Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Running with Raven
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.llhuttenbach.com/
CITY: New York
STATE: NY
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://www.llhuttenbach.com/about/ * http://www.miamiherald.com/living/article27216409.html * http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31846
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.:
no2015026873
LCCN Permalink:
https://lccn.loc.gov/no2015026873
HEADING:
Huttenbach, Laura Lee P., 1982-
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1_ |a Huttenbach, Laura Lee P., |d 1982-
670
__ |a The boy is gone, 2015: |b eCIP title page (Laura Lee P. Huttenbach) data view (born Aug. 1, 1982; graduate of University of Virginia; has written dispatches from South America, the Middle East and Africa)
PERSONAL
Born August 1, 1982, in Atlanta, GA.
EDUCATION:University of Virginia, graduated; attended New York University.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Founder of the General History Project. Previously, taught English in Brazil.
AWARDS:Commendation from Georgia House of Representatives, 2001.
WRITINGS
Contributor to anthologies, including Best Travel Writing, 2010.
SIDELIGHTS
Laura Lee Huttenbach is an Atlanta-born writer. She holds a degree from the University of Virginia and has studied at New York University. Huttenbach was a star athlete, earning a commendation from the Georgia House of Representatives in 2001. She founded a nonprofit organization called the General History Project and has taught English in Brazil.
The Boy Is Gone
In 2015, Huttenbach released her first book, The Boy Is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General. While backpacking through Africa, Huttenbach met an elderly man named Japhlet Thambu, who fought during the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya. She was impressed with his story, but continued on her journey. Huttenbach later returned to Thambu’s town and arranged to interview him. Through a series of conversations, Thambu tells Huttenbach about what life was like during the colonial period in Kenya and describes his role as a General during the rebellion. He recalls specific battles and justifies his decision to join in the rebellion against the British colonial government.
In an interview with Ana Veciana-Suarez, contributor to the Miami Herald Online, Huttenbach discussed her interactions with Thambu. She stated: “Originally, it was going to be one meeting … but we had such a rapport right away. We were telling stories the entire time. I felt from the very beginning that I was in the presence of somebody wise who knew me very well.” Huttenbach added: “All during that time [away from Kenya], I couldn’t get his story out of my head. I came to the idea of a book only later. … I initially didn’t want to commit to a book, so I convinced myself I would just start with the research.” Huttenbach ultimately went through with writing the book and published it in 2015. A writer in ProtoView described The Boy Is Gone as an “accessible oral history of Africa.” A reviewer on the Focus on the Horn website remarked: “To hear the General recount these life experiences is truly absorbing, and will benefit both scholars of Kenya and the lay public. As part of the Ohio University Press’ “Africa in World History” series, this volume helps expand narratives way from the Western-centrism of traditional history. The Boy is Gone helps place the telling of history away from the victors.”
Running with Raven
Huttenbach profiles Robert “Raven” Kraft in her 2017 volume, Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion, and the Community He Inspired. In an interview with Jared Shapiro, contributor to the Ocean Drive website, Huttenbach described Kraft, stating: “He’s a sixty-six-year-old retired security guard who encourages other people to keep the parts about them that are unique. He values people who are themselves. He is one hundred percent committed to himself and his word. … He hasn’t run by himself in eleven years.” After making a New Years resolution in 1975, Kraft has run eight miles every day since. Thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds have joined Kraft on his runs. Huttenbach recalls her own experience running with Kraft and offers details on Kraft’s personal life. She also highlights his affinity for assigning his fellow runners nicknames. Huttenbach told Nicole Lopez-Alvar, writer on the Miami New Times Online: “Raven has been covered widely, but I just felt like the community he has cultivated hasn’t been covered.” She added: “The world has come to him. … Miami Beach is a city [where] you can experience so many different nations in even one neighborhood. The run is such a good way to meet people, too.”
Brenda Barrera, reviewer in Booklist, described Running with Raven as “an entertaining, tender account of an authentic sports hero.” A Publishers Weekly critic asserted: “Raven’s tale of perseverance, understanding, and courage will inspire anyone.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2017, Brenda Barrera, review of Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion, and the Community He Inspired, p. 8.
ProtoView, October, 2015, review of The Boy Is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General.
Publishers Weekly, November 28, 2017, review of Running with Raven, p. 57.
