Outcasts on C-SPAN Book TV

The folks at C-SPAN dropped into Birmingham, Alabama recently as part of their series on locals authors in American cities. Here's a link to a discussion we did about Outcasts.

The refugee experience of dislocation, cultural bereavement, confusion and constant change will soon be all of our experience. As the world becomes globalized, we’ll all be searching for a home.”

– Mary Pipher, The Middle of Everywhere

[The police] gave us a warning that myself and my assistants would be arrested. I wanted to talk to them, but they'd tell me, 'Keep quiet or you will go to jail.' I was quite upset. I decided I don't want to get in trouble for soccer."

– Nathaniel Nyok, founder, Lost Boys Soccer Team

No one person can do everything. But we can all do something.”

– Tracy Ediger, Fugees team manager

If you don’t change, you’re gone.”

—Bill Mehlinger, owner, Thriftown grocery store

Working with refugees makes you think that maybe there is something we need to learn from the ‘traditional’ world. Maybe our modern, ‘civilized’ world has lost something we need as human beings.”

– Jeremy Cole, education coordinator for young refugees in Clarkston

See that coach? I want him to sit down and be quiet. That's when you know we've won – when he sits down and shuts up."

– Luma Mufleh, coach of the Fugees

There was no food, no medicine, nothing…I saw my child sick for five days. When that child doesn’t die, you tell God – ‘Thank you.’”

– Beatrice Ziaty, a refugee from Monrovia, Liberia

Jesus said heaven is a place for people of all nations. So if you don’t like Clarkston, you won’t like heaven.”

– Rev. Phil Kitchin, pastor, the International Bible Church

There will be nothing but baseball down there as long as I’m mayor…Those fields weren’t made for soccer.”

– Mayor Lee Swaney

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