Pulling Back the Veil on "Who Will Rise?"

This is the sixth in a series of blog posts concerning reader-favorite poems from my most recent book, A Poet Speaks of Empire. This post will pull back the veil on "Who Will Rise?" This particular poem concerns the new scramble for Africa and asks a question at the heart of the book, mainly, which world power will emerge victorious in this new era? Does foreign investment in Africa from emerging market nations like Brazil, Russia, India and China represent a new age of imperialism? Or, does it, in fact, represent a new partnership where sub-Saharan Africa shares in the gains of investment? Here's the poem:

WHO WILL RISE?

A vivid past forces our African

imaginations —

now faded memories of Sundiata

and colonial revolutionaries like

Sarraounia  and Nehanda:

beacons, forerunners, trailblazers

in a lost time, whose past battles

parallel our renewed struggle.

What have we learned from our past?

Do we have an answer to imperialism?

Questions that demand answers –

questions we cannot fathom.

What new strength has been added?

Is this a time to conquer or to be

re-conquered?

New masters and old mingle in

our African imaginations begging

the question, “Who will rise?”

In this poem, I ask the question, "Is this a time to conquer or to be/re-conquered?" Is what we're seeing today merely a second scramble for sub-Saharan Africa's mineral resource wealth or is foreign investment more meaningful? Is this a time to reflect on ancient revolutionaries like Sundiata, Sarraounia and Nehanda, who were "beacons, forerunners, [and] trailblazers" who aided in throwing off the chains of imperialism in times past? Finally, "new [colonial] masters," like Brazil, like Russia, like China "mingle" with "old," like Great Britain, France and Portugal, "begging the question 'Who will rise?'"--who will emerge, who will reign? This is a piviotal moment in history--an appropriate time for a poet to speak of empire. 

My continued reading on Africa's rise seems to point to a happy ending for the continent. According to a recent issue of The Network Journal, Brazil's public and private sectors have pledged to re-invest and transfer technologies to the continent in order to repay a "solidarity debt" for the many Africans taken as slaves across the middle of the last millennium. According to former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: Brazil, which is the world's sixth-largest economy, "owes its current strength to the more than 300 years of slavery during which we exploited the sweat and blood of millions of Africans.”

Brazil's government and multinational corporations plan to make strategic investments in everything from physical infrastructure to agriculture to technology to the auto sector in order to propel growth and expand Africa's growing middle class. Brazil invested $28 billion  in projects on the continent in 2011, up dramatically from $4 billion in 2000. China and Brazil will continue to compete for the demands of the burgeoning middle class. Africa continues to be an increasingly lucrative place to do business. If Brazil and China are any example, the future looks bright for Africa.

Book Signing at Barnes & Noble in Partnership with The Hord Foundation

Last weekend, I was fortunate to have a two-day book event at Barnes & Noble in Danbury, CT in partnership with The Hord Foundation. Last Saturday, I joined The Hord Foundation's founder, Board members and volunteers in an effort to raise funding for The Foundation's college scholarships to African American high school seniors in western Connecticut. (Click here to read more about The Hord Foundation's work.) I signed my books and handed out Hord brochures for nearly three hours.

While south of Connecticut the east coast was pounded with cold and snow, New England was spared the bad weather, at least for a few days. Fortunately, there was a lot of traffic in the store on Saturday and Sunday. We raised awareness about Hord, while raising money and selling my books. A portion of all sales to Barnes customers with a Hord Foundation card benefited Hord's scholarship fund.

It was great to chat with customers and to steer their sales toward books of mine that were appropriate for them or family and friends. Many were shopping for gifts. Nothing beats face to face contact with potential readers. I love doing events like these. They foment wonderful conversation and learning.

On Saturday, A Poet Speaks of Empire was the impetus for a number of conversations. One woman agreed with the book's premise that, in visiting Timbuktu, Mali not long ago, change was in the air. She noted that this seems to be a new era particularly for business in West Africa. Following that conversation, I spoke to a gentlemen whose daughter spent three months working in Botswana as a part of her graduate program. His daughter relished riding the local bus to and from work and no one knowing that she was different, an American, until she opened her mouth to speak. This experience of being part of a majority was new and refreshing for her.

