Last week, I had the great fortune to attend Ishmael Beah's appearance at the Starbucks in Davis Square, in Somerville, MA. [Note: Click on the photos in the top right corner to read my captions.] When I arrived, there was already a small crowd collecting outside the door where a tall, aproned barista stood with crossed arms.
Was that a velvet rope? I felt like VIP when the Starbucks bouncer let me in past the crowd.
The room was buzzing--definitely not just due to the dozens of grande lattes being ordered! I was impressed with how energetic everyone seemed to be. Nearly every person I saw was clutching a copy of Ishmael's memoir, A Long Way Gone, and an employee rushed by at one point with a tall stack of books that were immediately snapped up.
During his ninety-minute appearance at Starbucks, Ishmael read excerpts from his book, fielded questions and gave out autographs. But while you might have expected some sort of rock star-author persona, he was as genuine, positive, and down-to-earth as everyone says he is.
He answered questions thoughtfully--almost dutifully--and seemed to especially enjoy talking with the younger members of the audience, such the high school students who had shown up with their class from South Boston. 
Ishmael's story is difficult to take in, but the crowd was also suprisingly positive. He emphasized that his message is about hope, about how people are a product of their environment, that they can be made into monsters by war but can also regain their humanity through rehabilitation and effort.
This was a remarkable day and the highlight to my week. Even now I still feel in awe of Ishmael's accomplishment, and I look forward to seeing what he does next.
Elizabeth Khoo is an employee at Gather.com
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