The wall of Ethiopian spices made this the most aromatic reading I’ve ever done! As my hands glided across Braille, the tantalizing fragrances of Berbere, basil, and warm spiced butter formed an uplifting scent-scape. Cafe Colucci in Oakland generously hosted this book talk in their beautiful restaurant and spice shop. Thank you! I’m also grateful for Pam Johnson ASL interpretation. Last but not least, thank you to everyone who joined us for delicious food, drinks and stories!
The reading is an excerpt from Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma with a Forward by Stephen Curry.
Video Description: Pam Johnson stands beside me, signing in American Sign Language as I speak. I’m sitting at a table reading from a short stack of Braille pages, and my German Shepherd Seeing Eye dog Mylo rests by my feet. Holding a microphone for me, because I need two hands to read, is Daniel Aderaw Yeshiwas, our host and the manager of Cafe Colucci. Behind us stretch long shelves full of colorful bags of spices.