On Sunday, I gave a presentation outlining three of my four published books and even introduced a poem from my forthcoming book of poetry, Love Emphatically. The focus again fell on A Poet Speaks of Empire. A South African gentleman, approached me after my book talk wondering why I chose to write poetry. What followed was a discussion about politics and economics in South Africa today. He said that the focus on materialism and opulence was poisonous. After speaking to him, I got the sense that South Africa seems to be losing its way. The African National Congress seems to be rather dominant, with splintering interests represented in far too many other (possibly weaker) political parties.

He was mildly skeptical about the Chinese's interests in South Africa. While the Chinese are investing in new roads and other infrastructure, their interests remain in removing natural resources. Moreover, the expertise and employment that the Chinese bring to South Africa leaves with them. They don't seem invested in training or hiring locals/indigenous South Africans for business purposes.

Although his overall outlook was perhaps a little bit skeptical, I greatly appreciated his sobering perspective. I look forward to and welcome future conversations of this nature.

Examining Reader-Favorite Poems: "An Homage to the Black Stars"

This is the fifth in a series of blog posts concerning reader-favorite poems from my latest book, A Poet Speaks of Empire. This week I'll examine "An Homage to the Black Stars." I'll interpret the poem and tell the story behind it. Here's the poem:  

AN HOMAGE TO THE BLACK STARS

They took to the streets like

so many birds to the sky:

flocked like children to the

red clay, cheering for those

long-revered.

Long prayed for rain arriving

in rhythm like their praise.

They carried flags and touted shirts

for the Black Stars.

The crowd’s arrival was an

explosion of joy – pounding streets,

confusing traffic, reaching skyward.

The overwhelming volume consuming

the blackbird’s cry. Audible from the

crowd, all but silence.

The "Black Stars" is the name given to Ghana's beloved national soccer team. They're named as such because of the famous black star at the center of Ghana's national flag (see left). This black star comes from Marcus Garvey's Black Star Line, whose ships' destination was West Africa.

The poem above concerns my experience on the streets of Kumasi, Ghana after a wonderful soccer game from the 2006 World Cup played in Germany. I was fortunate to be in Ghana when the Black Stars beat the United States to advance to the second round.

I happened to be returning by car from watching the game with a co-worker's family when the city erupted. Black Stars fans "took to the streets like/so many birds to the sky". Despite the rain, the streets were filled with young men and women "pounding streets,/confusing traffic, reaching skyward" in "long prayed for rain". It was a mesmerizing spectacle. There were so many people on the street that in the car we could only move at the pace of the crowd.

It was a long ride home but a memorable one. The city was on fire in a way that I had never seen and I was there to witness it.

More to come..

"Meet the Author" at Barnes & Noble - Nov. 22

Last Friday, I was invited to take part in "Discovery Friday" at the Barnes & Noble in Danbury, CT. The "Meet the Author" event for local authors was one of many activities and fun planned to kick off book sales for the holiday season. This was a wonderful opportunity to introduce myself to the Danbury community. I had warm and wonderful conversations with a number of fascinating individuals at the bookstore.

I was fortunate to connect with a woman who was immediately taken with my second book, A Dawn Run Hot with Morning. She found that it might make a great gift for a friend of hers who enjoyed poetry and art. I signed the book to her friend and hope that she enjoys her reading. I signed A Poet Speaks of Empire for her, too, and mentioned that it was inspired by my work in Ghana several years ago. A family member of hers also traveled to Africa and, like me, it changed the way she looked at poverty on the continent.

I also spoke with a young woman who was in high school. We agreed that we greatly enjoyed writing and started writing poetry and short stories at a young age. I admitted to writing my first short story at 7 and she mentioned that she started writing many years ago, as well. She also noted that she helped edit her co-op's literary magazine, something I did in high school, too. It is always great to meet young writers and to encourage them to pursue their passions!

I talked briefly with a man who said that he always wanted to be a writer. I noted to him that, these days, it is far easier to publish than it was just ten years ago. With the rise of print on demand publishing, just about anyone with a creative eye can publish a book.

