Westport in the News, Again!
Westport has been in the news with the corona virus. First it was the famous party in early March where at least 17 people became infected. Then it was the short-lived pandemic drone – an idea to monitor gatherings, quickly dropped when many objected.
As Dan Woog said in his blog 06880 a few days ago,
After 2 turns in the national media glare, the 3rd time’s the charm.
Today, Vanity Fair turns its spotlight on the men and women who keep Westport going in a pandemic.
Stephen Wilkes is a photographer and National Geographic Explorer. He’s documented endangered species and habitats, rising seas, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Ellis Island in decay and more.
He’s also a Westporter.
Now at last we have a positive story. Wilkes took a series of photos of the shops staying open and shop owners making sure townspeople are safe.
If you’re in Westport, tell me whether you visit the places Wilkes photographed. Are there other favorite places you visit now or where you wish you could go?
Book Recommendation
Jen Blankfein writes great book reviews every few days on her blog, Book Nation by Jen. I subscribe and read her reviews. Her comments are always interesting and make me want to read many of her recommendations.
But I read for two book groups each month. I blog every four days. My own book on Nigerian cuisine is waiting. And I have my Sister Grannies, a monthly writing group. So I don’t often pick up the books Jen recommends.
But one she specially told me about I will definitely read! That’s the one here – The Girl with the Louding Voice. Watch the review and see if you agree!
Maybe one of my book groups will agree to read it!
Chimamanda Adichie on Writing and Reading
I missed the New York Times interview with Chimamanda Adichie recently. It was in the Book Review section, which I forget to read now that I’m only reading the paper online.
Clem liked The New York Times in print, and I liked the Book Review, News in Review, and the Style sections in print on the weekends. But I cancelled the print edition when he stopped reading the paper.
Now I’ll try to remember to read the sections I like online!
The interviewer, Jillian Tamaki, asks Adichie, “Can a great book be badly written? What other criteria can overcome bad prose?”
I love Chimamanda’s answer: “Many accounts of precolonial Africa are not necessarily paragons of style but their greatness is in the importance of what they document. I like the music of words but I like, more so, the meaning of words.”
Tamaki asks Adichie, “Which writers — novelists, playwrights, critics, journalists, poets — working today do you admire most?”
How many would you name? I probably could think of 10 or 12. Adichie names 27!
The interviewer asks how she organizes her books. Her answer: “I don’t. But I’d very much like to.”
Do you organize your books? How?
Repatriation Flights
Granddaughter Teya measuring my hair before cutting
My daughter Beth was one of 997 Americans repatriated by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria. Nigeria’s Premium Times reported on the flights a couple of days ago, using a press release from April 9.
“United States Consul General Claire Pierangelo noted that in times of emergency, the United States Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas,” the statement said.
She thanked the Nigerian partners who helped ensure that Americans could reach the airports without difficulty. Three flights left from Lagos and one from Abuja.
I wonder if there will be another – I did submit my information so I could be included, but after hearing about Beth’s experience I’d certainly prefer going on a regular flight.
She reported that there was a lot of standing in lines and waiting. The air conditioning at the airport hasn’t worked adequately for ages so it was hot! There was no attempt at social distancing.
Making the final cut
Her flight didn’t depart from the Lagos airport until around 2 pm. She’d been told to report no later than 9 am!
As of now, the first Delta flight out will be May 11. I have a seat booked, but will the flight actually go?
Nigeria and the Virus
Just as in Connecticut, wearing masks has been made compulsory in Lagos State. The governor of Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria and megalopolis of 20 million, made the statement on Sunday.
The announcement said, “Lagos, the neighbouring state of Ogun and the federal capital Abuja have been placed since the end of March under total containment in order to stop the spread of the virus which has officially caused to date 35 deaths for 1,182 confirmed cases in Nigeria, including 19 deaths for 689 cases in Lagos.”
When the cook Gratien went to the shop today, he wore a mask. “If we didn’t wear mask, they wouldn’t let us enter,” he said.