ONLINE
Brazos Bookstore Website, http://www.brazosbookstore.com/ (August 17, 2017), article about author.
Focus on the Horn, https://focusonthehorn.wordpress.com/ (January 5, 2016), review of The Boy is Gone.
Laura Lee Huttenbach Website, http://www.llhuttenbach.com/ (August 17, 2017).
Miami Herald Online, http://www.miamiherald.com/ (July 11, 2015), Ana Veciana-Suarez, author interview.
Miami New Times Online, http://www.miaminewtimes.com/ (April 28, 2017), Nicole Lopez-Alvar, author interview.
Ocean Drive Online, https://oceandrive.com/ (April 20, 2017), Jared Shapiro, author interview.*
LAURA LEE HUTTENBACH
BOOKS
RUNNING WITH RAVEN
THE BOY IS GONE
THE AUTHOR
ABOUT
CONTACT
EVENTS
PROJECTS
THE GENERAL HISTORY PROJECT
MB & LAURA LEE
PEOPLE WHO MOVE PEOPLE
PRESS
HOME
5_LL+MB_MBKoeth__B6A8638.jpg
ABOUT
The Author
ABOUT
CONTACT
Laura Lee Huttenbach, an Atlanta native and a graduate of the University of Virginia, has written about her travels in Africa, South America, and the Middle East. Her essay, "Stuck in Bulawayo," appears in the 2010 Best Travel Writing Anthology. Laura Lee has presented her work at annual conferences for the International Oral Historians’ Association and the Oral History Association. In 2013, she attended the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference as a contributor. She is the founder of The General History Project, a 501(c)(3) organization, which seeks to record the life stories of aging community leaders in their own words, promoting cultural awareness, creating historical documentation and enriching the lives of all people, young and old.
THE BOY IS GONE, the oral history of a Mau Mau freedom fighter whom Laura Lee met while backpacking in Kenya, is her first book. The subject of her next book found her running in the sand of her new backyard in Miami Beach, FL. RUNNING WITH RAVEN is the story of Robert "Raven" Kraft, a South Beach legend who has run 8 miles every day for the past 41 years and inspired more than 2,500 followers to lace up their running shoes and join him. The book is forthcoming in Spring 2017 from Kensington Press.
Last summer, Laura Lee traveled across the nation to document stories of leaders in the world of public transit, which are featured on PeopleWhoMovePeople.com. Currently, she is living in New York City as a graduate student at New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.
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Books:
LAURA LEE HUTTENBACH
BOOKS
RUNNING WITH RAVEN
THE BOY IS GONE
THE AUTHOR
ABOUT
CONTACT
EVENTS
PROJECTS
THE GENERAL HISTORY PROJECT
MB & LAURA LEE
PEOPLE WHO MOVE PEOPLE
PRESS
HOME
Books
RUNNING WITH RAVEN
THE BOY IS GONE
What it's Like Running With Raven
An audio story produced by Laura Lee Huttenbach
Download
BUY IT NOW: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE
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About the book (coming out 4/25/17)
running with raven.jpg
In 1975 Robert “Raven” Kraft, a high school dropout and aspiring songwriter, made a New Year’s Resolution to run eight miles on Miami’s South Beach each evening. Over 125,000 miles later, he has not missed one sunset.
Along the way, Raven has changed the lives of thousands who have run with him—many of them hundreds of times. From all fifty states and dozens of countries, across all age groups and backgrounds, they come to run with Raven, and in the process find friendship, inspiration—and a nickname.
Among them is author Laura Lee “White Lightning” Huttenbach, who has logged over a thousand miles of Raven Runs. Here she explores the stories of dozens of others about why they started running with Raven—and why they keep coming back. Taxman, an accountant in his mid-60s, has done 1800+ runs. Dizzy, a middle school principal from Cuba, met his wife and his best friend on Raven Runs. Butcher, an ex-convict, credits Raven with saving his life. In an uncertain world Raven shows up, no matter what.
Quirky and appealing, tenacious and magnetic, Raven is a legend of the running world. As he says, “I may be the only thing that hasn’t changed around here in the last forty years.” Laura Lee Huttenbach reveals how one man’s daily ritual has blossomed into an uncanny gift for weaving people together—and an invaluable reminder that the journey means little without the connections forged along the way.
