Kelsey Timmerman's Blog, page 33

What my 4-year-old thinks about my new book

I farmed in 7 countries on four continents to write my new book WHERE AM I EATING?.

Recently, I caught up with my 4-year-old daughter Harper to get her take on the book.  In this interview we discuss My Little Ponies, the state of China, and she takes me on the biggest trip of all…a guilt trip.

Eating a banana in the local paper

When I’m bored sometimes I just like to read my own book while standing at the Downtown Farm Stand, eating a banana.

Seriously, thanks to the Star Press for covering the release of Where Am I Eating. Read reporter Ivy Farguheson’s story, “Where Am I Eating?”

If you are in the Muncie area on April 22nd  - Earth Day – stop by the Farm Stand for an organic beer, free tree, and a signed book! More details on the Facebook event page.

(Photo by Kurt Hostetler of the Star Press)

Ft. Wayne’s Facing Homelessness project

When J.R., the cofounder of the Facing Project hung up the phone after his call-in NPR interview about the Facing Project, I looked at him and said, “This just got real.”

And it had.

It’s one thing to have an idea in your head and it’s a whole other thing when others take that idea and run with it.  Ft. Wayne is our first Facing Community to complete a project (4 other communities have projects underway).  They’ve had art exhibits on Homelessness, this Thursday they’re reading monologues, and the Mayor of Ft. Wayne has even declared Thursday Facing Homelessness day.

Here’s the NPR interview and here’s a story on the project in Ft. Wayne’s newspaper.

I can’t wait to be a part of the event on Thursday.

 

How to look beautiful to an author….

Hold up their book.

I’m not sure I’ve seen a better looking group of folks than the University of Kentucky’s K-Crew, holding up copies of Where Am I Wearing? They’re using WEARING as a common reader this fall.

We’re going to have so much fun.

Speaking at University of Oklahoma

I’m giving the keynote address at the University of Oklahoma’s Social Entrepreneurship Symposium Tuesday at 4:30.

I’m free all day on Wednesday, how should I spend my time?  I’m thinking maybe I’ll play flag football with Kevin Durant, but if that doesn’t work out I’m open to suggestions.

Think like a 3rd grader

Third graders think farts are hilarious. Me too!

That’s why I knew I had to share my anti-flatulence underwear story with the third graders at Fort Recovery elementary.

I held up my “Gas Eaters” and asked them what they thought they were. There were the typical guesses (adult diapers), but then I called on a bright-eyed girl sitting on the floor in the back.

“They go over your underwear,” she said, “so you can dance in the rain and not get your underwear wet.”

That was a response I had never heard before, and I loved it. And here’s the thing…none of the kids laughed at her. They thought it was quite possible that these were my dancing-in-the-rain underwear.

Kids aren’t bound by reason or logic; they are freed by curiosity and imagination.

I think we could all stand to think like third graders a bit more.

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I was speaking to Abby Scheidt’s (left) class at Fort Recovery elementary. Judy Brewer (middle) was my 7th grade English teacher and she taught Abby in college. Hanging out with both of them and 60 3rd graders was a great way to spend the morning.

Costa Rican Rat Trap that Wile E. Coyote would be jealous of

EARTH University’s banana plantation isn’t your average banana plantation. They come up with unique ways to control pests and rodents that don’t always involve crap loads of chemicals.

You can find EARTH University bananas at Whole Foods. They are definitely one of the world’s coolest banana growers and their university is pretty amazing, too.

I

I write nonfiction narratives about the global economy, and I have to read a lot of boring books on topics like globalization, the garment industry, world population, and food.

You have to read a lot of boring books to write an interesting one. (At least I hope WHERE AM I EATING? is interesting. The reviews should start coming in soon enough.)

I do find these subjects fascinating because I see firsthand how these global issues impact people I’ve met — garment workers in Cambodia, farmers in Colombia. But rarely am I absolutely thrilled to crack open a book written by some policy expert or economist. I’m amazed at their brains and I’m happy to have their info and knowledge flow into mind. But I’m less hungry for knowledge than I am for reading about those who hunger for brainz… Zombies!

I love zombies.

Zombie literature combines two of my favorite story lines: monsters and trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.

“What do you like to read?”

“What are you reading now?”

I get these question a lot as I travel around speaking to groups and universities. I really struggle with this question. The asker is trying to probe into my personality and interests, and I’m not sure what to tell them. I read about food security, slavery, and the mass exodus of farmers from farms to cities. But what I really love to read about is zombies.

I usually don’t start with zombies.

But I thought you should know.

My top three zombie stories

World War Z: a book on global politics and infrastructure and zombies. One of my favorites.

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The Walking Dead: When I discovered this on Netflix I binge watched the first two seasons. Season 3 just concluded on AMC and now I’m in the process of revaluating the purpose of my life in the post-Walking Dead world. Anyone ever read the graphic novels? I think I’m going to have to get these to survive the summer.

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I Am Legend: The book or the original Vincent Price movie. The Will Smith movie ruined the story with special effects. Technically the creatures in this are vampires, but they are sort of zombie-ish vampires so I’ll count it.

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What’s your favorite zombie story?

If you love zombies, too, we should totally be friends on Goodreads.

UPDATE:

I left out an author friend of mine, Katey Boller, who’s written some fun zombie reads. She has a story in this anthology…

EATING fact of the day: How you like them apples?

Workers in Chinese apple orchards earn a daily wage that their counterparts in the orchards of Michigan earn in 10 minutes.  This and the lack of environmental regulation in China is why 75% of apple juice concentrate consumed in the U.S. is made from Chinese apples, and often have levels of inorganic arsenic higher than the FDA allows in drinking water.

My  Minute Maid apple juice (right) may contain juice from apples from China, USA, Chile, Turkey, Germany, Austria, and Argentina.

Where are you drinking? Learn more in WHERE AM I EATING? AN ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY.

Chugging Budweiser in China

Budweiser: It’s the King of Beers.

Good thing, too, because if the beer world was a democracy, we’d surely elect another, better-tasting, beer to be our leader. But, alas, Budweiser is American as Levi’s (made in Cambodia) and Coca-Cola. In places like, China it is imported. Yes, China sends us computers and we send them our subpar beer.

I saw this dude chugging a Bud atop Shanghai’s Pearl Tower

What the strangest place you’ve seen someone chugging a Bud?

I visited Shanghai to research my new book WHERE AM I EATING?AN ADVENTURE THROUGH THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY, which comes out April 22nd (Earth Day)! Over the next five weeks I’ll be sharing new photos, videos, and stories from the experience.

If you like what you see, please consider preordering.