!Dear Mr. Brown:

I have tried to email this message to you at artbeat@newshour.org For some reason it bounces. Although I sent this message to the Comments Section I decided to send you a hard copy.

My husband and I are loyal watchers of the Evening news and I am particularly fond of the interviews and readings devoted to poets and fiction writers. It's great that you will be doing more about books. Please check my Web site www.planetbookgroupie.com It may be of help to you.

My name is Harriet Sobol. I lead book discussions (BookTalk) for the Scarsdale Adult School and for private groups. My goal is to expose readers to books by international authors as well as writers from the US and the UK. My groups read The Yacoubian Building two years ago and enjoyed it thoroughly so I was delighted to listen to your interview of Mr. Alaa Al Aswany.

Many Americans travel to distant places to see the sights, but as Mr. Al Aswany suggests, literature remainan excellent path to an understanding of the interior and exterior lives of people living within cultures foreign to us. Unfortunately, only 3% of the books sold in the US are translations.

Finding translations and even books written in English by authors from countries other than ours are difficult to find. One of the best books we've discussed is Links by Nuruddin Farah, an excellent Somalian writer. When group members read news articles about Somalia they are glad to have some understanding of the situation. You might be interested in looking at the booklist BookTalk groups have read which you will find at http://planetbookgroupie.com/books-we-have-read.htm

I am always on the search for books and would love to be of help to you. 

Harriet Sobol