A New Poem: The Next Dance

Here is yet another look inside A Poet Speaks of Empire. This is the second poem from the book -- a love poem. Click on the link below. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdNTwXguqd0

Final Excerpt from the Introduction

See below for the end of the Introduction to A Poet Speaks of Empire. Here, I have posted an excerpt - an addition to what was posted two weeks ago. Please note that the Introduction has not been posted in its entirety. More of the Introduction is to come when you read the book itself when it becomes available. Enjoy!

Introduction -

"...This book is intended to provide an impression of many of the dilemmas facing French-speaking Guinea, fast-growing Ghana, and new emerging market BRICS-member,[1] South Africa, and many other countries on the continent. It captures a moment in Africa on the precipice of a new era.                                                

This book is dedicated to all of the individuals I have known across my lifetime who have restlessly awaited Africa’s rise and believe in the collective ingenuity and intelligence of African peoples across the globe.                                                                 

Finally, it should be said that my mind rests on the relationships I have built with people from the continent. Love is a cosmic force for good in a world fragmented by poverty and war. The deeper story in this book is one of love—the slow but seismic effects of a bond forged over time."

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[1] An acronym, an easy reference to large, fast-growing nations, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) 

Video/Poetry Reading from A Poet Speaks of Empire

In the following video, now available on Youtube, I read my first poem, entitled, like the book itself, "A Poet Speaks of Empire." Please click on the play button below or cut and paste the following link into your web browser to see the video.

"A Poet Speaks of Empire" - a new poem by January Nicole Wilson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iigxajmUfCc

Sneak Peek at A Poet Speaks of Empire

Get your first look inside A Poet Speaks of Empire. Read an excerpt from the Introduction below. Get a sense of the backdrop, the place where the poems to follow happen. Be surprised, be angry, be intrigued. By all means, feel something about this provocative look at life in Africa. More of the Introduction to come...

"Introduction -
        And my dear friend, Samba, said to me sorely, “Maybe God doesn't love us…” The words of such a proud man caught me by surprise. We were watching a documentary on the rise and fall of Mobutu.[1] We learned about Mobutu’s conquest and plunder of Congolese wealth and the unmitigated chaos that has beset the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the years since his reign. Samba noted that Mobutu’s behavior paralleled that of countless other leaders across Africa since independence in the middle of the twentieth century. Bottomless greed seemed ubiquitous..."     
         "...My friend’s initial words struck me to the core. How could one explain the disproportionate, mass poverty and chaos many Africans face?                                                        

          Upon reflection and with great confidence, I know that things will change—it is only a matter of time, of history. Africa’s story speaks of the history of the world—the rise and fall of empire. The future beckons a story for the continent of Africa, one as rich as the continent’s great past. Vast and powerful ancient empires of 300 AD to 1600 AD, including ancient Ghana, Mali and Songhay, are evidence of deep and important cultural resources and capabilities still present but hard decipher amidst what we imagine as chaos. I only mean to suggest that our view is distorted.                                             

         Africa may be the world’s poorest continent today, but the years to come whisper of a very different future. Today, with foreign investment outstripping foreign aid and with the world's fastest growing economies in Africa, it is not difficult to imagine that things are in fact changing and changing quickly..." 

I welcome your thoughts and comments. Please forward this post on to anyone you think may be interested. 

Read more of the Introduction to A Poet Speaks of Empire in the coming weeks and preview some of the poetry from the book. Stay tuned!

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[1] Congolese despot who ruled the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or Zaire, 1965 -1997

Must-Read Novels by African Nationals

A Poet Speaks of Empire integrates my studies of literature (undergrad) and African Studies (grad school). I have done a great deal of research, as well as worked and lived in Ghana. I took a class at Brown called, “West African Political Writers,” which opened my eyes to  the rich diversity of literature coming from the continent. I read novels including Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah and Things Fall Apart, Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood, Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter, Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born and a plethora of other novels written by African nationals. Get a sense of Africa from the perspective of a local. Try Goodreads for a comprehensive list of fiction written by the best known African writers. There are more than 100 novels for you to explore here:

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/10961.Fictitious_Africa

This week I have chosen to spotlight a few of the best and best-known authors:

Things Fall Apart is Chinua Achebe’s best-known work, but Anthills of the Savannah comes in a close second. Called “prophetic,” this book examines the political system in fictional Kangan (read Nigeria) after a violent coup d’etat. The novel aptly puts presidential politics on display and reveals a vision of social change that is both wise and inspiring. Says the Financial Times: "in a powerful fusion of myth, legend and modern styles, Achebe has written a book which is wise, exciting and essential, a powerful antidote to the cynical commentators from 'overseas' who see nothing ever new out of Africa." Highly recommended read for those battling the cold and quiet winter months.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80213.Anthills_of_the_Savannah

Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Wole Soyinka is perhaps best-known for his plays, essays and poetry critiquing the Nigerian government and former colonialists for their errant ways in the post-colonial period. The Open Sore of a Continent is among his most definitive works. By no means an easy read, this book concerns the meaning of the word nation and how the idea shapes political outcomes in emerging nations, mainly in Africa but also across the world. Don’t miss this incisive explanation as to why some nations fail. 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124336.The_Open_Sore_of_a_Continent

