I recently finished reading Bryony Rheam's novel This September Sun and the author agreed to answer a few interview questions. At the end of this very enlightening interview on her craft and influences, Bryony calls on suggests that writers expand their creative horizons and embrace genres that move beyond the "overtly political". Below is the … Continue reading Interview: Bryony Rheam Calls on Zimbabwean Authors to Move Away from “Overtly Political” Subjects
Category: world literature
An Evening of Stories, Poetry & Music in Los Angeles with Christopher Mlalazi
Chris Mlalazi Villa Aurora & Eso Won Bookstore present an evening of stories, poetry & music with 2010 Feuchtwanger Fellow Christopher Mlalazi, fellow Zimbabwean writer and editor Emmanuel Sigauke, and Judicanti Responsura 7PM on Saturday, July 31, 2010 at Eso Won Bookstore 4331 Degnan Boulevard, Los Angeles 90008 Villa Aurora’s 2010 Feuchtwanger Fellow, Zimbabwean writer … Continue reading An Evening of Stories, Poetry & Music in Los Angeles with Christopher Mlalazi
Robert Giroux, Publisher, Dies at 94
The New York Times reports that "Robert Giroux, an editor who introduced and nurtured some of the major authors of the 20th century and who rose to join one of the nation’s most distinguished publishing houses as a partner, making it Farrar, Straus & Giroux, died Friday in Tinton Falls, N.J. He was 94." Read … Continue reading Robert Giroux, Publisher, Dies at 94
Narrow Definition of Poetry Has Some Writers Worry About its Future
"Poetry may be out of fashion, but it is the finest expression of what makes us human", writes Jay Parini in an article published by The Australian and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Parini goes on to show us the developments, or deaths, of poetry over the years. The article aptly concludes with Parini stating that he … Continue reading Narrow Definition of Poetry Has Some Writers Worry About its Future
Genre Expansion Necessary for African Writing
The continent of Africa continues to rely on foreign writers as suppliers of books in the genres of romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. This needs to stop immediately. We want the world to start reading romances written in Africa, by African writers. We want African readers to read romances (in the Harlequin & … Continue reading Genre Expansion Necessary for African Writing
Dambudzo Marechera and the American Reader
A literary scholar interested in reading the works of the Zimbabwean writer Dambudzo Marechera in the United States will be unsettled by the absence of these works in bookstores and most libraries. While Dambudzo Marechera was well-received in places like the United Kingdom, and while his influence is spreading rapidly in Africa and other places, he is not as famous in the … Continue reading Dambudzo Marechera and the American Reader
V.S. Naipaul Versus Derek Walcott
I studied V.S. Naipaul's A House for Mr. Biswas in my first year at the University of Zimbabwe. I found the book engaging and enlightening, rich with its characters' unique experiences. Later, I browsed other books by Naipaul, such as A Bend in the River, but none seemed to surpass the talent displayed in A … Continue reading V.S. Naipaul Versus Derek Walcott
Digital Libraries Devaluing Literature?
So I hear some former and current graduate students of the Iowa Writers' Workshop are enraged by the university's plan to digitalize MFA theses. So I hear some former and current graduate students of the Iowa Writers' Workshop are mad about the university's plan to digitalize MFA theses. These texts, improperly named "theses" since they are … Continue reading Digital Libraries Devaluing Literature?
Reading Literature & Relating
When I read Thomas Hardy at a rural secondary school in Zimbabwe, my teachers expected me to relate to the characters, to understand them as part my reality in life. Of course, we were aware that reading these books was a way to travel to worlds far away from ours, but then by the time we finished reading … Continue reading Reading Literature & Relating
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