“
Raven left an indelible impression upon me, as he has countless others. I am certain that you will find his story as fascinating and enthralling as I have. Raven, long may you run.
— Dean Karnazes, New York Times bestselling author of Ultramarathon Man
“
An inspiring tale of unbreakable discipline and one-of-a-kind endurance.
— Gerald Posner, bestselling author of Miami Babylon
“
In this vivid biography, Huttenbach narrates the story of an unlikely hero: a dedicated runner who has run over 125,000 miles for over four decades…Raven’s tale of perseverance, understanding, and courage will inspire anyone.
— Publishers Weekly
“
Not deterred by hurricanes or even surgery, the Raven has battled through tremendous obstacles. Is his streak an obsession or dedication? It’s a tough question, but his daily commitment demonstrates how anyone can rebuild a life, step by step. An entertaining, tender account of an authentic sports hero.
— Booklist
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BUY IT NOW: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE
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Laura Lee Huttenbach - RUNNING WITH RAVEN
START: Monday, June 26, 2017 - 7:00pm
LOCATION: 2421 Bissonnet StreetHouston, TX 77005
Photo credit: Mary Beth Koeth
For this event, Laura Lee Huttenbach will be in conversation with runner and fitness blogger Lindsay McClelland. Lindsay is a digital marketing entrepreneur, yoga teacher, former collegiate swimmer, marathon runner and fitness blogger. Her running adventures have taken her to 13 marathons (and more half marathons than she can count!), including a recent Boston Qualifying time (BQ). Lindsay is a race ambassador for the Chevron Houston Marathon and the California International Marathon. She teaches yoga at Revolution Studio and loves when runners come to her classes! Lindsay catalogues her fitness adventures and stories from the road on her blog, Loving Life on the Run.
RUNNING WITH RAVEN is the amazing story of one man, his passion, and the community he inspired. In 1975, Robert “Raven” Kraft, a high school dropout, lonely outcast and aspiring Country songwriter with a drinking problem, made a New Years’ Resolution to run eight miles on South Beach every day, without exception. Over forty years, 125,000 miles, seven hurricanes, chronic back pain and several hospitalizations later, he hasn’t missed a single day.
Raven’s unbroken running streak is an amazing accomplishment, but his true legacy is the community that has built around him. Raven has become a uniquely iconic figure, determined and inspirational to some, oddly compelling to others. And over the years, more than two thousand people from every American state and 80 different nations have met Raven at 5:30 pm at the Fifth Street lifeguard stand to add their footprints to 8 miles of sand on Miami’s beach.
Laura Lee Huttenbach
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Laura Lee Huttenbach is an author and athlete from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2001, the Georgia House of Representatives honored her with a resolution. Georgia House Resolution 586 commended her for her athleticism, academics, and community service.[1]
Prior to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, she was nominated as a “community hero” and received the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch as it passed through the city of Atlanta. A list of Georgia runners was documented in Savannah Now.[2] That flame was later passed to Mohammad Ali, the highlight of the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Career[edit]
Huttenbach gained notoriety as an athlete in the State of Georgia. She played soccer, volleyball, basketball and cross country. Her honors included Georgia WIN Female Athlete of the year; 5AAA Volleyball 6 Player of the Year; All State Volleyball Team; Georgia Women´s Intersport Female Athlete 7 of the Year; Four year Varsity Starter and Senior Team Captain for Volleyball; Four year 8 starter and Senior Team Captain for Soccer Team; Atlanta Journal/Constitution All-Area 9 Soccer Team; All state Honorable Mention Soccer Team; Atlanta Journal/Constitution 10 All-Area Basketball Team. For all these accomplishments, she was named in the Riverwood High School Athletic Hall of Fame Inaugural Class.[3]
