Youth Book Introduction
Where the Words Come From
In 1763, John Woolman, an American Quaker from the state of New Jersey, set out to travel and visit among the indigenous people in Wyalusing, who were called the Delaware or Lenape indians. At that time in American history, during the French and Indian War, relations between European colonists and indigenous people in the Americas were often violent and antagonistic. It would have been considered unusual, if not radical, for John Woolman to visit them as a friend. (John Woolman was no stranger to radical witness, however, and was also a passionate opponent of slavery.)
The Delaware received him and another visitor graciously and welcomed their speaking at a community meeting. John Woolman noted in his Journal: “...the interpreters, endeavoring to acquaint the people with what I said, in short sentences, found some difficulty.” Noting their struggle he released them from interpreting, and expressed his faith that if he prayed well, God would hear him and he would be understood.
He then prayed aloud for all to hear, even though he knew that his language was different from that of the Delaware, and that his words would not be fully translated or understood.
After he had finished praying, Papunehang, a Delaware who was recognized as a leader and prophet among his people, turned to an interpreter and said "I love to feel where the words come from."
When the editorial board of the Quaker Youth Book Project gathered on the Oregon Coast in April 2009 to make selections for the book you now hold, we took this story as inspiration. Our editorial team of ten young adult Friends represents all of the major theological branches of the Religious Society of Friends, and five countries – Bolivia, Canada, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Our work together has necessitated considerable explaining of our lives, faith, experiences and language as Friends. We have done a lot of sharing, and a lot of listening. It has been joyful and occasionally quite hard.
Our work together began in April 2008 in Greensboro, North Carolina, and the editorial board spent over a year gathering submissions of writing and art, through the summer of 2009. We each worked in our home regions and countries (and occasionally those foreign to us) to solicit work for the book – often traveling long distances, and on more than one occasion risking bodily harm. We have sat with young Friends while they wrote, and worked with them in writing workshops and through correspondence as they refined their pieces. We received many, many pieces via e-mail – indeed this project would have been considerably more difficult without the internet – but we also received many handwritten pieces as well as original paintings and drawings. In all, we received nearly 300 pieces from Australia, Bolivia, Burundi, Canada, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Italy, Kenya, Korea, New Zealand, Nepal, Norway, Peru, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Whenever possible, we have worked closely with writers on the editing of their pieces and have endeavored to include explanations of topics, cultural practices, language, or theology. In an effort to include and preserve the diverse voices of Friends, pieces originally written in Spanish appear here in both Spanish and English and we have preserved the British spellings of certain words in pieces from the UK, Kenya, Canada and Australia. A full Spanish translation of this book will also be available. In some instances we have titled pieces that either did not have a title, or whose original title was the query it was a response to. Whenever the editors have picked a title, we have used language directly from the piece in an effort to further support the author’s voice. Because we did not have contact information for all of our contributors, particularly from Latin America and Africa, we have edited some pieces especially gently and used brackets to show where we changed or added something for clarity.
We endeavored to all our editorial work with integrity, care and tenderness.
If we have done our job well – if we have successfully gathered the voices of teenage and young adult Friends from around the world and across the theological branches of Friends – there will be language and content in this book that both profoundly resonates with you and that is not at all consistent with your tradition of Quakerism or your cultural experiences. Some pieces may surprise, confuse, alarm or even offend you. We recognize that, and we trust you to hold this book – all of it – as a testimony and gift of the Spirit.
In his Journal John Woolman noted that while struggling with language, the interpreters “… helped one another and we labored along together, divine love attending.” That has been our experience – we have labored together, and we have felt the presence of divine love.
So as you begin to read, we invite you to remember John Woolman and to read with an open heart, to listen fully, and to feel where the words come from. It may be a source you recognize.
May this book be a journey for you. It has been a journey for us.
Faithfully,
Angelina Conti
Cara Curtis
C. Wess Daniels
Harriet Hart
Sarah Katreen Hoggatt
Evelyn Jadin
John Epur Lomuria
Emma Condori Mamani
Katrina McQuail
Rachel Anne Miller
August 2009
Front row from left: Rachel Miller, Katrina McQuail, Cara Curtis, Angelina Conti.
Back row from left: Emma Condori, Evelyn Jadin, Wess Daniels with Lillian Daniels, John Lomuria, Sarah Hoggatt, Harriet Hart.