D.H LAWRENCE: A SUBLIME WRITER

(Above) D.H Lawrence

Eighty years ago (March 2, 1930) the great English writer D H (David Herbert) Lawrence breathed his last after a 20 year writing career that had produced excellent (if controversial) novels, plays, poems and essays. Lawrence is now considered one of the all-time greats of English literature.

Hey! Many of you might be wondering out there. What’s all this about? Is this not supposed to be a blog for black African literature? Why the tribute to Lawrence? The answer is simple. African literature has been influenced from inception by the English classics; authors like Shakespeare, Smollet, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Emily Bronte, and DH Lawrence. Hence we can not say African writing has existed in a vacuum.

Prominent African writers like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Njabulo Ndebele, Mirriam Tlali, Tsitsi Dangarembga etc have always confessed how much English works shaped, or influenced their work. As regards DH Lawrence in particular he has had a major influence on Ngugi wa Thiong’o (on the latter’s admission) with Ngugi producing African classics of his like A grain of wheat, and Petals of blood. Ngugi always said he loved how Lawrence “entered into the spirit of things”

Additionally, DH Lawrence always identified with the “masses” so to speak. Throughout his writing career he was targeted, with some of his works banned, seized by authorities. Lawrence came from what many black Africans cynically refer to as “the lowly classes”; but more accurately he was from the working class. He enjoyed travelling, and mixing with “underdogs” ,people who he believed had not been corrupted by industrialization or materialism.

As Africans, we know only too well how many of our distinguished wordsmiths have suffered inexorably at the hands of the powers that be. For many, they have had to endure stints in jail - I have in mind great writers like Ngugi himself, Kofi Awoonor, Jack Mapanje and the indomitable Wole Soyinka. Lawrence, whilst alive was many times moved to despair.

It is not the scope of this very very brief article to discuss Lawrence’s literary works. Suffice it to say that his style was original, instinctive, fluent and powerful. His famous description of the “rainbow” is an example:

“And then in the blowing clouds, she saw a band of faint iridescence colouring in faint colours a portion of the hill (the) colour gathered, mysteriously, from nowhere, it took presence upon itself, there was a faint, vast rainbow. The arc bended and strengthened itself till it arched indomitable, making great architecture of light and colour and the space in heaven, its pedestals luminous in the corruption of new houses on the low hill, its arch the top of heaven.”
(from The Rainbow)

DH Lawrence published novels like Aaron’s Rod, Kangaroo, Lady Chatterley’s lover, The Plumed Serpent, The Rainbow, Sons and Lovers, Women in Love. He published some ten volumes of poetry including Birds, Beasts and Flowers, Last Poems, and Pansies.. Among his non-fiction or essays were Studies in Classic American Literature and A study of Thomas Hardy
- O Bolaji

* Bolaji is a black African writer who has published imaginative works like Impossible Love (2000), The Ghostly Adversary (2001), People of the Townships (2003), The subtle transgressor (2006), Tebogo and the Haka (2009), Tebogo and the epithalamion (2009) and Tebogo and the pantophagist (2010)

BLOODY CORPUSCLES

Bloody Corpuscles

A poem by Hector S Kunene

I relate to the story is so hard to be told
Victims mould their minds to be bold
Behold now penises and vaginas
It’s no more tomatoes and bananas
A spade is a spade
How dare you live so reckless!
How dare you lions die like fools?
How dare you let the man in white estimate your last seconds of breathing
Failing to be a boy yet claiming to be man
Or Failing to be a girl yet claiming to be a woman
Just because your mindset is stimulated by a three letter word-sex
More often confused by a four letter word-love
Failing to scrutinize the true meaning of words
Psychological dryness influencing the guilt consciousness of bodily acts
It’s too much acceleration that leads to a preventable trauma
We are in a comma yet disguised by the cloud of ignorance
Let us rain those tears that we hold back
Let us die bold when the time comes
Let the upcoming generations find the clean path to march on
Let them respects us for our deeds instead of verbal diarrhea
Let them know the truth that will set their minds free
Let us shape the new privileged world for the unborn
We can A spade is a spade
Bloody corpuscles

* A poem from the riveting collection: Through the tunnel to be published soon by H.S Kunene

MEET A NEW MANGAUNG AUTHOR

Lewang Mogale, a store clerk at Pelonomi hospital in Mangaung has published his first book, titled, Where to? The book was published by New Voices Publishing in Cape Town.