A graduate of the University of Virginia, she went on to travel the world. She spent a year in Brazil teaching English and is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. For a year, she backpacked from South Africa to Egypt, relying mostly on public transpiration to travel between countries. The people she met on her journeys inspired her to write. Her first publication was a chapter in the book The Best Travel Writing 2010: True Stories from Around the World.[4] While in Kenya, she met a 90 year old community leader who had a former life as a General in the Mau Mau rebellion. She later returned to Kenya to document his life. Her first book was The Boy is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General[5] published by Ohio University Press. She was interviewed on Jeff Koinage Live in December 2015 on KTN News Kenya.[6] The segment was broadcast live and over the air, viewed by thousands in Kenya; the segment made her a minor celebrity in that country. Her unique academic stance has inspired on ongoing discourse on African history and its view on the world stage.[7]
She later moved to South Beach Miami Florida. There she met local streak running legend Robert "The Raven" Kraft. Each and every day for the past 40 years, he has led a community of runners over eight miles of sand a day. Inspired by his life and dedication, she wrote Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion, and the Community He Inspired.[8] Its release date is April 25, 2017 through Kensington Press. It is listed as a "#1 New Release" on Amazon.com in Sports Essays and is receiving positive reviews.[9]
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Georgia House Resolution 586" (PDF). www.legis.ga.gov. Georgia House of Representative. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
Jump up ^ "List of Georgians and South Carolinians Chosen to Run the Relay" (PDF). Savannah Morning News. 16 February 1996. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
Jump up ^ "Riverwood Raiders Athletic Hall of Fame". Official Website of Riverwood Athletics. Riverwood High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
Jump up ^ O'Reilly, James; Habegger, Larry; O'Reilly, Sean. The Best Travel Writing 2010 (First ed.). United States: Solas House, Inc. pp. 22–33. ISBN 1-932361-73-1.
Jump up ^ Huttenbach, Laura Lee (2015). The Boy is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General (First ed.). United States: Ohio University Press. ISBN 978-0-89680-290-2.
Jump up ^ Koinage, Jeff. "Jeff Koinage Live in December 2015 on KTN News Kenya". KTN News. Retrieved 26 April 2017 – via YouTube.
Jump up ^ Bruce-Lockhart, Katherine (May 2016). "The Boy is Gone: conversations with a Mau Mau general by Laura Lee P. Huttenbach (review)". Africa: The Journal of the International African Institute. 86 (2): 359.
Jump up ^ Huttenbach, Laura Lee (25 April 2017). Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion, and the Community He Inspired (First ed.). United States: Kensington Publishing Corp. ISBN 9780806538426.
Jump up ^ "Publisher's Weekly Review". Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
External links[edit]
Official website
QUOTED: "He’s a sixty-six-year-old retired security guard who encourages other people to keep the parts about them that are unique. He values people who are themselves. He is 100 percent committed to himself and his word. ... He hasn’t run by himself in eleven years."
Ocean Drive Magazine
Parties People Food & Drink Home & Real Estate Style & Beauty
'RUNNING WITH RAVEN' AUTHOR LAURA LEE HUTTENBACH ON THE LEGEND & HOW MANY MILES HE ACTUALLY RUNS
By Jared Shapiro | April 20, 2017 | People
SHARE
After logging more than 125,000 miles on Miami Beach over the course of 15,092 days, legendary beach runner Raven is immortalized in a new book.
Laura-Lee--Huttenbach.jpg
Robert “Raven” Kraft with some of the shoes he’s worn out in his 42 years of running eight miles a day.
In 1975, Robert “Raven” Kraft—a high-school dropout and aspiring songwriter down on his luck after a singer stole one of his songs—was approached by two boxers on Miami Beach. They saw his disheveled appearance and suggested he run with them to feel better. And ever since then, whether in 103-degree heat or 86-mile-per-hour hurricane winds, Raven hasn’t missed a day. Along the way, 2,536 people (and counting) have joined him on his daily eight-mile beach jog. Laura Lee Huttenbach, author of the new book Running with Raven, shares his story:
Who is Raven? “He’s a 66-year-old retired security guard who encourages other people to keep the parts about them that are unique. He values people who are themselves. He is 100 percent committed to himself and his word. He was a loner, but he hasn’t run by himself in 11 years.”
How fast does he run? “Fourteen-minute miles these days, so it’s about a two-hour run. In the 1970s, he did seven-minute miles.”
How does he cover expenses? “Recently two runners started a foundation for him. His living expenses are low. He really hasn’t left Miami Beach in over 40 years, doesn’t have a car or driver’s license.”
How healthy is he? “Inside, he is extremely healthy. He has a pretty rigid dietary structure, with lots of fruits and veggies. Doesn’t eat out at all. And no alcohol or smoking. But eight miles every day for 42 years has externally caused him spinal stenosis and sciatica.”
