Rebecca Haile, author of "Held at a Distance," will speak about her native Ethiopia and offer a different perspective on the commonly held belief that her country is synonymous with poverty and warfare. Haile grew up in America and eventually graduated from Harvard Law School. She was the first member of her family to return to Ethiopia in 25 years. Come hear her compelling stories of a country rich in tradtion and culture.

<b>Speaker: Rebecca Haile, author of "Held at a Distance"
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Theatre Arts Arena 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and again at 1-2 p.m.</b>

Book Description
<i>"Part travelogue, part history, part memoir, Rebecca Haile's "Held at a Distance shines a bright and unique light on Ethiopia, a country in whose fortunes we as Americans and Westerners have been concerned for some time, but which remains in large part a mystery to many of us... Today, Ethiopia, for far too many people, is synonymous with poverty and warfare; but for generations of African Americans, it was the font of black civilization itself, the spiritual source of visions of a united and prosperous Pan-Africa, the living testament to the glories that were Black Africa. In her bold new book, Haile moves far beyond the one-dimensional headlines that encapsulate Ethiopia in the Western press to provide as rich and nuanced a portrait of her native land as I have seen. It's an important and beautifully written volume."</i> -- Written by: Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University