The Hawk

Issue date: 2/21/07 Section: Entertainment

Boys from Sierra Leone are often forced into military service.

Thursday morning, Big White and I were lounging around the living room, watching "The Daily Show". The guest was Ishmael Beah. Beah recently released "A Long Way Gone", an account of his youth in Sierra Leone (i.e. the country Kanye West refers to in "Diamonds from Sierra Leone"). "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart continually praised Beah and his book during the interview. When it was over, both Big and I said the same thing exactly two seconds apart.

"Yo, I kind of want to read that."

Later in the day, I decided to brave the cold and walk down to Whole Foods to get something for dinner and eat free samples.

1.) Garlic and herb seasoned chicken

2.) Red garlic potatoes

3.) A baguette of honey, wheat bread

Then, I walked across the street to Starbucks. I enjoy the music they play, but that place always makes me both incredibly uncomfortable and massively self-conscious. I became way too sensitive to my every move. I felt like a tormented superhero.

I ordered a Café Mocha, no whipped cream, and while I was waiting, I checked out the various items on display at the counter. Norah Jones, The Shins, and, unbelievably, "A Long Way Gone". And they're even going to donate two bucks to UNICEF (minimum contribution: $100,000). What magnificent Americans we all were.

The book sitting there seemed like either:

A.) I was the exact person envisioned when Beah's publisher discussed ideas for marketing A Long Way Gone.

B.) This was a sign and I had no choice but to buy the book. And they donate to UNICEF. Starbucks is unbelievable. If I buy this book, I'm unbelievable.

I liked the idea of B.

Rushing home with my book, my baguette of fancy bread, and cup of potatoes, I felt like I was really doing something incredibly worldly and hippishly noble like I was some sort of superhero.

However, there is nothing like a good book to totally alter and dismantle your grandiose perception of yourself.

"A Long Way Gone" is the story of Beah's tragic and horrifying wanderings all over Sierra Leone when the country was being ravished by civil wars in the mid-90s. Beah gets separated from his family and his friends, meets up with new friends, and eventually is forced into serving in the army, fighting against the rebels he is now convinced are responsible for sending his life in such a horrible direction. Beah is transformed from a happy, young kid who loves dancing and listening to American hip-hop into a merciless killing machine functioning on a strict diet of marijuana, coke, and brown brown, a mixture of cocaine and gun powder.

Continued...

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