What about when he’s not running? “He writes letters to his fellow joggers and songs, watches baseball, and he reads.”
How can we run with him? “Meet him at the Fifth Street lifeguard stand every day. In the winter it’s 4:30 pm, and 5:30 pm in summer.”
Who would play Raven in a film adaptation? “Jared Leto, who played [Steve] Prefontaine. Or Tom Hanks, because of Forrest Gump.” Running with Raven will be available on amazon.com and kensingtonbooks.com on April 27.
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QUOTED: "an entertaining, tender account of an authentic sports hero."
8/7/17, 6(24 PM
Print Marked Items
Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One
Man, His Passion, and the Community He
Inspired
Brenda Barrera
Booklist.
113.16 (Apr. 15, 2017): p8. From Book Review Index Plus.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion, and the Community He Inspired. By Laura Lee Huttenbach. May 2017. 256p. illus. Kensington/Citadel, $25 (9780806538426); e-book (9780806538440). 796.357.
Some sports streaks are legendary, like Cal Ripkin Jr.'s 2,632 consecutive baseball games played or Wayne Gretzky's 51-game scoring streak. Huttenbach introduces a less-famous man to that list: Robert "Raven" Kraft. A high-school dropout, Kraft made a resolution to run eight miles every day in 1975 and has not stopped since. Throughout the years, hundreds of runners have joined his Raven Runs on Miami's South Beach. He is a purist (not a fan of costly road races) and often compared to the fictional Forrest Gump. He welcomes runners of all abilities, whether on holiday from Europe or recently out of prison. This memoir includes interviews and testimonials from the cast of characters who have joined his community, each earning coveted nicknames like the Astrologer and the Taxman. Even Huttenbach, also a runner, is given the name White Lightning. Not deterred by hurricanes or even surgery, the Raven has battled through tremendous obstacles. Is his streak an obsession or dedication? It's a tough question, but his daily commitment demonstrates how anyone can rebuild a life, step by step. An entertaining, tender account of an authentic sports hero.--Brenda Barrera
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Barrera, Brenda. "Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion, and the Community He
Inspired." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2017, p. 8. PowerSearch, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA492536068&it=r&asid=f4bc172e163469b21092a2932acd22c1. Accessed 7 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A492536068
QUOTED: "Raven's tale of perseverance, understanding, and courage will inspire anyone."
about:blank Page 1 of 3
8/7/17, 6(24 PM
Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One
Man, His Passion, and the Community He
Inspired
Publishers Weekly.
263.48 (Nov. 28, 2016): p57. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion, and the Community He Inspired Laura Lee Huttenbach. Citadel, $25 (284p) ISBN 978-0-8065-3842-6
In this vivid biography, Huttenbach (The Boy Is Gone) narrates the story of an unlikely hero: a dedicated runner who has run over 125,000 miles for over four decades on the unforgiving sands of Miami's South Beach. Robert "Raven" Kraft, a high school dropout and failed songwriter, has not missed his eight-mile trot for a single day since a 197 5 New Year's Day resolution, and his dedication fascinates Huttenbach. Over 2,500 people, ages six to 80, have committed to joining the man's runs, which Huttenbach narrates with admiration and disbelief. The ragtag Raven runners, according to Huttenbach, are very devoted to their leader, who sometimes runs in downpours and bad thunderstorms despite a series of degenerative back woes that have slowed his stride. Marked by personal tragedies and health problems, Raven's tale of perseverance, understanding, and courage will inspire anyone. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion, and the Community He Inspired." Publishers
Weekly, 28 Nov. 2016, p. 57. PowerSearch, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA473149936&it=r&asid=7ecfda21d8a464bc6a69f4a5fbd1244b. Accessed 7 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A473149936
QUOTED: "accessible oral history of Africa."
about:blank Page 2 of 3
8/7/17, 6(24 PM
The Boy Is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General
ProtoView.
