Denver storyteller Opalanga Pugh was a keeper of the culture and a societal leader; a griot, as it is known in many African cultures.
When , the city lost a great resource.
“They say when a griot dies, it’s as if a library has burned. That was truly the case with her,” friend Ken Grimes said.
But the stories are not all lost and there is more to tell. Grimes co-authored a book with Norma Johnson, Devi Records, Wendy Talley, Jane Treat and Keisha Washington about the last six months of Pugh’s life, some of her writings and including the writings of others about her during that time.
“When a Griot Dies: A Tree Lifts its Roots to the Moon” serves more of a purpose, however, than to give readers another story. Proceeds of the book fund the recently established Opalanga Legacy Project, a scholarship foundation for keepers of the culture and young people.
Grimes said he worked closely with Pugh’s family during the process, and the idea for the book came from Pugh’s mother, who wanted to compile a book of the messages left on Pugh’s page.
Expanding on that idea, Grimes and the rest of Pugh’s primary caregivers during her last six months told their stories about Pugh and the imprint she left on the community.
“Part of the point we make in the book is that she meant so much to the people in the community, they were more than willing to provide all of those hours. She was revered on an international level,” Grimes said.
Pugh’s brother, Lloyd Pugh, was in integral part of the process. He said the book let him see how others viewed her and what she meant to them.
“For me, it was different perspectives about how she interacted. I’m pleased with it, very pleased,” Lloyd Pugh said.
The book was released in July in time for the , where the children’s pavilion is named for Opalanga.
It is available at The , 4315 E. Mississippi Ave., and has drawn interest from .
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or
