So tell me about the book...

I just finished watching Gung Ho which, unfortunately, did not take place in Michigan, but rather in Pennsylvania. Go figure. Either way, 20 years on and the themes of that story are still relevant, if not more so in a world that is not just commercially bipolar (Japan and the U.S.), but multipolar.

While watching the film I said to myself that I could perhaps describe the book I'm working on in terms of an updated Gung Ho. The analogy, unfortunately, falls apart in a few ways. While Gung Ho more or less explores the Japanese-American work dynamic (with tastes of cultural differences), my story will most likely pull up a number of issues across the board (first world vs. third world; immigrants vs. natives (which, in the U.S., is still kind of a joke as only the Native Americans can really lay claim to that moniker); and, of course, baseball vs. soccer). That being said, when asked what the story's about, it's been a challenge to come up with a short and sweet response that accurately conveys the story's conflict and gets people interested.

This will be particularly important to nail down when the boy from New York City shows up in Dearborn. I've been thinking of saying, "It's about the conflicts that arise in a city dealing with economic and immigrant issues." I know, that's blindingly boring and not funny at all, but I reckon it'll get people talking and sharing their stories which'll help me paint a more accurate picture.

Punch My Ticket

It's official: With plane tickets and rental car secured, I'm heading out to Dearborn at the end of February. I've also put together a preliminary list of questions I'll need to answer (eg, where would my characters live? Where would they set up shop? Where's the most likely place for them to get into a car accident?) between now and the end of my trip.

I've also started ransacking the NYPL for books on Michigan and Dearborn so I can arrive with a sense of history and geography.

This being my first trip to the area, I hope to do so as a tourist more than as if I lived there, ie, I'll walk and drive around a lot to get a feel for how the area is laid out; will look into local museums and venues. At the same time, I'll be looking at the area through the eyes of my characters. Hopefully I'll meet some locals and talk to them about area to get a better feel for what's going on on the ground.

On the other side, I've been reading books in Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a series which takes place in Botswana. The books have given me a better feel for the language, geography and diet of the country. The first book in this series has been made into a movie featuring Jill Scott to debut sometime later this year.

Pieces Falling Into Place

This past week I not only finished my culinary studies, but landed a job putting those skills to use. Thank god. Now I'll have a more set schedule, money coming in and can begin lining up research trips to Dearborn.

This is key as I've started writing chapter two where the protagonists, Ngalala and Mbetele, have landed in Detroit and are getting settled in Dearborn. The majority of the book will take place here. I am also starting to introduce local characters who will have important roles throughout the remainder of the book and I need to get a good feel for them in their own setting.

This afternoon I hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art here in New York, specifically to take in a tour of African Art. Unfortunately, the tour concentrated on western and central African art, with no mention of southern Africa. Fortunately, I spoke to the guide afterward and she recommended that I speak with a curator in the department for more information. Stay tuned. Ideally, I'd like to learn more about what themes southern African art focuses on and how my characters may either be extensions of their local art or, even more simply, know if southern Africans carry any keepsakes with them that I could incorporate into the story. For example, do they carry around any kind of good luck charms to look over them? Stuff like that.

In other news, pitchers and catchers report in 3 days. 92 hours really, but who's counting?

Preliminary Detroit Area Research

Chapter two takes our protagonists into the Detroit area to begin their work. In preparation for this chapter, I've been studying up on the area and thinking about the existing sources out there that are set around Detroit. More specifically, I'm looking at demographic statistics and popular culture.

I've learned a couple key things about the Detroit area in the last couple weeks. First, Dearborn, Michigan is considered the United States' Muslim capitol. Second, Grosse Pointe Blank, set in nearby Grosse Pointe, Michigan, appears to have one African-American interloper (an NSA agent) who eventually gets blown away by John Cusack and Dan Aykroyd, professional killers impeccably adept at dialog.

Needless to say, the juxtaposition of these images (real and imagined) potentially supplies ample comic fodder: the reality of a full-blown immigrant city (Muslim at that! beginning in the 1950s) versus a Hollywood comedy/action film in a presumably affluent and Caucasian town. If the writers of Grosse Pointe Blank thought they were playing up the comedy by setting a professional hit in a sleepy town during a high school reunion, in a post- 9/11 world, the last laugh may be on them. Plus, when discussing the idea of American pride, it will be curious to see how the two groups respond. Will they try to out-American each other and if so, to what ludicrous end? And who will actually take up the Batswana's offer of business development assistance?

That being said, I also look forward to watching Gung Ho and seeing how that may or may not play a part in the story. If nothing else, it's a chance to watch Michael Keaton in action. Hell, Mr. Mom took place around Detroit. Classic.