(Oct. 2015): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2015 Ringgold, Inc. http://www.protoview.com/protoview
Full Text:
9780896802919
The Boy Is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General Laura Lee P. Huttenbach
Ohio University Press
2015
252 pages
$28.95
Africa in World History
DT433
This accessible oral history of Africa will be of interest to undergraduate students and others. Author Laura Huttenbach draws on extensive in-person interviews to tell the first-person story of Japhlet Thambu, known as The General for leading the Mau Mau rebellion against the British in Kenya in the 1950s. In addition to describing his life- and-death adventures as a resistance fighter and giving his insiderAEs perspective on violence and corruption in Kenyan politics, he also describes his careers as an educator, a businessman, a tea farmer, and the founder of the South Imento Tea Growers Cooperative (SACCO). A preface gives background on the history of the region where Japhlet Thambu grew up and on the Meru culture. Black and white personal and historical photos and maps are included. ([umlaut] Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Boy Is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General." ProtoView, Oct. 2015. PowerSearch,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA430839941&it=r&asid=05646b2deb1d1ae4bb39fe69a0988863. Accessed 7 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A430839941
about:blank Page 3 of 3
QUOTED: "Originally, it was going to be one meeting ... but we had such a rapport right away. We were telling stories the entire time. I felt from the very beginning that I was in the presence of somebody wise who knew me very well."
"All during that time [away from Kenya], I couldn’t get his story out of my head. I came to the idea of a book only later. ... I initially didn’t want to commit to a book, so I convinced myself I would just start with the research."
Miami Beach woman writes book about a Kenyan freedom fighter
BY ANA VECIANA-SUAREZ
aveciana-suarez@MiamiHerald.com
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JULY 11, 2015 12:57 PM
When Laura Lee Huttenbach decided to backpack up the eastern coast of Africa, from Johannesburg to Cairo, she was only 23 years old, fresh off a year of teaching English in Brazil and hoping for adventure on a budget. She never expected to meet a freedom fighter-turned-tea farmer along the way, never expected a great-grandfather from a vastly different culture to forever change her life.
“Originally, it was going to be one meeting,” the Miami Beach resident recalled, “but we had such a rapport right away. We were telling stories the entire time. I felt from the very beginning that I was in the presence of somebody wise who knew me very well.”
That initial dinner in 2006 inspired Huttenbach to return to the tiny village of Mutunguru in Kenya three years later, armed with a recorder, a video camera, a laptop and one singular idea: Tell the story of Japhlet Thambu, a man known as the General for his role in leading 58 men in the fight against British colonial rule in the 1950s. For three months that spring of 2009, she recorded more than 100 hours of audiotape and met with colleagues, community leaders, family and former comrades.
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The result: The Boy is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General (Ohio University Press), a book that portrays the struggle for Kenyan independence through the eyes of a man whose life was inextricably intertwined with the modern history of his country. Huttenbach will be speaking about her book Wednesday at Books & Books in Coral Gables.
Like most Americans, the University of Virginia history major didn’t know much about the Mau Mau rebellion. In fact, her knowledge about Africa was limited. Until she was in Africa, she had no idea, for example, that 75,000 East African soldiers had fought with the British during World War II. The focus of her studies had been on Japan, Germany and the Allies.
Working on the book introduced Huttenbach to a history that has been largely ignored in the United States. The General’s stories about the rebellion against British imperialism opened her eyes in a way history books never had.
“All during that time [away from Kenya], I couldn’t get his story out of my head. I came to the idea of a book only later,” she added. “I initially didn’t want to commit to a book, so I convinced myself I would just start with the research.”
The research left her cold. Western media coverage of the Mau Mau rebellion was “disgustingly racist.” She cites a 1960 Time magazine article that described how Mau Mau chillingly murdered their victims. Some of that misinformation has since been revised both in the Western world and in Kenya, and after more than five decades labeled as an illegal terrorist society, the Mau Mau Veterans Association is now a legally registered organization.
The Boy is Gone is told in the General’s voice, from his childhood in the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya to his old age on the seven-acre tea farm. As Huttenbach writes, “Japhlet Thambu grew up wearing goatskin loincloths. At the end of his life, he donned a business suit most mornings and headed a highly successful, multimillion-dollar tea farmers’ SACCO (Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization).” She chose that first-person format because his stories were so complete and rich in detail.
“I wanted to preserve his voice, and I knew for that I had to get out of the way,” she added.
