21. The Lore and Lure of Reunion - This volume is an excerpt from #16 (above) and includes “Part E” as well as the introduction and appendices of that 1012 page text. Through pictures (25 photos) and words (132 pages), the reader is introduced to the African / Malagasy population of the island of Reunion and is exposed to its surviving customs and traditions. This volume contains: 1) a country briefing – treating the land, people, language, history, folklore, and principal attractions; and 2) a thematic tour of the island the island where the reader comes face to face with Maloya, Black Martial Arts, Afro-Malagasy religion and other surviving Malagasy customs as well as a thorough discussion of slavery and its consequences. In this way an unforgettable composite picture of the people, customs, and traditions is produced. The book is written in the first person plural (“we”) and thus the reader soon feels that he or she has become a character in the narrative. Much of the information in the “thematic journey” was obtained directly from African / Malagasy informants while the author was on a year-long voyage to the Indian Ocean (October 1994 to September 1995).

22. The Lore and Lure of the British Indian Ocean - This volume is an excerpt from #16 (above) and includes “Part D” as well as the introduction and appendices of that 1012 page text. Through pictures (21 photos) and words (35 pages), the reader is introduced to the Zilois (the original inhabitants of the British Indian Ocean Territory) and is left with a vivid impression of their joys and tribulations.. This volume contains: 1) a briefing – treating the land, people, language, history, folklore, and principal attractions; and 2) a journey through the island of Mauritius where the reader comes face to face with the Zilois (who were forcibly removed from their island homes) and their descendants. In this way an unforgettable composite picture of the people, customs, and traditions is produced. The book is written in the first person plural (“we”) and thus the reader soon feels that he or she has become a character in the narrative. Nearly all of the information in the journey through Maurice was obtained directly from Zilois informants while the author was on a year-long voyage to the Indian Ocean (October 1994 to September 1995). All photographs were taken by the author and are intimately linked to the narrative with which they are associated.

23. Black Lore: African Indian Ocean – the second volume in an innovative series of books written mostly in verse which aims to capture and display various aspects of the cultural heritage of peoples of African and Melanesian origin. For each region presented in the series (i.e. Melanesia, the Indian Ocean, Africa, North America, the Caribbean, Central America and South America), a regional character has been created to serve as narrator This volume consists of nine narratives which take the reader on a trip to the eight regions of the African Indian Ocean: 1) The Republic of Madagascar; 2) The Republic of the Comoros; 3) The Republic of the Seychelles; 4) The Republic of the Maldives; 5) the Chagos Archipelago; 6) the island of Rodrigues; 7) the island of Mauritius; and 8) the island of Reunion. A short introductory paragraph precedes each narrative, providing the reader with cultural information as well as the source from which the narrative takes its inspiration. The narratives deal with: a) descendants of mermaids on the Malagasy coast; b) a tale dealing with a Comorian sorcerer; c) Seychelle’s legendary garden of Eden and the forbidden fruit; d) an African island chief in the Maldives; e) the Zilois nostalgia for their long lost homeland; h) a slave rebellion in Reunion; and i) the destruction of precious life-giving vegetation in Madagascar.

24. The Black & Indigenous Lore of Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador - available in color or black and white. Through pictures (570 color photos) and words (1168 pages), the reader is taken on an exciting journey to the Andean nations of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia and is left with a vivid impression of the Black and Indigenous populations of the region and their associated cultures. The journey is divided into three parts, each of which treats a different country. Each part contains: 1) a country briefing dealing with the land, people, language, history, folklore, and principal attractions; and 2) a journey through the country in question where the reader comes face to face with local people, their traditions, and customs. In this way an unforgettable composite picture of region is produced. There is also a comprehensive appendix which presents further details about the ethnic groupings, indigenous languages, history, geography, and religious beliefs of the region. The book is written in the first person plural (“we”) and thus the reader will feel that he/she has become a character in the narrative. Much of the information in this book was obtained directly from representatives of each of the countries visited on a nearly eight month journey to South America from July 11, 1996 to March 2, 1997. All photographs were taken by the author and are intimately linked to the narrative with which they are associated.

25. Twixt Cancer & Capricorn - This is a seven volume compendium composed of: a) The Lore of Africa; b) The Lore of Madagascar; c) The Lore of the African Indian Ocean; d) The Lore of Melanesia; e) The Lore of Greater Melanesia [Which presently includes the Negritos of the Philippines: Books I & II and Hanuman’s People]; f) The Black & Indigenous Lore of Central & South America [which includes the Black & Indigenous Lore of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador]; and g) The Lore of the Caribbean [which presently includes The Lore of the Caribbean Part I: The Black Caribs ]. Those titles in italic script have been partially researched but not yet published in their entirety.

