Writer Obediah Smith, Guest Writer Marina Gottlieb, and Erica James of the NAGB at the Poets & Writers Series talk on September 25th. Marina was quoted in saying, "For me as a writer, it was really a wonderful gift to be able to talk at this series, to have an opportunity to discuss what inspired my stories and to be called by the larger cultural community of this country."

Nassau, Bahamas - On Tuesday September 25th Marina Gottlieb, author of the popular Bahamian book of short stories: “ Sand In My Shoes ” was the invited guest speaker at The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.

Marina captivated her audience, as she became the voice of Rupert from her short story, The Circumstantial Dentist. She became Hazel, the confused housekeeper who initially allowed prejudice to stop her from falling in love with the Haitian gardener.

Nassau Guardian reporter Thea Rutherford, described Marina’s voice as: “The warm embrace that reminds you of home, the bedtime story that has lulled you to sleep in childhood.”

Marina felt humbled to have received the invitation to be guest speaker at The NAGB, she describes her experience thusly: “For me as a writer, it was really a wonderful gift to be able to talk at this Poets and Writers Series, and to have an opportunity to discuss what inspired my stories while being  called by the larger cultural community of this country.” Additionally, Marina expressed how deeply her life and writing have been influenced by the beauty of the Bahamas. "Nature has been one of my greatest teachers. To sit still on a rock for hours as a child while fishing for grunts and watching the diamonds sparkle on the water is a meditation onto itself." Marina is proud that she was able to live in a country as a minority and be openly accepted. “I read stories to the audience - they laughed and cried and what came out at the end was their astonishment at the fact that a white-skinned woman, with a German background, could speak in the Bahamian tongue and be so fully connected to the Bahamian Culture. But I am a Bahamian, I said."

Marina discussed cultural differences. "Imagine what it would be like if we could all embrace our differences and yet realize that in truth there are none. When it comes down to it, blood is red, hearts  beat to a pulse and spirit connects us all."

The author talked about her parents Dr Ejnar Gottlieb and Owanta Gottlieb von Sanden, the first medical pioneers in Grand Bahama. "They were my inspiration. They were truly dedicated to helping the sick. They did not care about color, creed or anything else. And...they were simply amazing storytellers. My brothers, (Cay and Fred) and I used to sit at the big round table on the porch and listen to them recount life in detail. It was never dull. It was life unfolding!" Cay Gottlieb, better known as Sir Kai, was a gifted Bahamian musician who died in 1997. Fred Gottlieb, an attorney in Abaco was a former MP.

"My family is deeply rooted in the Bahamas," says Marina. "I wrote Sand In My Shoes because I felt a longing to preserve the stories my parents recounted, along with the many characters they brought to life. I wrote to preserve a part of the tapestry that the Bahamas and it's people have woven in my heart."

Marina Gottlieb autograhs books at the NAGB on September 25th at their Poets & Writers Series.

Read The Nassau Guardian article, Sand in Her Shoes

Read The Nassau Guardian article, Tell Me a Story