The title of the book refers to a traditional rite of passage for males in Meru, a town in Kenya, which culminates in circumcision at 16. After a young man heals from the procedure, he emerges into the community as a man. “The boy is gone,” Thambu said. “The boy has gone with men.” For Huttenbach, the title also underscores the transformation of both her subject and his country, from traditional to modern.
During the three months Huttenbach lived with the General’s son’s family on their coffee farm, life was reduced to its simplest denominator. She would breakfast on sweet potatoes and ride the back of a boda-boda (a motorcycle) to meet the General three miles uphill. They ate what the family grew. Over that time, she developed a deep friendship with his granddaughter Winnie, whom she now calls sister. She also watched “a lot of bad telenovelas” dubbed into English and hours of wrestling.
“I was asked to give my opinion on wrestling several times, though I don’t know anything about it,” said Huttenbach, now 32, teaching English as a second language and working on a second book.
Thambu died in April 2014, four months after Nelson Mandela. “In a few short months, Africa had lost two giants: one who is known to the world, and the other who is not yet known.”
For Huttenbach, her book may be one step closer to remedying that historical oversight.
IF YOU GO
Laura Lee Huttenbach discusses her book at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables. For more information, go to booksandbooks.com.
Cover of the book, “The Boy is Gone’’ by Laura Lee Huttenbach. Japhlet Thambu, a man known as the General for his role in the Mau Mau rebellion, at his tea farm in Kenya.
Cover of the book, “The Boy is Gone’’ by Laura Lee Huttenbach. Japhlet Thambu, a man known as the General for his role in the Mau Mau rebellion, at his tea farm in Kenya.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/article27216409.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/article27216409.html#storylink=cpy
QUOTED: "Raven has been covered widely, but I just felt like the community he has cultivated hasn’t been covered."
"The world has come to him. ... Miami Beach is a city [where] you can experience so many different nations in even one neighborhood. The run is such a good way to meet people, too."
Running With Raven Tells the Story of Miami Beach's Famous Runner
NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR | APRIL 28, 2017 | 10:52AM
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He’s run eight miles every day since January 1st, 1975, starting at the Fifth Street lifeguard stand on South Beach.
He’s never owned a passport. He’s never had a driver’s license. He’s never even been on an airplane.
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Does he have any regrets? No way.
His name is Robert “Raven” Kraft, and he’s a living legend within South Florida’s running community. Despite suffering from food poisoning, fever, and even getting pelted with hail during Hurricane Wilma, Raven has never missed a run on South Beach in over four decades.
Since 1975, over 2,600 people have run beside him in a local movement that became known as the The Raven Run. Everyone who completes the eight miles gets a nickname and is added to The Raven List, including author Laura Lee “White Lightning” Huttenbach.
In her new book, Running With Raven, Laura Lee tells the story of the Miami Beach legend, from the unique perspective of both a Raven runner and a friend. The biography on the life and legacy of the legendary runner goes in-depth to tell the story of Raven and his impact on the community. According to Huttenbach, the community he has formed over the last few decades had never been written about. “Raven has been covered widely, but I just felt like the community he has cultivated hasn’t been covered,” she explained.
Laura Lee was only 29 years old and new to Miami Beach when she met Raven on South Beach a couple of years ago. “He told me, ‘I’ve probably been running since before you born. When’s your birthday?’ and I said, ‘August 1st, 1982,’ and he goes, ‘Oh, that was a Sunday.’ I was like, ‘It was—what?’”
His memory is exceptional. Although he’s met over 2,600 runners, he’s kept a list of every single one of them. “They’ll show up at the Fifth Street lifeguard stand [years later] and he’ll be like, ‘Oh, it looks like you’ve lost weight!’”
Miami Beach's Raven Run.EXPAND
Miami Beach's Raven Run.Mary Beth Koeth
Since the day they met, she has run over 1,000 miles alongside Raven. During those runs, she heard stories from people of all ages and from all different walks of life. She quickly realized it was the only place where she could meet such a diverse group of people who all shared a common interest – their runs with Raven.
“Miami Beach is full of a lot of worlds, but there’s not one place where everyone congregates,” she explained. “And the Fifth Street lifeguard stand was that place.”
This very realization may be the reason why he has never felt the need to leave Miami Beach. “The world has come to him,” she explained. “Miami Beach is a city [where] you can experience so many different nations in even one neighborhood. The run is such a good way to meet people, too, because when you’re on a run the first question you can ask is, ‘How did you get your nickname?’