When I noted that I was published independently, he seemed surprised. Eventually, I gave him a business card and he noted that he'd check out my work online. If I had the chance to continue the conversation further, what I would say to him is that he would be shocked by the quality of writing and overall quality of books coming from independently published writers.

I have had the privilege to read a number of books of fiction and poetry through a group on Facebook called "Review Seekers" in which authors offer their books for free in return for an honest review of their book. The amount of untapped talent out there is remarkable!

I've heard that your chances of being published by a traditional publisher are equivalent to that of being struck by lightning. With this in mind, it is imaginable that many major publishing houses' "slush piles" are filled with talent. What may be in question is how easy or difficult it is for a book to easily find a market and become a bestseller.

Finally, I ran into a man who, like me, studied English in college and lamented the day when poets wrote accessibly. He remembered a day when Allen Ginsberg, a beat poet from the 1950s and 1960s, came to speak to a group in his writing program and how enjoyable reading poetry was back in the day. I agreed. Many people don't enjoy reading poetry that obscures understanding. I aim for accessibility in my work, almost above all.

In sum, last Friday was a lot of fun. It's great doing events like this one. I look forward to doing more events like these in the future!

Examining Reader-Favorite Poems: "A Poet Speaks of Empire"

This is the fourth in a series of blog posts intended to examine reader-favorite poems from A Poet Speaks of Empire. This week I'll look at the opening poem from the book, entitled, "A Poet Speaks of Empire". This poem is key to the premise of the book. An understanding of the book, A Poet Speaks of Empire, pivots on insight into this poem.

The poem touches upon centuries of struggle faced by many nations in sub-Saharan Africa since the dawn of the trans-Atlantic and trans-Saharan slave trades, through the troubled period since independence from colonialists, up until this new era in the continent's history. Here's the poem:  

A POET SPEAKS OF EMPIRE

From the depths of a frightening bottom

arises the promise of heights only imagined

by history. Mansa Musa[1] could not

dream of the hopes for tomorrow.

From the horrors of a beleaguered past

besmeared with the sale of an aging dynasty

and its people,[2] rises a cypress.[3]

Now compelled by the grip of an ancient

longing, a rising bourgeoisie breathes free.

New and constant inhalations catch the

scent of a budding era, fresh on the heels

of broken beginnings.

Arise, oh great continent, arise!

A new age beckons your voice,

your voyage.

Arise village, arise nation, arise continent!

Children seek their inheritance. A

grand past makes this generation

eager for a magnificent future, bearing

fruit to feed a multitude:

electrifying shanty grids,

irrigating drought-wrought farms,

transporting goods and services,

delivering to markets beyond the

horizon.

Rise to the moment ancient griot,[4]

storied marabout,[5] revolutionary

warrior, rich farmer! Bring your alms,

your drums, your ghosts and your songs;

the children of today must carry on

traditions older than time, ripe as the sea.

The reference to Mansa Musa is important here. In the 13th century, long before the international slave trade, ancient Mali was renowned as a world cultural and financial center. Timbuktu was an undeniable force in the trade of salt, silk and local slaves at the height of empire.   

During a period of decline, beginning in the 17th century, African slave traders began selling Africans (who were already slaves or prisoners of war) to the Portuguese, the British, the Spanish, the Americans and others. The business was extremely lucrative and many African ethnic groups benefited enormously from the trade. 

The sale of slaves was not exclusive to the West; Arabs also had a need for free labor. It is estimated that 30 million people (many of whom perished) were exported across the Atlantic, the Sahara, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean into ports across the world. 

From a strictly economic standpoint, this was a huge blow to human resources and human capital in sub-Saharan Africa. Imagine, such an enormous number of strong, young Africans, in the prime of their lives, being sold at auction to the highest bidder. Although many ethnic groups benefited financially, the long-term impact on local economies was marked and lasted for generations. To some historians, the enormous export of human capital, in small part, explains centuries of poor economic performance in sub-Saharan Africa. Populations are just being restored today, which may be an element in explaining recent economic gains.

