Trial by Sasswood, Esther Sietmann Warner Dendel

A random book in a stack at s&co in latin quarter.

Trial by Sasswood by Esther Sietmann Warner Dendel
www.flickr.com/photos/austinevan/2254472681/
Published - London : Gollancz, 1955

The New Yorker calls it 'A warm, funny, and wonderful book,' a story of how a white woman living in West Africa accompanied one of her 'boys,' a semi-Christianized African named Comma, on a journey back to his tribal village where he was to undergo a trial by ordeal to vindicate himself of a charge of theft."

www.las.iastate.edu/kiosk/2770.shtml

Esther Sietmann Dendel is artist, writer, humanitarian, scholar, teacher, friend, and recipient of Iowa State University's Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Esther was born to Lewis and Grace Sietmann on a farm southwest of Laurel, Iowa--but let Esther describe the highlights of her life in her own words:

Halley's comet was streaking over the frozen corn fields on the night I was born, February 2, 1910, near Laurel, Iowa. An old neighbor woman, a seer of sorts, told my mother that her child was destined to streak across the world like the comet, that she would never be content until she had seen other lands and knew other peoples. This foretelling was given impetus when at age 10, I became, heart and soul, immersed in 4-H club work. We learned folk dances, learned to recognize great paintings from European countries, and to listen to opera and symphonies. In college there was an International House where we met and made friends with students from all over. And finally, in graduate school at Columbia I saw an exhibit of African masks, so powerful in their expressiveness that I went about in a daze afterwards, wondering how I could get to Africa to try to learn about the kind of living that enabled artists to produce this kind of art. I determined I would get to Africa even if I had to swim.

In 1941 I did get to Africa. The man to whom I was married had a job in the Research Department of the Firestone Rubber Company in Liberia. At that time there were no roads in Liberia except along the coast. During the next two years I walked across Liberia twice, staying in small villages, studying the crafts, learning the folk tales and customs of the people. These villages were connected by narrow foot paths winding through the rain forest. The hinterland settlements were just beginning to come into a money economy. Life went on much as it had for centuries. In order to finance my explorations I got into the business of collecting and training baby chimpanzees which were eventually sent to an animal farm in Florida.

What I learned about the people and their culture was recorded in notes which became "New Song in a Strange Land". My adventures with the chimpanzees became "Seven Days to Lomeland". My friendship with a young black nurse became fictionalized in "The Silk Cotton Tree".

Between explorations when I was down at the coast I had a mud and thatch studio where anyone was welcome to come to paint or to carve. Among those who did was one of exceptional talent, Jo Dendel. We talked about the possibility of producing what we might design after the war was over and both of us might be back in the States. This idea became Denwar Ceramics in 1946 when we moved to Costa Mesa.

After 20 years we had saved enough money to make a return trip to Liberia. Much had changed but not the custom of "dowry" which is really the buying and selling of little girls. This story I have told in "The Crossing Fee".

Meanwhile Denwar thrived. Jo and I enjoyed being business partners and decided to make it a life affair by marrying in 1950. In addition to the African books we did four "how-to" books for which there seemed to be a need. Jo did the photography and the drawings. The Thursday workshop helped with the projects that were illustrated.

I have left out some large hunks of my life, particularly the six years I worked in Appalachia between my sophomore and junior years at Iowa State and the rewarding time I spent teaching at the U. of Minnesota under the guidance of the Goldsteins.
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The above autobiographical sketch was
written when Esther was seventy-nine years old. Six years later, in 1995, at the age of eighty-five, she continues to be an outstanding role model to many women.

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In addition to "trial by sasswood", she has written several other books drawn from her experiences in Africa:

www.allbookstores.com/author/Esther_Warner_Dendel.html

You Cannot Unsneeze a Sneeze and Other Tales from Liberia
by Esther Warner Dendel
November 1995, Hardcover
List Price: $22.50

The Basic Book of Twining
by Esther Warner Dendel
January 1978, Book

Designing from Nature : A Source Book for Artists and Craftsmen
by Esther Warner Dendel
January 1978, Book, 1st edition

Designing from Nature : A Source Book for Artists and Craftsmen
by Esther Warner Dendel
January 1978, Book, 1st edition

African Fabric Crafts : Sources of African Design and Technique
by Esther Warner Dendel
January 1974, Book, 1st edition

The Basic Book of Fingerweaving
by Esther Warner Dendel
January 1974, Book

Trial by Sasswood
by Esther Warner Dendel
January 1970, Book

The Crossing Fee : A Story of Life in Liberia
by Esther Warner Dendel
February 2008, Book

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Underneath is "A pack of liars" by Anne Fine. Synopsis: Laura finds herself in correspondence with a boring girl called Miranda. She decides to liven things up by pretending to be Lady Melody from a noble family, but then she discovers that Miranda is really a professional thief who steals from the rich to give to the poor - a modern Robin Hood.

By Conor Byrne "Conor" (Hampshire England) - See all my reviews

This book is fantastic; I read it a couple of weeks ago and it's all about two (I think)Year 6 children called Laura Irwin and Oliver Boot, whose teacher is Mrs Coverley. They have to get penpals and write letters to them - although everyone in Mrs Coverley's class - except Oliver, who is fearless and admirable - is boring and when Laura pays a visit to Sticklebury (where they all seem to come from) she finds they DON'T EXIST!!! It's just some boring, middle-aged man who steals people's garden clippers and microwaves to help people, and he asks the kids in their letters 'Do you have microwaves?' bla bla bla. Laura, however, to make it seem less boring, calls herself Lady Melody Irwin, and invents a story of how she is from a noble and rich family. After reading 'Bad Dreams' 'The Tulip Touch' and quite a few more, I was not disappointed by this brilliant new Anne fine novel. You'll enjoy it, I promise. If you liked it, read 'Bill's New Frock', 'The Granny Project' or 'Round behind the Icehouse' (all by Anne Fine).

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