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And that nickname has followed her ever since, even all the way up to her new residence in New York.
“I live in New York now, and Raven’s preferred means of communication is by the post office,” she said. “So, he writes me letters and he addresses them to ‘White Lightning’ and I’m like positive—and I live in Harlem—and I’m like sure that the postman thinks that I’m a drug dealer. I get mailed as the White Lightning.”
Running With Raven Book Launch
8 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at Books & Books Coral Gables, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; and 1 p.m. Sunday, April 30, at Books & Books Miami Beach, 927 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Admission is free. Visit booksandbooks.com or ravenrun.net.
QUOTED: "To hear the General recount these life experiences is truly absorbing, and will benefit both scholars of Kenya and the lay public. As part of the Ohio University Press’ Africa in World History series, this volume helps expand narratives way from the Western-centrism of traditional history. The Boy is Gone helps place the telling of history away from the victors."
Review: “The Boy is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General”
The Boy is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General is a wonderful, highly readable book. The book is a compilation of thousands of hours of interviews with Japhlet Thambu by Laura Lee P. Huttenbach. Huttenbach first met Japhlet, or the General, whilst traveling in Kenya as a recent college graduate. Struck by his rich personal history in living through British colonialism, Mau Mau, and liberation, Huttenbach returned to Kenya for the purpose of recording the General’s life story. The General’s testimonial joins the number of other oral histories reported from the Mau Mau, most notably in Caroline Elkins’ work. This collection of histories is vital, given the volume of written documentation either inaccessible or destroyed from the Mau Mau era. Whilst Professor David Anderson and others have helped bring a large number of previously ‘missing’ documents in the colonial archive to light, even these recordings of the time period are heavily biased to the British version of events.
The important work of recording Kenyan voices is brought to bear in Huttenbach’s excellent compilation: the General’s retelling of the Mau Mau period is highly vivid and complex. He is balanced in his narrative, bringing up challenging moments in the movement like the Lari camp massacre, and criticizing some of the more ‘vigilante’ elements of Mau Mau. The General carefully explains his involvement in Mau Mau, arguing repeatedly that this was about land and the rights of the indigenous Kenyan, but decrying any ruthless or senseless violence. In the General’s memories of colonialism, he is also careful to note those Europeans who helped him, who were ‘friends’ of Kenya. This pivoting between multiple sides is interesting, and demonstrates the highly pragmatic ways in which the General was forced to negotiate his position in a highly unequal society. When describing his profits from the illegal timber trading business, he recognizes the absurdity of colonial rules which limited African business pursuits, continuously reinforcing an artificial economic hierarchy based on race, but was careful to note when the dangers of the illegal trade were no longer worth the risk. The General actively resisted colonialism, but at times was also forced to comply with its rules in order to secure his livelihood and the safety of his family.
Even in Mau Mau, the General concedes that he quickly confessed to taking the Oath when placed in the infamous Manyani prison camp. This exonerated the General and allowed him to move down the detention ‘pipeline’ more quickly than other more ‘hard-core’ Mau Mau who refused to confess or cooperate. The General describes again the practicality of moving forward, peacefully. Having spent two years in the forest, fighting for the rights of Kenyans against colonial rule, the General felt he had contributed directly to Kenya’s independence. At the same time, he feels no need for compensation for his time in the forest, and is happy to govern his farm and business pursuits in peace.
To hear the General recount these life experiences is truly absorbing, and will benefit both scholars of Kenya and the lay public. As part of the Ohio University Press’ Africa in World History series, this volume helps expand narratives way from the Western-centrism of traditional history. The Boy is Gone helps place the telling of history away from the victors, demonstrating the ways in which racial biases have distorted our understanding of the world, especially Africa and colonialism. My one regret for the book is echoed by Huttenbach herself in its introduction: I want a companion volume recounting the life of Jesca, the General’s wife. Unfortunately Jesca would not go into detail about her own involvement and eventual detention for Mau Mau activities, though this would be a compelling companion to the General’s history.
Book details: Laura Lee P. Huttenbach. The Boy is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General. Ohio University Press (2015). http://www.amazon.com/The-Boy-Is-Gone-Conversations/dp/0896802914