowa Writers’ Fellowship. Her work has appeared in
McSweeney’s
and other publications, and she has been a TEDx Nairobi speaker and a Lannan Foundation resident. She lives in Brisbane, Australia.

Follow:
@AdhiamboKE

For more information, please visit
www.aaknopf.com