Disclaimer: The Page 69 Test is not mine. It has been around since 2007, asking authors to compare page 69 against the meat of the actual story it is a part of. I loved the whole idea of it and so I'm stealing it specifically to showcase small press titles - novels, novellas, short story collections, the works! So until the founder of The Page 69 Test calls a cease and desist, let's do this thing....
In this installment of Page 69,
We put Sarina Prabasi's The Coffeehouse Resistance: Brewing Hope in Desperate Times to the test!
Page 69 falls just as we’ve moved to New York City from
Addis Ababa. Though we loved our life in Ethiopia, we’ve come to America
seeking our version of the American Dream. We’ve recently arrived in the
Northern Manhattan neighborhood where much of the story then unfolds. Our
business is in the still-an-idea stage, and we’ve just decided on a name for it
that feels right. It’s a time of great possibility and risk, and my husband, Elias,
and I along with our toddler daughter are adjusting to our new home.
What The Coffeehouse Resistance: Brewing Hope in
Desperate Times is about:
This is a book
about love, coffee and the American Dream. It’s a memoir – so it’s about me,
and my family – it’s about the places we left behind, the reasons we came to
America and the work we must do to make this the country live up to its
promise. It’s also about coffee and reclaiming the history of coffeehouses
throughout history, as a place where people come together, and our coffeehouses
become hubs for local organizing and action. Ultimately this is a book about
hope, building community, and fighting for our (American) dreams.
Do you think this page gives our readers an accurate
sense of what the collection is about? Does it align itself the collection’s
theme?
It’s striking how the page does hit on some major themes of
the book. When I read page 69 by itself, I realize that from the very
beginning, in its conception starting a business was also about making a
statement, about claiming and fully owning an identity. Also, dislocation and
alienation, of being in a new place where so much is unfamiliar. A reader might
sense the contrast with our old life (which is not described on this page) from
the description of our surroundings in our New York neighborhood. And, I think the page hints at the central
place family and community will take in the story.
PAGE 69
THE COFFEEHOUSE RESISTANCE
We,
on the other hand, are black and brown, and like the coffee, have grown and
been nurtured on African and Asian soil. Naming our company Buunni is a
counterpoint to the prevailing coffee culture that we observe. We decide on our
company’s name and smile at our inside joke.
#
We
begin to adjust to our new life in New York, which is at times in jarring
contrast to the life we left in Addis Ababa. The sidewalks in our part of
Manhattan smell like dog piss in the steaming muggy summer heat, and the smell
only sharpens in the crisp fall and dry winter air. But we live near a gorgeous
park—a hidden gem near the very top of Manhattan. Our walks in Fort Tryon Park
are a physical relief from our cramped quarters, and the river views, the
garden of all seasons, and the open expanses are a respite from the view from
our own apartment windows— they look into other people’s homes, and a brick
wall. We get to know many of our neighbors during our strolls in the Fort Tryon
Park and the hours Juni spends in the two neighborhood playgrounds closest to
us. These spaces offer an informal gathering place to meet other people in the
community, parents, childcare providers, grandparents, and visiting relatives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SARINA PRABASI has lived the life of a global nomad and is a
new American. She was born in the Netherlands to Nepali parents, and was raised
in India, China and Nepal, after which she spent formative years in the United
States and in Ethiopia. Sarina is a seasoned leader in international development—working
on global health, education, water and sanitation for over 25 years. In 2011,
she moved from Addis Ababa to New York City and started Buunni Coffee with her
husband. Their small business has become a hub for community conversation and
action. Sarina is the proud mama of two daughters, who keep her learning and
laughing every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment