Update News Topic from Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer

Remember that great book we read awhile back about polygamist Mormon factions that split from the main line faith. Here's a news update about Warren Jeffs (the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -FLDS. This is Rulon's son; he "ran" Colorado City, Arizona). He was arrested today after a long stint on the FBI's Most Wanted List.

Thought you might find the story interesting. See you tonight at book club.

Jen


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-polygamist-arrested,1,928397.story?track=rss

Fugitive Polygamist Leader Jeffs Caught


By KEN RITTERAssociated Press WriterAugust 29, 2006, 9:56 AM CDTLAS VEGAS -- A polygamist Mormon sect leader who was on the FBI's Most Wanted List has been arrested and faces sexual misconduct charges for allegedly arranging marriages between underage girls and older men, authorities said Tuesday. Warren Steed Jeffs, 50, was taken into custody after he and two other people were pulled over late Monday by a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper on Interstate 15 just north of Las Vegas, FBI spokesman David Staretz said. The leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was wanted in Utah and Arizona on suspicion of sexual misconduct for allegedly arranging marriages between underage girls and older men. Since May, Jeffs has been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, with a $100,000 reward offered for information leading to his capture. The other two people in the vehicle were identified as one of Warren Jeffs' wives, Naomi Jeffs, and a brother, Isaac Steve Jeffs, both 32, Staretz said. They were being interviewed by the FBI in Las Vegas but were not arrested. Jeffs was in federal custody in Las Vegas pending a court hearing on a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, Staretz said. It was not immediately clear if Jeffs would face extradition to Arizona or Utah. Jeffs was indicted in June on an Arizona charge of arranging a marriage between a 16-year-old girl and a married man, and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He is charged in Utah with two felony counts of rape as an accomplice, for allegedly arranging the marriage of a teenage girl to an older man in Nevada. The FLDS Church split from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when the mainstream Mormon Church disavowed plural marriage more than 100 years ago.
Copyright © 2006, The Associated Press

Book Club Check: So what is this Gullah anyway?

Book Club Check: So what is this Gullah anyway?

Here is an article link about a gullah quilt seller and the use of quilts in run away slaves: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1264/is_10_29/ai_53744765

So what is this Gullah anyway?

Don't know if you have had a chance to get into reading this month's book The Mermaid Chair, but the setting is on a fictious South Carolina island called Egret. Egret Island, a barrier island is also a gullah island. I asked Erica if she happened to know what gullah was and when she said no, the old Literature teacher in me kicked in making sure she knew the context for the story.

I hope you will humor me by letting me share a few internet links about gullah. (By the way, if you haven't started the story, this is no way is a spoiler. The story talks a lot about gullah, but it isn't pivitol to the plot.)

I won't go into a long explanation, and these links aren't academic in nature. If you have the right sound hook up on your computer, you can hear what gullah sounds like too:
http://www.bcgov.net/bftlib/gullah.htm
http://www.pbs.org/now/arts/greenessay.html
http://www.knowitall.org/gullahnet/gullah/index.html

If you have time and are looking for more about the gullah culture, a movie Daughters of the Dust came out a couple of years ago. Either I saw it or meant to see it - can't remember. But it is all about the gullah culture on the Carolina barrier islands.

Happy reading - Jen