I met the author and his wife, Suzanne, several years ago over lunch in Phoenix, discussing fundraising strategies for an NGO they set up in Guatemala, “Seeds for a Future,” which provides training to impoverished rural women in Guatemala, to improve family access to food and nutrition. I soon learned that we shared a love and appreciation of Guatemala and the Desert Southwest, and that Earl was also a writer and, in his case, a poet.
I was surprised to learn that he started writing as far back as 1959 and is publishing this spring an autographical novel laced with poetry and photos about his adventures as a young man in the Sonoran deserts of Baja California, Mexico, and Arizona, A Finger of Land On An Old Man’s Hand. As a high school senior, he came across one of the best Chinese poets, Li Po, who was noted for his elegant romantic verse, which the author felt drawn to express to some of the various women in his life. He was soon writing about nature, the environment, cities, and social issues, and his imagination was fueled by his travels through Central America, the Sonoran Desert, and the Andes. “Everything I experience has potential for a poem—even the increasingly dreadful business of politics.”
His latest book, Big Ears Jack and Friends, is an enchanting collection of 13 short fantasy stories featuring animals and plants from the Sonoran Desert of Baja California. De Berge created the following memorable desert critters: Big Ears Jack has the lead role, huge ears, and magical powers to use for good. My other favorite cast members include Nosey and Wag, the mischievous coyote brothers; Lady Treble Clef, a watchful cactus; a memorable bobcat, Miss Mucha Purrs; and a scheming seagull named Swindler, among other friends.
Earl wrote the book with young people in mind to encourage them to respect the desert, and to his surprise, it appeals to older readers. I’m looking forward to reading some of these tall tales to my three small grandchildren, who end each night in my office for “reading time.”
The cover is simple but magical and reflects the myriad animal characters in the book. The drawings are pleasing but also accurate enough to distinguish the different animal characters in the book. Kristina Sonderegger artistically depicted the critters in a drawing of the host of critters overlaying a photo of the Sonoran Desert.
About the author
Earl de Berge, an Arizona native, is a writer, photographer, and poet. His education includes Antioch College (BA) and the University of Arizona (MA). A political scientist, he founded the Behavior Research Center, created the respected Rocky Mountain Poll, and was Editor for 35 years. Writing poetry since 1959, Earl often focuses on his fascination with the Sonoran Desert and his experiences in Guatemala’s post-civil war years. He draws inspiration from the environment, poverty, shadows, friendship, loneliness, hope, aging, coyotes, hawks, brigands, fools, danger and death, and, of course, politics. Earl’s photographs, logbooks, and essays reflecting on life experiences are foundations for his prose and poetry. Earl has recently published three collections of his poems, “Alegro to Life,” “Swans to Carry Me,” and “Wind in the Elephant Tree,” which touch on nature, human nature, love, desert silence, and life in Guatemala. He is currently assembling “The Man Who Ate His Dreams,” a biography of a rags-to-riches businessman, artist, and poet, and a collection of short desert stories for young readers. Earl and his wife Suzanne split their time between Arizona and Guatemala, where they founded the nonprofit Seeds for a Future to help impoverished rural women improve their families’ access to adequate food and nutrition with home gardens and small animal protein sources. You can learn more at Author | Earl Vincent de Berge | A Finger Of Land | Home
About the Reviewer
Mark Walker was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala and spent over forty years helping disadvantaged people in the developing world. Walker’s three books are Different Latitudes: My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond, My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road, named Best Travel Book, and The Guatemala Reader: Extraordinary Lives and Amazing Stories, recognized by BookFest for Best Nonfiction Travel. He’s written 80 book reviews, and of his 30 published essays, two were recognized by the Solas Awards for Best Travel Writing. He’s a contributing writer for “The Wanderlust Journal,” “Literary Traveler,” and “The Great Writers You Should be Reading.” His column, “The Million Mile Walker Review: What We’re Reading and Why,” is part of the Arizona Authors Association newsletter. His honors include the “Service Above Self” award from Rotary International. He’s a Board member of SEEDS for a Future, Advance Guatemala, and the Arizona Authors Association. His wife and three children were born in Guatemala. You can learn more at www.MillionMileWalker.com