The book attempts to address teenagers about intriguing topics their parents are uneasy about discussing with them; like sex, adolescence, peer pressure, relationships, love etc.

Mogale said: “When my book was published I felt like I had won the lottery. I was happy the knowledge I have will be shared among the youth of the country as my book is read at libraries, book stores, book clubs and the like,”

The author explained that it took him more than five years to complete the book. “In the early stages of writing, I did not plan to publish,” he vouchsafed. “By early 2009 some of my friends read my manuscript and praised it to high heavens, urging me to publish. Such friends include Mpumi Mthombeni from Witbank; Thabo Setone; Martin Tshimola, and Israel Monaisa from Rustenburg. I’m grateful to them for spurring me on,”

Yet Mogale dithered, despite all this advice from friends. “I did not listen to them (initially); then I read a Bible scripture, Ezekiel 3: 16-21. It was like God was saying ‘if you don’t share what I told you, you will be accountable for the mistakes of others. Then I decided to publish my book!”

His creative talent was unearthed while he was at Lethabong location in Rustenburg. “At that time I was the director of the Katlego Amateur Theatre Group”

Mogale resides in Phase Two In Mangaung where he lives with his wife Mafako and their two sons, Tumiso, and Bonolo. The book Where to? makes sterling contributions to the genre of Motivation. “It seeks to elevate the lives of all to greater heights,” the proud author states.

- F Qoopane
* Qoopane is author of books like A Poet abroad, Memoirs of a Cultural Activist, Reneiloe-Mpho’s story, and City of Roses and Literary icons

CHINUA ACHEBE AT 80!

Chinua Achebe at 80

By Joseph Lefuo

There can be no doubt about it: the celebrations will cascade on, the drums will roll, as Africa celebrates the 80th birthday of Chinua Achebe, who many consider as the greatest novelist black Africa has ever produced. Achebe, who will be 80 later this year, wrote Africa’s all time most famous novel, Things fall apart (1958)

It is a novel that has delighted and moved the world for decades. But the author (Chinua Achebe) published other excellent novels – like No longer at Ease, (1960), Arrow of God, (1964) A man of the people (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Of course there was a 20 year gap between A man of the People, and Anthills of the Savannah, which has been attributed to Achebe being “traumatised” by the Nigerian civil war (in the late sixties).

Achebe is an Ibo (or Igbo) from the eastern part of Nigeria. The Ibos were mainly the disenchanted people of eastern Nigeria who tried to form their own country or republic: “Biafra” precipitating the Nigerian civil war which ended in 1970. From his writings it is clear enough that Achebe was very much a Nigerian in spirit before the war (this is not to suggest that he is no less a Nigerian thereafter, as can be ascertained from his honest, earnest book of essays The Trouble with Nigeria)

In his novel, No longer at ease, for example, young well educated Obi regards himself as both an Ibo man, and a Nigerian. There is nothing wrong in being proud of one’s tribal origins or Mother tongue (Ghana’s Kofi Awoonor has demonstrated this in his works too). In Achebe’s A man of the people, national (Nigerian) politics loom large too, whilst still paying tribute to ethnic origins. Like Wole Soyinka (a Yoruba and a proud Nigerian too) Achebe’s works often assume a national and international dimension.

Things fall apart has been acclaimed as a classic as the author (Achebe) re-creates a pre-colonial, proud society with elaborate, intriguing customs complemented by a fluent, expressive language. If we contrast this work with Camara Laye’s superb work The African Child, the dispassionate approach by Achebe to his own first novel puts him in a special class. When an author tries to be “neutral” a work is often more powerful, and many critics, eg, hated the tone of Ayi Kwei Armah for example in Two thousand Seasons. Achebe’s work shows a highly intelligent, dispassionate author at work.

Achebe’s language in his fictional work shows that he is very much at ease with his mother tongue. Whilst writing in English he goes out of his way to convey the particular authentic atmosphere of the (often) people at grassroots level he is writing about; even as regards “Pidgin English” he gets the inflections and jokes right. Hence, his global acclamation as a great writer

There is the tendency to harp on Things fall apart as the author’s greatest work, and it must be said that many of such observers have probably not read all of Achebe’s works of fiction. It is a matter of taste, but I personally believe that novels like Arrow of God and No longer at ease (both also written by Achebe) are perhaps better than the original classic (Things fall apart) Certainly Achebe’s re-creation of the past and the sweep (even co-incidence?) of pivotal events in the society is more powerful in Arrow of God. Many critics frowned at A Man of the people, but it’s a brilliant work too, castigating political corruption, and also a satire – before Armah’s The beautyful Ones are not yet born.

