Hungry Planet

Hungry Planet

Last Fall I was looking through the library of John and Shelley
Jemison (they of Orono Community Garden fame). One of my more
obnoxious habits is my inability to keep my hands off books. I found
a volume I absolutely HAD TO read. They were gracious enough to lend
it. The only reason it took me awhile to get to is my library borrows
were always coming due. But when I did read it it was even more
amazing than it looked. So of course I have to tell you about it.
I'm sure you've heard at least a gazillion times that a picture
is worth a thousand words. Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio's Hungry
Planet: What The World Eats epitomizes this saying. We know that
millions of people in the world exist at starvation's doorstep while,
at the other extreme, legions hasten their own demises by eating too
much of the wrong stuff. Even if you're a really caring person like
me, the sheer magnitude of the problem can make it hard to
conceptualize. Hungry Planet makes it much more personal and possible
to grasp.
The chapters of Hungry Planet focus on families around the
world. Each starts with a picture of the family with a week's worth
of food. A reader can clearly grasp the contrast, just by studying
the pictures, between denizens of the United States and those of Chad,
where both refugees from Sudan's Civil War and native families exist
in extreme food insecurity. Each family is portrayed beautifully
through words and pictures as an entity unto itself and citizens of a
particular region and nation. Among the very fascinating folks you'll
meet are:
*the Namgay's of Bhutan who are getting access to electricity for the
first time through a government program;
*the Dudos of Sarajevo enjoying relative plenty after a past (for the
parents) of war and famine;
*the single parent headed Aboubskars struggling to survive in a refuge
camp after fleeing the Janjawiid;
*the Chinese three generation Cui family navigating rapidly changing
ways of life and eating;
*the Le Moines of France balancing the hectic schedules of young adult
children and working parents...
Although the families are front and center you learn a lot about
the cultures. Some details are whimsical. Where we tend to take a
car or truck to shop some people use donkeys to carry purchases or
travel on a sled pulled by a dog team. Some are thought provoking.
Contrasts between the experiences of grandparents, parents, and
children give provocative glimpses into how societies are evolving.
And some should make us angry. In India a minority of the population
has access to sanitation. Open defecation not only facilitates the
rapid spread of disease, but puts girls and women in very real danger.
This is a relatively older book that came out in 2005, but well
worth reading. I'd suggest inter library loan or a used book store.
On a personal note, last month I was the paparazzi (dressed as an
enchanted ladybug) for an Orono Public Library Harry Potter children's
party. When I saw my pictures on a computer screen I was astounded to
see how good they were. I have a feel for photography and plan to
take an adult ed class to bring my technical expertise up this fall.
The end game is to wed this skill with my journalism abilities to be
able to create this type of book. The first one on my agenda will
celebrate the beauty and devotion of people who have been married a
long time.
A great big shout out goes out to photojournalists all over the world.
Julia Emily Hathaway


Sent from my iPod