It’s official: My Jungle Rules is live!
We’ve been quietly publishing for the past six weeks — thanks mostly to Therese Padua Howe’s whirlwind coverage of Liberation Day celebrations across the country. Who knew CHamoru groups in places like North Dakota, Kentucky, Alabama and North Carolina were throwing big Liberation Day events? Very cool.
Getting to our official launch hasn’t been easy. We’ve battled colds, COVID, college orientations, tech learning curves, launched our second newsletter (Not Done Yet), and, yes, shamelessly begged folks to subscribe. But I wouldn’t trade it — this wild ride is part of the fun.
Part of this process is building our audience, and I’m happy you’re here for the ride.
Our First Podcast Is Out!
My Jungle Voices is officially rolling. We recorded both video and audio for our first episode, but for now, you’ll find just the audio on our site, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. (We’re still building our infrastructure — think of this as the test drive.)
If you know Therese, Steve, and me, you already know we love to dig into and talk about news, issues, and journalism. If you know Therese and me, you know how much we love to laugh — poor Steve.
More Stories, More Voices
Coming up: Steve’s interview with former Del. Madeleine Bordallo, my dive into Guam’s cost of living (a recurring series, not a one-and-done), and hopefully a conversation with Victoria Leon Guerrero and Cathy Gault about the second volume of Gov. Ricardo Bordallo’s memoirs — which I’m editing now. If you haven’t read Volume 1, do yourself a favor. It’s rich with pre-war history and Japanese occupation. It offers so much detail and context than any textbook you’ve ever read.
Steve Limtiaco and former Del. Madeleine Bordallo in Washington, D.C., earlier this week.
These past weeks, I reconnected with Dr. Anne Hattori, Shannon Murphy, Victoria Leon Guerrero, and Dr. Robert Underwood for a column and a Q&A on Guam’s historians. They shared insights that we can — and will — build on.
Therese has followed the story of the Bishop Museum’s latte stones for years. She broke the news on their return to Guam and covered the ceremony. Her story discusses how the U.S. military removed the stones in the 1920s and how Guam’s government has sought their return since the 1930s. This year, the lattes — along with 10,000 other artifacts — will finally come home.
There’s just so much to talk about here at MJR — from politics, culture, identity, and economics to NYT mind games (fellow obsessives, you know what I mean).
If you’re reading this, you’re part of our core community. Paid subscribers get these full Behind the Scenes columns and exclusive podcast access — and you’re helping us keep this project going. If you’ve been enjoying what we’re building, forward this to a friend who loves Guam stories. Tell them to subscribe and join the ride.
Thanks for being here!!
— Rindraty