Memories of the 28 June Deep Valley Book Festival

The Deep Valley Book Festival, which I mentioned a few days ago, took place, as planned, on June 28, in Mankato. It was organized by the Betsy-Tacy Society.

My daughter Zawadi and I arrived at the Festival venue about 11: 10am and set up our table. I displayed my books and several other items.



When we arrived, most vendors had set up their tables, and visitors were already streaming in. I always enjoy watching people coming to book festivals. I am both impressed and inspired by their interest in books and their authors, publishers, editors, and illustrators. Like them, I find it hard to miss such events.







Across from us, we saw author Becky Fjelland Davis, whom we knew. She had invited me to South Central College in Mankato a few weeks before, to give talks as part of the orientation for a group she was taking to South Africa. Zawadi came with me on that trip, which Becky wrote about on her blog. In the photo on the left, Becky, on the right, is sitting with writer Kirstin Cronn-Mills, who told me she had attended my talk at South Central College.

Becky had also invited me in 2013, to speak with a group of students she was taking to South Africa. My visit was part of the orientation for the trip, and she reported it on her blog.

I enjoy attending book festivals. I am touched in a particular way when I see children. Fortunately, the Deep Valley Book Festival, like other festivals I have attended, featured children's authors.

We had barely settled down when the first visitor came to our table. From then onwards we had a string of visitors, coming at manageable intervals, enough to keep us occupied but not overwhelmed. Most memorable were visitors who had been to Africa: Botswana, Namibia, and Tanzania. It is, indeed, a small world.


My daughter and I went to the Deep Valley Book Festival expecting to meet people who had traveled to South Africa with Becky. Our expectations came true; we saw several of them.

In the photo on the left, my daughter and I are seen with Becky and Paul Dobratz. They regaled us with tales of their adventures in South Africa. It was a memorable reunion, considering that we had met in Mankato before their trip.

Looking Forward to the Deep Valley Book Festival, June 28

Tomorrow, I will be at the Deep Valley Book Festival in Mankato, Minnesota. I look forward to visiting Mankato again, having been there a number of times. I participated in the Deep Valley Book Festival several times  a number of years ago.

I also gave talks there, including one to a gathering of immigrants and refugees, and, more recently, to audiences at South Central College. On all these occasions, I met people who have continued to be part of my network of friends and acquaintances.

The book festivals, of course, are a great opportunity to meet authors, publishers, editors, educators, and readers and learn from them. It is a great opportunity to share my ideas, talk about my work as an educator and cultural consultant, and to showcase my writings.

In these festivals, I discover the great wealth of writing that is flourishing around us, and experience the joy of buying books and having them signed by the authors. As I am writing this blog post, for example, I have next to me a copy of John Calvin Rezmerski's What Do I know? New & Selected Poems, which bears the author's inscription and signature:

for Joseph Mbele--
Wonderful to talk with you at Deep Valley Book Festival
John Calvin Rezmerski

I look forward to meeting people I know, such as author Becky Fjelland Davis, who will be participating in the Festival. She is an inspiring educator, who has taken Americans on study trips to South Africa, and who is one of my most faithful readers. Thank you, Becky.