The major question which the poem cited above and the book, in general, address is the question of empire. History has witnessed the rise and fall of empire since the beginning of time. With at least five of the world's fastest growing economies now in sub-Saharan Africa, supported by new trade and investment from emerging market countries in the global South, including Brazil, India and China, the continent's rise to power, economically and otherwise seems highly probable. The economic crisis of 2008 was a watershed moment in economic history for the West. However, it revealed the prowess of emerging market economies across the global South. Many of these nations remained little affected by the crisis and were even witness to growth. Time will tell if the developing world will continue to emerge and if empire will shift to the global South.

---

[1] Ancient Malian king, 1280 – 1337 AD

[2] Slaves and prisoners of war in ancient Mali were sold off into the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the trans-Saharan slave trade in an effort to raise funds for the failing empire

[3] Species of tree native to southern Africa

[4] West African storyteller who maintains the tradition of oral history

[5] A saint in Muslim Africa believed to have supernatural powers

Book Event with The Links

Last weekend, I attended Founder's Day, sponsored by The Links in Stamford, Connecticut. It was a special event that celebrated the 1946 founding of the organization. Approximately 70 Links members from around the state were in attendance. I served as a vendor, offering my books to those interested. I had a table with all four of my books, business cards, a poster from my original book launch and a notebook where I collected email addresses to announce future books. I showed up prepared to harness the best that The Links had to offer.

The most popular book proved to be The Lily & The Aster. It sat front and center on the table, along with A Poet Speaks of Empire. My pitch was that The Lily & The Aster was a book for book lovers who did not necessarily love poetry--that the poetry, haiku, was simple and made for easy and pleasurable reading.

A Poet Speaks of Empire, my latest book, was also very popular. I believe that what customers found intriguing was the subject matter--the rise of sub-Saharan Africa. The idea was new to some and not so new to others.

During the event, I was seated next to a vendor, let's call her Elizabeth (not her real name), who was selling her own line of cosmetics. Elizabeth's table was very busy with women looking to buy the latest shade of lip color or a hydrating face mask. I was fortunate to catch a spillover of customers from her table.

During a lull in customers, she picked up my latest book and began to read the poem, "Mandela's Resurrection". She noted that she is a member of South Africa's African National Congress and that, since 1995, she traveled to the country six or more times per year for work or to visit friends. What followed was a very interesting conversation about the new South Africa. 

She noted that a new generation of children in South Africa, born since Mandela's release from prison in the early 1990s, did not appreciate the history or efforts put forth to bring about this new era of growth and opportunity. To these children, apartheid is a part of the distant past. The poem that she read was a springboard for great conversation. This is the best I can hope for all of my books, those already written and those to come.

Examining Reader-Favorites: "Through the Eyes of the Guinean"

This is the third in a series of blog posts focused on examining reader-favorite poems from A Poet Speaks of Empire. In this particular post, I'll look at "Through the Eyes of the Guinean." I'll interpret the poem and tell the story that inspired it. This poem deals with the experience of Guinean immigrants whose goal is Europe. The poem concerns the prospect of immigrating to Spain for a Guinean, from French-speaking Guinea, among the most indigent nations in West Africa.

THROUGH THE EYES OF THE GUINEAN

Spain is Africa’s gateway to Europe,

as seen through the eyes of the Guinean.

The unknown road to markets contemplated

and forever imagined. What particular

reality lies on the nation’s shores:

soft sand, white like dust, or, black sand,

coarse with rocks?

Promises of opportunity and new beginnings

make bearable the unknown. The particulars

of a new voyage are footnotes to a grinding

thesis. Rebirth is a luxury afforded to the

daring. Leaving for foreign shores, a detail,

heavy with new meaning –

a family who is never forgotten.

Here I attempt to depict Spain as a "gateway" to "unknown roads" - to "opportunity", "new beginnings" and possibly even "rebirth". Clearly, "the Guinean" sees moving to Spain as the bridge to prosperity, but he/she has reservations about "the unknown". He/she is guided by the compass of making a better future for his/her family.

The story behind this particular poem begins with a friend of mine, whom I met while I was studying abroad in Spain at the turn of the millennium, Samba. He was one of many West Africans who I met while in Spain. Their stories were similar. Each of them arrived in Spain with high hopes--those of going to school or landing a decent job in order to earn money to send back to their families. Saving enough meant sending their mothers to Mecca or building homes for their loved-ones. And they did. As I would come to learn, the obstacles many of them had to overcome to travel to Europe were quite surprising and quite humbling.