26. Negritos of the Philippines Book I: The Aeta of Bataan – Through pictures (192 photos) and words (316 pages) the reader is taken on an exciting journey to the Bataan peninsula in the Philippines and is left with a vivid impression of its Negrito communities. The journey is divided into 19 segments, each corresponding to a specific population cluster. There is also a comprehensive appendix treating, among other things: 1) Negrito groups of Southeast Asia; 2) Negrito groups of the Philippines; 3) Negrito groups of Bataan; 4) the notion of race; 5) important elements of Negrito culture; and 6) a discussion of phenomenology. Throughout this text, the reader is made aware of the “trials and tribulations” and “lore and lure” of these soft-spoken and genial people resulting in an unforgettable and intimate composite picture. The book is written in the first person plural (“we”) and thus the reader soon feels that he or she has become a character in the narrative. Much of the information in this book was obtained directly from representatives of the Bataan Negritos on a three-month journey to the Philippines from May 26, 1998 to August 22, 1998. All photos were taken by the author save for a precious few that were submitted by informants for inclusion in this publication.

27. Negritos of the Philippines Book II: Meeting the Mamanwa - Through pictures (239 photos) and words (296 pages) the reader is taken on an exciting thirty day visit to the island of Mindanao in the Philippines where s/he meets and interacts with members of a number of Mamanwa communities, as well as with government officials and other local people in the provinces of Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Norte. The journey is divided into two parts, each corresponding to a different province. During this journey, you will: 1) receive three briefings (One for Caraga Region XIII and one for each of the provinces) which provide detailed information concerning the people, geography, history, economy, folklore, and principal attractions; and 2) come face to face with local people, their traditions and customs. In this way an unforgettable composite picture of the Mamanwa, their setting, and their associated culture is produced. The book is written in the first person plural (“we”) and thus the reader soon feels that he or she has become a character in the narrative. Much of the information in this book was obtained directly from representatives of the Mamanwa leaders on a three-month journey to the Philippines from May 26, 1998 to August 22, 1998. All photos were taken by the author save for a precious few that were submitted by informants for inclusion in this publication.

28. Ikotofetsy & Imahaka in Verse – This volume is the first in a series dealing with tricksters around the world. Ikotofetsy and Imahaka are two famous tricksters from Madagascar, an island nation just off the east coast of Africa. The tales included in this book, still part of a living oral tradition, have amused Malagasy children and adults alike for many generations. They teach the reader (or listener) to be aware of deception. Seven of the original sixteen tales written down in the Malagasy language by Rabezandrina in 1836 have here been rendered into English verse by the author (Edward L. Powe).The 25-page book contains 10 beautiful color illustrations by Ramandrisoa Ratsivalaka, a noted Malagasy artist,

29. Black Martial Arts II: Combat Games of the African Indian Ocean – This volume- the second of the BMA series - introduces the reader to those traditional combat games that give AIO youths not only a sanctioned outlet for the aggressive tendencies inherent in man, but also an opportunity to demonstrate to friend and foe their courage and virility. The book contains descriptions of the following competitions, each of which involves daring and risk taking in confrontations with either man, beast, or the elements of nature: 1) Moringue (kick-boxing) from Reunion; 2) Morengy (kick-boxing), Doranga (boxing), Ringa (wrestling), Savika (bull riding), Halats’omby (cattle stealing), HARTEMA (a mixed genre combat), and other now extinct games such as Daka / Diamanga from Madagascar; and 3) Mrengé (kick-boxing), Hele (wave-diving), and Baholagnombé (bull fighting) from the Comoros. This volume, with its 283 pages and 231 accompanying photos, is perhaps the most comprehensive work ever written dealing with traditional martial arts in the AIO region.

30. The Lore of Africa Part I: Three Northern Nguni Nations (Zulu, Swazi, and Ndebele) – this, the sixth volume of Twixt Cancer & Capricorn, takes the reader on a journey to meet the Zulu of Kwa-Zulu-Natal, the Swazi of Swaziland, and the Ndebele of Zimbabwe and Gauteng and to learn about their life and culture. Highlights of the journey include: 1) meetings with traditional healers, Shembe church services, the Dhaka Day Celebration, the Reed Festival, and a female coming of age ceremony in KwaZulu-Natal; 2) a soldier’s initiation rites, the King’s Royal Incwala Ceremony, and a rural wedding in Swaziland; 3) the Amakhosi cultural center, the Khami ruins, and a male initiation ceremony in Zimbabwe; and 4) the painted Ndzundza homes in Gauteng. Like other books in the series, this volume contains comprehensive appendices dealing with the history and geography of the region as well as an illuminating cultural glossary.Perhaps the most comprehensive book ever written on the subject, Three Northern Nguni Nations (with its 1220 pages and 732 accompanying color photos) offers the reader another truly informative and exciting armchair journey.