Neely Tucker  1963
Major Works
- Love in the Driest Season: A Family Memoir 2004
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Neely Tucker: A Biography
By Kellee Usher (SHS)
Neely
Tucker was born on November 26, 1963, in a small town in Holmes County,
Mississippi, called Lexington. His parents are Elizabeth "Betty"
Tucker and Duane Tucker, a local assistant county agent of
the Cooperative Extension Service which helps farmers with crop and
livestock problems. He has one brother Duane, Jr., who is
nicknamed Shane (Tucker 10, 11).
The family moved to a farm outside of Starkville, Mississippi, and Neely was enrolled in Starkville Academy,
a private school in Starkville (Tucker 13). While there,
Tucker wrote for the school newspaper and played high school football .
Ironically, writing wasn't his focus. Instead, football was
the center of his attention. He graduated from the Academy in 1982 and
enrolled at Mississippi State University in Starkville.
While still a student at MSU, Tucker spoke with Mississippi writer
Willie Morris, whose words of advice about writing and traveling, along
with the University of Mississippi Professor Tommy Miller's support, led Tucker to leave MSU and apply to the University of Mississippi(Tucker
interview). Tucker attended "Ole Miss" on a scholarship and was
selected the most outstanding journalism student at graduation in 1986
(Tucker 15).
While attending the University of Mississippi, Tucker began working for a newspaper named the Oxford Eagle, the smallest daily newspaper in Mississippi. Tucker garnered all regional awards for which he was eligible with his articles in the Eagle. His career quickly took off after graduation from "Ole Miss." During the next three years, he worked for Florida Today, Gannett's national wire service, and the Miami Herald. Finally, he got a job at the Detroit Free Press (Tucker 15) where he became a foreign correspondent.
In
Detroit, one of Tucker's coworkers, Vita Gasaway, moved in next door.
Gasaway's family was also from the South, originally Alabama, but
Vita herself had grown up in Detroit. She was a widow eleven years
older than Tucker and African-American. Despite their differences, this
unlikely pair fell in love (Tucker 16-17). Tucker was assigned as the Free Press's
foreign correspondent in Europe and was based in Polandin
1993. Vita and Neely were married at his home in Poland in September
1994 (Tucker 21)
Tucker's next posting as a foreign correspondent was in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he was assigned to work as the Free Press's
sub-Saharan correspondent in 1997. It was here that Tucker and his wife
visited the Chinyaradzo Children's Home where there were many sick
children (many suffering from AIDS) and found little Chipo, the girl
that they would fight for several years to adopt (MacDonald). These
struggles for adoption rights for Chipo are detailed in Tucker's first
book, Love in the Driest Season.
In
2000, Tucker, Vita, and Chipo returned to the United States
because of dangerous political conditions developing in Zimbabwe.
Tucker surrendered his job as a foreign correspondent because he is now
a father and took a job at the Washington Post in February, where he works "off the Metro desk.” He returned to Starkville to write Love in the Driest Season, and he is currently wrapping up his book tour, conducting speaking engagements related to the book, and working hard at the Post,
all of which keep him too busy for any new book projects at the moment,
but he has some ideas for future writings (Tucker interview). Vita,
inspired by the condition of the orphans she saw in Zimbabwe, now
works for World Vision US, an organization dedicated to helping
the needy around the world, specializing in children’s issues (Amber
160) and Chipo will soon be going to school.
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A Review
of Love in the Driest Season
by Kellee Usher (SHS)
Love in the Driest Season is a fascinating autobiographical w ork
by Neely Tucker that the author himself describes as a "family memoir."
After meeting and marrying in Poland his Detroit neighbor, a black
woman named Vita who is eleven years older than he, the two move to
Zimbabwe where they fall in love with a little girl named Chipo in one
of the many orphanages in Zimbabwe. The book largely deals with their
persistent attempts and finally their success in adopting Chipo.
From the beginning, Tucker's writing style makes the reader feel
like a close family friend. His candid description of his childhood in
Mississippi, his parents' struggle with their Southern racism, his
work, and the emotions that he and Vita experience during their
struggle for Chipo draws the reader into the inner circle of Tucker
family life. His fru stration,
anger, fear, grief, and joy experienced on the journey to adopt Chipo
are described vividly and each emotion is felt by the reader as well.
Set
primarily in Zimbabwe, his first-hand experience lends
verisimilitude to the setting in all of its natural beauty and extreme
poverty. Tucker also takes the reader along on his job to other foreign
countries, allowing a fascinating glimpse of the dangers of a foreign
correspondent's job.