My friend, Samba, had a wide network of Guinean friends who would come together in Madrid for meals and to support each other's endeavors. They came from all walks of life and had diverse stories to tell. They often spoke in their native dialect, Fula, among each other, but, occasionally, in my presence, they spoke Spanish, so that I could understand and participate in conversations.

I learned a lot from this group and have many other stories to tell about them. The thought of my time with them warms my heart. Their hospitality and generosity remain with me.

If you haven't already, pick up a copy of A Poet Speaks of Empire to learn more about what this network of individuals meant to me. You'll meet Samba, for the first time, in the introduction to the book.

Pulling Back the Veil on "Transformation"

This blog post is the second part in a series examining reader-favorite poems from A Poet Speaks of Empire. This post will pull back the veil on the poem "Transformation". What follows is just that poem:

TRANSFORMATION

Bare feet on red clay earth

dance the rhythms of the

falling rain – drums pulsing –

the sound of existential angst.

Hands clap the vibration into

splendid song until dusk;

voices rise in exultation

praising another transformation –

man to blackbird –

man to dust.

The inspiration for this poem comes from an experience that I had with a friend of mine, one of the people to whom I have dedicated this book, Tatchöl. He works as a teacher of African drum and dance at Yale University. On the last Sunday of each month, he holds a healing drum circle for people who attend his drum and dance classes. As I recall, these healing circles were therapeutic. I have heard it said that, in certain places in Africa, people "dance their prayers". As I would learn later, this is precisely what his healing drum circles were all about.

Four or five years ago, around late summer/early fall, Tatchöl's uncle passed away in Guinea. Tatchöl called a special drum circle to help he and his family heal from the loss and raise money for the funeral. The drum circle was very emotional and, the dancing and drumming, quite beautiful and passionate.

In speaking with Tatchöl later, I learned that the Baga people of Guinea believe that when a person dies, his/her spirit is not laid to rest, but rather, transforms into another living thing--be it a bird or other creature. The dancing, drumming, and singing paid homage to his uncle's life and celebrated his transformation to a new life form. Although this idea does not fit with the beliefs my family holds, I could appreciate the beauty and sentiment behind the idea.

So, the images from this poem, "Transformation," come from these ideas and these memories. I took a bit of license and imagined what the healing drum circle may have looked like in Guinea--a celebration in bare feet on the red clay, inside a village on a rainy day--drums, claps and voices rising afternoon into night. Check out the following video to get a sense of the way this scene may have looked:
                                                                                                                                                                                       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cZV-Bja3Hc

The image of the transformation - "man to blackbird" - belongs to an image in my own memory, however. Several years ago, I attended a family funeral and crossed paths with a family member whom I had never met before. Let's call her Victoria. During a brief conversation, she shared her own insights about life, death, and ancestors. Despite being a devout Christian, she expressed an idea which made a tremendous impression on my memory.

She recalled a photograph of my father, my brother and me taken in Virginia standing on land which has belonged to our family since the times of slavery. Many generations of men in our family made their living fishing and crabbing on the water surrounding this land. Victoria suggested that the blackbirds on the water in the background of this photograph were ancestors returned to protect us. This is the genesis of a related poem from my first book, Contemplating Eve. In this poem, quoted below, I see the "black sink and swim birds" as ancestors "in the shadows". This image has followed me into A Poet Speaks of Empire.

I heard my spirit's echo
on the water

Echoing

generations of toil
on the water
without a single regret

black sink and swim birds
on the water
in the shadows of great men

To think, these highly evolved birds were returned ancestors, like angels, looking over us, protecting us, on the water, under the water and in the sky. What a powerful metaphor!

More to come...

Pulling Back the Veil on "Makola Market"

So, by now, perhaps, you have read A Poet Speaks of Empire and you are curious about the meaning of a particular poem or where inspiration for a poem came from. You may not have purchased a book yet, but posts like this one may tempt you. Over the next few weeks, I will fill you in on the story behind some of my readers' favorite poems. Pour a cup of tea or a glass of fine wine. I plan to pull back the veil on a few of the poems from A Poet Speaks of Empire—one at a time, week by week.