But all this show how great a writer Chinua Achebe is. His books are read all over the world. Like in his works, Achebe in real life condemns negative things, including bad leadership, but at the same time he has a gentle, sagacious sense of humour. No praise can be too much for this wonderful son of Africa! We wish him all the best as he clocks 80…

TEBOGO AND THE PANTOPHAGIST...whites still on fringes

TEBOGO AND THE PANTOPHAGIST
…whites still on the fringes

By Peter Moroe




Tebogo and the pantophagist is the seventh book featuring the adventures of Tebogo Mokoena, the Free State based sleuth created by Omoseye Bolaji. And this new addition is also quite readable.

Bolaji has been criticised for hardly including any white characters in his works of fiction. The trend largely continues here, although there is a peripheral account of Tebogo, Mr. Shasha, and the intriguing lady, Debbie, visiting a white couple in this latest work:

“The entrance to the house which was in the 'suburbs' consisted of high iron gates which soon opened after we arrived. Two dogs gambolled around us as we got out of the car, but with the white lady hostess (their owner) there, they were scarcely in a malevolent mood. The lady, called Tracy, led us to the sitting room.

It was rather untidy with some four cats having a field day there. There was a fine library and a very big TV. A laptop was on the table to the left. Tracy smiled and joked a lot, and was soon joined by her husband, Ryan, a handsome strapping white gentleman. They were a very handsome couple and obviously felt free with Shasha. Drinks were served with refreshments.

Debbie seemed uncharacteristically silent most of the time, but perhaps not in a hostile manner…

Ryan said to me after a while: ‘Let me show you our garden’. We went outside to a lovely garden and Ryan I soon noticed was VERY proud of the garden. He went into extensive details involving technical “jargon” of gardens, seeds, colours, weeds and the like. His face shone with great pleasure as he talked and I was surprised having a fairly good garden was such an expensive business. My ignorance in this wise did not seem to discourage him as he went on and on, smoking something that looked like ‘the weed’ in the process…”

It is not only the narrator’s stark ignorance of the intricacies of gardening that is obvious here. “Ryan was VERY proud of his garden” is an inadequate summary of the thrilling paraphernalia and undulating possibilities of gardening. Like many black people at grassroots level, a garden is something almost remote, or even a nuisance to Tebogo, though he does not exactly say so. But for Ryan it is an extension of his very being.

Then there is Debbie’s attitude after they leave the couple:

“After we left the house Shasha said in the darkness. ‘Very nice couple. The type of people who make the idea of a rainbow nation realisable…’

Debbie said curtly: “Did you see the way those cats were so free with Tracy, running all over her, playing with her, jumping all over her. It irritated me. You can see she loves those cats with all her heart. They made her all dirty. Did you see her fingernails?”

I did not like this, and nor did Shasha, I’m sure. “Come on! Many whites love cats. There’s no crime in that,” Shasha said. “It’s nothing. She can do anything for her cats. She normally plays with them even more than you saw today,”

'Let’s change the topic, it’s making me feel sick,' Debbie said…"

Debbie’s attitude here reflects how many black women who grew up in the townships would feel in a situation like this, with the condescending approach to animals. But note that both Tebogo, and Shasha (who is besotted with Debbie) condemn her attitude; this type of approach is typical of Bolaji’s fiction which tends to be conciliatory and broad-minded.

TEBOGO AND THE PANTOPHAGIST

TEBOGO AND THE PANTOPHAGIST
…whites still on the fringes

By Peter Moroe

Tebogo and the pantophagist is the seventh book featuring the adventures of Tebogo Mokoena, the Free State based sleuth created by Omoseye Bolaji. And this new addition is also quite readable.

Bolaji has been criticised for hardly including any white characters in his works of fiction. The trend largely continues here, although there is a peripheral account of Tebogo, Mr. Shasha, and the intriguing lady, Debbie, visiting a white couple in this latest work:

“The entrance to the house which was in the “suburbs” consisted of high iron gates which soon opened after we arrived. Two dogs gambolled around us as we got out of the car, but with the white lady hostess (their owner) there they were scarcely in a malevolent mood. The lady, called Tracy, led us to the sitting room.