Tucker's intrepid and honest
exploration of racism in Mississippi and even Harare may be troubling
to some readers as it includes blunt language to illustrate the
conditions in the South and Zimbabwe. Also, violence, which
has been a major part of Tucker's life is described in some detail in
the book. However, both subjects only add to the boo k's intensity. I loved Love in the Driest Season.
I found myself completely absorbed in the Tuckers' lives. I fell in
love with Chipo and felt like a close confidante of the family. I would
recommend this book to everyone. Its message of hope and
persevering love are both inspiring and enjoyable reading.
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A Phone Interview with Neely Tucker
by Kellee Usher (SHS), May 13, 2004
What is involved with a job as a foreign correspondent?
It
really depends on your assignment. If you're assigned to one country,
speaking the language is important. You should be somewhat of an expert
on the political and social issues of the country in the last twenty or
so years. If you're assigned to an area or multiple countries, like I
was, language is still important, but the main thing is command of
logistics. This includes being able to handle visas, customs, money
changing, things like that. Also, having contacts in many countries is
important, so that you can know someone no matter where the story is.
You also have to be good at setting up your own operation out of a
hotel room. You also need a local fixer, which is someone who helps
make phone calls, and might also function as your translator. You need
a driver, not just to be chauffeured around, but because roads can
change day to day. You need someone who knows the area well and can
maneuver things like that. Obviously, for either type, you need
to be able to write clearly and fast. You also need to have poise in
chaotic and potentially dangerous conditions.
 How many countries have you been in?
Around
fifty countries and territories. By territories I mean divisions that
aren't necessarily their own nation, but require crossing just the
same. Excluding territories, probably around forty countries.
What was your reaction to being a character in Elmore Leonard's Cuba Libre?
Actually
I thought it was funny. It was my fifteen minutes of fame. I got cards
and phone calls from friends and family talking about it. People still
talk about it a lot. I didn't know about it until Elmore Leonard sent
me an autographed copy when it was published and there was a character
named Neely Tucker in there.
What are your feelings toward Zimbabwe after all that happened while fighting for Chipo?
It
was sad, but I still love Zimbabwe. We would have stayed there, but due
to the current policies of the president in Zimbabwe, we had to leave.
I'm very sorry for the conditions there. We wish we could visit or even
stay there again.
What was your motivation for writing Love in the Driest Season?
It
was meant to be a gift for my daughter to always have. Really, that's
the end of my rationale for writing this book. I always wanted Chipo to
have her story, not now or even ten years from now, but twenty or
thirty years from now. And I love to write, so I wrote her story down.
Also, I wanted to bring attention to the AIDS crisis in Africa, not to
mention I just love to write.
What was your reaction to all the publicity about the book?
I was very gratified. I wrote this book by myself, and it was a very
lonely process. You begin to wonder if anyone will even bother to
notice it, so it's heartening. I felt better after seeing the reaction
to the book. I'm really glad that it struck a chord with so many people.
When did you begin working for the Washington Post?
February 2000, after we left Zimbabwe.
What is your current job?
I work off the Metro desk.
Do you have any current book projects?
I've
got a couple of things. One is fiction, the other is non-fiction. But
I'm still busy with my job and speaking about the book, although the
book tour is over. There's also a possibility of film interest in the
book, so I'm writing notes to film producers. So I really haven't had
time to officially start.
Who are your favorite authors?
Gabriel
Garcia Marquez; William Faulkner; Toni Morrison's early writing;
William Trevor; Salman Rushdie; J.M. Coetzee, a South African writer (winner of this year's nobel laureate).
Do you have any advice for students?
Read
anything you're interested in and write as much as you can. Your
writing doesn't have to be classic, high-brow stuff. Writing is
storytelling. It's funny seeing myself described in publicity because I
see myself as just a storyteller who happens to work for a newspaper.
Writing is a muscle; you've got to do it to get better. It's like
running a marathon. If you're going to run a marathon, you're going to
run a lot to prepare. That's what writing takes. Loving literature and
reading it is very different from actually writing. Reading will help
you create ideas, and hone your creativity. Oh, and writing a lot will
teach you discipline and help you to develop your own voice. I also
think it's a good idea to travel as much as possible!
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Related Websites
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Bibliography
Amber, Jeannine. “Not without Our Daughter.” Essence Magazine. February 2004. 156-160.
MacDonald, Jay. "Family borne of love and AIDS in Africa." The News-Press. April 26, 2004. The News-Press. May 4, 2004 <http://cityguide.news-press.com/fe/Arts/Stories/040328_Author_Tucker.asp>.
Tucker, Neely. Interview by telephone. 13 May 2004.
Tucker, Neely. Love in the Driest Season. New York: Crown Publishers, 2004. 10-21.
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