“Makola Market” was a reader favorite. Read it again or, here, for the very first time:

From the pit of the market –

a vantage point for barter and

trade – the echo of bold women

offering their wares for smooth

coins and crumbling bills.

Commerce is happening in Makola

Market on a vast lot – a plaza boasting

of tomatoes, peppers, gari

and rice. Long wished for fabrics – print

and embroidered – Kente cloth  is sold

to the highest bidder.

“This one is called, Your Heart’s Desire,”

says the market woman. How easy is her

gaze and how pleasing her plea.

Supply meets demand, here, at a price

that shifts with the ways of the wind.

Generations of women – farmers’ wives and

farmers, tailors’ wives and tailors – lay

claim to their wealth, measured in bills and

political power. A market woman’s vote

is more than marginal and

her words of praise or ridicule echo

around the market. Those who want

power swoon the market women,

whose pockets are filled with commerce.

My story begins with a confession: while I did visit Makola Market, located in Ghana’s capital, Accra, among the largest and most well-known open air markets in Ghana, this poem truly begins with my experience in a large open air market in Kumasi, Ghana, the seat of power for the Ashanti people.

I was introduced to the market by a co-worker’s brother, Kwame, who was kind enough to visit the market with me and to teach me about the market’s most popular items, vegetables, gari, etc., as well as the rituals and taboos of behavior in the market. During our visit, he got distracted and disappeared for about a half-hour. I was left to sit in the center of the market, knowing only a few words of Twi. This dilemma provided me with the opportunity to observe life in the market.

“From the pit of the market,” I watched women and men bargain for goods. I saw children dawdle by their mothers' sides.  I witnessed commerce and trade on its grandest platform with women as the chief beneficiaries.

Eventually, I got up the courage to bargain with a woman for some kente cloth in a pattern that I had never seen. (Kente cloth is a textile typically worn for special occasions and, centuries ago, only by royalty. See the photo posted here.) The market woman indicated that this pattern was truly unique and was called “Your Heart’s Desire”. She was shrewd and drove a tough bargain—needless to say.

By the time that Kwame found his way back to me, I had let go of a few cedi, but my wardrobe had grown so much richer.

I know from my studies of political science in the classroom that market women, such as those found in Kumasi or Accra, are among the nation’s most powerful entrepreneurs – well-organized and sometimes unionized. They are and have been so powerful that in the late 1970s, Makola Market was razed by President Jerry Rawlings, determined to reign in these entrepreneurs' power.

Today, markets like those found in Accra and Kumasi thrive and form essential elements of the informal economy in Ghana. View the video below to get a sense of life inside Makola Market:

                                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BN3SxN9zyE

Labor Day Weekend Memories

What a wonderful Labor Day celebration I had this weekend! There was good food, good company and good fun at both an intimate party of 20 on Saturday and at a larger, more boisterous celebration of roughly 50 on Sunday. I have a number of great stories to relate surrounding my books!

I had several very interesting discussions around my books with some of the kind ladies who sat with me around the lunch table on Saturday. Once I mentioned that I am a poet, the questions came at me quickly and furiously: "How long have you been writing?";"Would you mind reading a poem for us this afternoon?";"What do your parents think about you being a poet?"; "Who are some of the great, young African American poets of today?"

I noted to them that I had been seriously writing poetry since high school, where I was published not only in my high school's literary magazine, but in an established Spanish-language literary journal for a poem I wrote in Spanish, called "Oda al Girasol." (My high school Spanish teacher submitted this poem to the journal which, subsequently, published the work.)

When asked if I would read a poem from one of my books, I agreed, but in the end, due to conversation and other activities, I ran out of time. If I'd had the time, I would have read "Mama/Abuela," a favorite poem from my first book Contemplating Eve: The Collected Works.(Click here to read the poem. Scroll down to the third poem in this lengthy blog.)

The third question was a loaded one. I mentioned that, while I greatly enjoy being a poet, I have a master's degree in Economics and considerable experience abroad. I have a career to fall back on, which comforts my parents!

