Upper School Students Meet with Author at SB Literary Luncheon

Upper School Students Carina Tedesco '18, Abby Corpuz '18, Jackson Hurley '18, Sully Israel '19, Caitlin Gainey '19, Athena Boyle '19, Stella Haffner '19, Jack Stein '19, Hayley Bankhead '19, and English Instructor Carol Nordgaarden spent an inspiring hour speaking privately with Hammer, asking him questions about his book The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu, as well as about his career. The book is a non-fiction account of the heroic efforts of Abdel Kader Haidara to keep over 300,000 precious ancient manuscripts out of the hands of jihadis in Mali, a small country in Northern Africa.

During the Literary Society luncheon, which followed the private meeting, Hammer spoke of the dangers he had been in as he did his research, even disguising himself as a Tuareg tribe member to travel more freely in the deserts surrounding Timbuktu. He also told of his kidnapping in the Gaza Strip while covering the intifada in the Middle East and his being held hostage for a short time while covering the war in Iraq. His captors accused him and his photographer of spying for the CIA.

Hammer, who currently lives in Berlin, says the life of a foreign correspondent is suited for someone who is always looking for the “next adventure” and who gets restless staying in one place too long.

The students left the event with a greater understanding of the researching and writing process. After the event, Sully concluded, “I will never look at a book as ‘just a book’ again!”