Thanks to our friends Robert Briggs and Diana Saltoon-Briggs for introducing me to the work and adventures of Beryl Markham.

We met Bob and Diana at Tabor Space[1] listening to Bob read poetry to jazz.[2] These are two enlightened people who continue to teach many of us about peaceful, balanced ways—lifestyles for true success where wealth is measured in happiness.

Diana has spent a great deal of time in East Africa. She was with Hugo van Lawick at his tented camp in Ndutu assisting with his photo book about predators, Savage Paradise. [3] Diana took publicity shots of the author with animals. Diana lent me her video copy of the wonderful Steven Talbot documentary “World Without Walls”—a public TV chronicle of Beryl Markham’s life. I watched it twice with rapt attention, but I had not finished the first viewing before I went online to the library and added West With the Night to my book list.

You will enjoy Beryl Markham’s memoir, as I hope you will one day get a charge out of my story, Bentari. And I also recommend reading the work of our friends, Robert Briggs[4] and Diana Saltoon-Briggs[5]. Diana’s book Tea and Ceremony: Experiencing Tranquility is available on her website: www.teaandzen.com

Happy New Year to Bob and Diana—and to Bentari friends everywhere!

Photos: with permission of our friends— from Bob’s website and Diana’s collection

[1] See: http://taborspace.org/

[2] See: http://www.ruinedtime.com/events.htm

[3] See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_van_Lawick and http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3666747.Savage_paradise

[4] Ruined Time (Powell’s Books in Portland, City Lights Books in San Francisco), also see: http://www.ruinedtime.com/store.htm)

[5] The Common Book of Consciousness (see: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0877011451?tag=homefordrmichkma&camp=15309&creative=331449&linkCode=st1&creativeASIN=0877011451&adid=09YR73CT0SKMXCCE62Z8& and to reach Diana for tea instruction see: http://www.tea-passage.com/teateachers.html)