It was rather untidy with some four cats having a field day there. There was a fine library and a very big TV. A laptop was on the table to the left. Tracy smiled and joked a lot, and was soon joined by her husband, Ryan, a handsome strapping white gentleman. They were a very handsome couple and obviously felt free with Shasha. Drinks were served with refreshments.

Debbie seemed uncharacteristically silent most of the time, but perhaps not in a hostile manner…

Ryan said to me after a while: ‘Let me show you our garden’. We went outside to a lovely garden and Ryan I soon noticed was VERY proud of the garden. He went into extensive details involving technical “jargon” of gardens, seeds, colours, weeds and the like. His face shone with great pleasure as he talked and I was surprised having a fairly good garden was such an expensive business. My ignorance in this wise did not seem to discourage him as he went on and on, smoking something that looked like ‘the weed’ in the process…”

It is not only the narrator’s stark ignorance of the intricacies of gardening that is obvious here. “Ryan was VERY proud of his garden” is an inadequate summary of the thrilling paraphernalia and undulating possibilities of gardening. Like many black people at grassroots level, a garden is something almost remote or even a nuisance to Tebogo, though he does not say so. But for Ryan it is an extension of his very being.

Then there is Debbie’s attitude after they leave the couple:

“After we left the house Shasha said in the darkness. ‘Very nice couple. The type of people who make the idea of a rainbow nation realisable…’

Debbie said curtly: “Did you see the way those cats were so free with Tracy, running all over her, playing with her, jumping all over her. It irritated me. You can see she loves those cats with all her heart. They made her all dirty. Did you see her fingernails?”

I did not like this, and nor did Shasha, I’m sure. “Come on! Many whites love cats. There’s no crime in that,” Shasha said. “It’s nothing. She can do anything for her cats. She normally plays with them even more than you saw today,”

“Let’s change the topic, it’s making me feel sick,” Debbie said…

Debbie’s attitude here reflects how many black women who grew up in the townships would feel in a situation like this, with the condescending approach to animals. But note that both Tebogo, and Shasha (who is besotted with Debbie) condemn her attitude; this type of approach is typical of Bolaji’s fiction which tends to be conciliatory and broad-minded.

See also:

http://kaganof.com/kagablog/2010/01/02/review-of-tebogo-and-the-pantophagist/

Remembering Ben Mtobwa

Remembering Ben Mtobwa

Ben Mtobwa, who published several exciting works in Swahili popular literature, died exactly one year ago (9 November, 2008) at the age of fifty. Mtobwa was a Tanzanian, and like the late Cyprian Ekwensi, he was fascinated with the allure of the city (mainly Dar es Salaam)

Ben Mtobwa was quite popular among readers in east Africa (where Swahili is a lingua franca) To put it in continental context, Mtobwa was a writer who appealed to many readers at grassroots level: like David Maillu (of Kenya), the late D.O Fagunwa (and later Kalu Okpi) in Nigeria; Osare Konadu initially, and now Ike Tandor (both of Ghana); and perhaps Gomolemo Mokae of South Africa.

By writing in Swahili, Mtobwa commanded a vast readership in his native Tanzania and in east Africa in general. Quite a number of his works have been translated into English, which further enhanced the popularity of this author.

Ben Mtobwa was bitten by the writing bug since he was a youngster and was already writing extensively whilst in school. His shorter fiction was published in many publications locally, which served as a spur for him to continue to write, experiment with forms, and later become socially conscious through literature. He also wrote non-fiction, and children’s books. His many books ranged from Lazima ufe Joram (1983) to Mtambo wa Mauti (2004)

Mtobwa, as a key Director of Heko Publishers in Tanzania used this opportunity to develop and encourage other writers, publish a newspaper and promote pertinent documentaries. His death shocked his many readers and the literary world in general, but his works (books) remain a monument to his memory.

Remembering Ben Mtobwa at the weekend, Ladybrand literary activist George Rampai said: “Ben Mtobwa was a remarkable, prolific writer; no doubt a born writer. He died young, but the likes of Emily Bronte and D.H Lawrence died even much younger. I think of a popular black African writer like the late Mtobwa, and my mind e.g goes to Leseli Mokhele of Lesotho, who also writes exciting fiction, is an expert with the short story, publishes a popular newspaper, and has had works broadcast on air…Africa must encourage her exciting writers and keep their legacy alive…hence we celebrate Ben Mtobwa’s great legacy”
- Courtesy Eclectic Writers’ Club, Mangaung