Yvonne Vera’s Nehanda is among my favorite novels, perhaps because Vera’s words are lucid and almost poetic. She introduces an unfamiliar world with great skill and tact. Each word is carefully chosen. In this novel, she tells a tale of a sacred one, born to a village in Zimbabwe which was invaded by colonialists. This child represents the spirit of the ancestors, returned to cast out the pernicious invaders. In Nehanda, women are the keepers of ritual. All about the book is a mysticism that is fully captivating. The author is a Commonwealth Writers' Prize winner and a Macmillan Writers' Prize winner. This is a highly recommended read!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1110864.Nehanda

Ama Ata Aidoo’s No Sweetness Here carefully considers changes in Ghanaian society which have come about since the end of colonialism. She examines changes in perceptions of beauty, new urbanity, the brain drain and other topics in a series of stories which are altogether moving. Changes and Our Sister Killjoy are also well-known favorites by this remarkable author and playwright. I invite you to indulge in each one of these evocative works.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/264594.No_Sweetness_Here_and_Other_Stories

As usual, I encourage your thoughts and comments. Please pass this post on to anyone you think may be interested.

Book Trailer - A Poet Speaks of Empire

As I began to think about a new book trailer, I realized that what I wanted was something simple yet powerful, much like the book’s cover. The project came together rather quickly and I think that I achieved my aims - you be the judge.

Click the play button below or cut and paste one of the following links into your internet browser to see the book trailer for my forthcoming book, A Poet Speaks of Empire. Enjoy!

                           http://animoto.com/play/9UL8vHmMOCsrC2uIjNS5LA#
                                                            or
                           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VoumFKvl6A

The verse used in the book trailer is from the first poem of the book, aptly entitled, “A Poet Speaks of Empire.” It concerns a new era for the continent of Africa, for the rising bourgeoisie and the continent’s children. The poem is a rallying cry, a call to action for all segments of society - seize the new day bright with opportunity. The poem touches on the continent’s great past, more than a millennium of empire stretching from the Atlantic across the Sahara, notes the troubles faced in the post-colonial era, and imagines a grand future to come - an “ancient longing” comes “fresh on the heels of broken beginnings.” Click on each image to read the text which accompanies each photograph.

As for the photography featured in the background of the verse, each photograph captures a cathartic moment for the figure who is performing a West-African dance. The figure jumps, spins and reaches for a new destiny.

The background music in the book trailer is by Asa. The song is called “The Way I Feel.”  The singer-songwriter is Paris-born but Nigerian-raised. She is relatively new to the music scene, but she is very popular at home in Africa and abroad. She has opened for the likes of John Legend and Beyonce. Look out for more from this legend in the making!

I welcome your thoughts and comments! Please forward this to anyone you think may be interested.

Three Must-Read Articles on Africa's Economic Rise

Before writing A Poet Speaks of Empire, I did a great deal of reading on the new developments taking place in Africa. The book was a great excuse to continue learning about life on the continent. Here are three articles about Africa's economic rise that I found particularly insightful. Each one of these stories is evidence that things are changing quickly and that the idea that the continent is doomed carries less weight.This is the premise of A Poet Speaks of Empire. Please read these articles at your leisure.

“Africa next: With investment outpacing aid, is this a new golden age for the poorest continent?”

This is far and away the most comprehensive article I’ve read on Africa’s economic rise and the many changes that are taking place on the ground. It not only discusses the possibilities present on the continent, but teases out many of the dilemmas faced in this new era of fast-paced growth and relentless investment. If you only have a few minutes to devote to this reading, skip to the last page and read the information contained under the title, “By the numbers.” This section very succinctly breaks out the metrics of growth and development taking place in Africa. We learn that consumer spending will double by 2020 (evidence of a growing middle class); that Africa’s projected annual growth rate will be higher than Asia’s by 2020; the number of major wars has dropped to four (on a continent of 50+ nations and 700+ tribes/ethnic groups) from 20 from 1960 to 2000; and much more. The numbers are staggering and tell a very positive story about Africa’s future. Click here to read the article or copy and paste the link below in your internet browser.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/africa-next-as-investment-outpaces-aid-is-this-a-new-golden-age-for-the-poorest-continent/article4560978/

“Upwardly Mobile”

This article is case in point of the rapid change and development taking place in many nations across Africa. Kenya is home to the Silicon Savannah—Africa’s tech hub. IBM has offices in Nairobi. There are 74 cell phones for every 100 Kenyans. 99% of all internet subscriptions are on cell phones. There is a huge market for cell phone related games, applications and more. High-tech business is booming in Kenya. Click here for more on this story or copy and paste the link below in your internet browser.

http://www.economist.com/node/21560912

“Foresight Africa: Top Priorities in Africa in 2013.” 

In this report, the authors note that Africa is no longer viewed as the “doomed continent,” but rather is considered, quite positively, “emerging Africa.” With the continent now home to five of the world’s fastest growing economies, a rising middle class and an exceedingly more manageable place for doing business, questions emerge as to how to facilitate and maintain positive changes.  This report examines major policy issues which will need to be addressed from Africans’ perspective in the year to come. Issues examined include Africa’s burgeoning relationship with China (especially as it pertains to financial investment in African infrastructure, manufacturing and agriculture), the development of democratic institutions to moderate growth and development and presidential politics in Kenya. Click here to read the complete report or copy and paste the following link in your internet browser.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2013/01/foresight-africa-2013