I greatly appreciated the final question. The woman who asked about young African American poets noted that she missed the fiery but eloquent social and political commentary of poets like Amiri Baraka and Nikki Giovanni from the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. I highly recommended that she purchase my latest book, A Poet Speaks of Empire, because of its commentary on contemporary Africa. I also noted that Nikky Finney and Kwame Dawes are my favorite poets of African descent but poets like Natasha Trethaway (now the US poet laureate), Cornelius Eddy,  Shara McCallum, Major Jackson and January Gill O'Neil (all of whom are of African descent) are also doing some awesome work.

Perhaps the most memorable conversation I had was with the gentleman in this photograph and his wife. He asked me about my experiences in Ghana, while he discussed his experiences growing up in Guyana. I had run out of copies of A Poet Speaks of Empire but, as I indicated to his wife, he might appreciate The Lily & The Aster. In it is a travel essay concerning my trip to Africa and the poetry, being mainly haiku, is something anyone can appreciate because it is simple and straightforward.

Perhaps the greatest compliment came at Sunday's party. I was speaking to a couple and introduced two of my most recent works. After perusing The Lily & The Aster, the man said "This is really great! The idea that you're a writer is truly commendable. I have always wanted to be a writer." I think that there are a lot of people out there who want to write. With publishing becoming more accessible, the possibilities are endless. Cheers to all of the aspiring writers out there!

Summer Hiatus

What a whirlwind this summer has been! I'm currently in Madison, WI. This is such a pleasant get-away and easy space for reading and writing poetry. Here's a photo of my grandfather's house where much of my work takes place.


I just picked up Nikky Finney's Head Off & Split and Kwame Dawes' Duppy Conqueror at a cozy, little indie bookstore in downtown Madison called "A Room of One's Own" (after a book by Virginia Woolf.) I've looked to Finney and Dawes for inspiration in writing my fifth book of poetry, due out in the spring of next year.

Believe it or not, in this brief two and a half week stay in Madison, I finished writing my fifth book. This next work will concern one theme, namely, love. As you may know, this is a topic I have turned to in many of my early books and one that has been a favorite for many readers. I am currently considering two different titles. I will chose either Love Emphatically  or We Gather in the Name of Love.  The book will concern not only romantic love but love of family and friends. This was a wonderful book to write. And I have quite enjoyed my stay here in Madison. My time has been quite fruitful!

While I have been here, I also managed to get "A Room of One's Own" to put my poetry books on their shelves! So, if you find yourself in downtown Madison, within the next six months, do not hesitate to stop by this quaint little bookstore and pick up your copy of my latest book or some of the earlier titles, if you have not yet done so.

While I have been here, there has been little time to spare, between arts festivals, restaurant week, visiting friends and family, and writing. I also had the opportunity to visit an exhibit called "30 Americans" at the Milwaukee Art Museum. This special exhibit, now at the Museum until early-September, showcases the artwork of the most influential African American contemporary artists from across the country over the course of a forty-year period (Basquiat included). For details on who else was featured, visit www.mam.org.

I was quite impressed by the scale and scope of the exhibit. Every media and genre was represented. The works included in the exhibit varied from inspiring to disturbing. Some examined history, while others celebrated the strides made over the generations. The exhibit was exhaustive but kept me wanting to see more. It was altogether time well-spent.

This final picture was taken just three weeks ago at a family event in Plymouth Meeting, PA. I arrived with a table full of books and managed to sell a few to family and friends. As potential customers glanced at the books at my table, I received many words of encouragement, "Keep writing!" they said.

July was a busy month for me and for my poetry. I hope to return to writing weekly blog posts sometime this fall. Stay tuned!

A Review of NoViolet Bulawayo's We Need New Names

What follows is a lengthy piece, but one which is well worth your time. It is a review of Caine Prize for African Writing winner, Zimbabwean author, NoViolet Bulawayo's new book, We Need New Names. The review's author, Ikhide R. Ikheloa, provides excerpts from the book, as well links to relevant blogs, essays and other material which enhance our idea of just what this new book is all about. In what he calls "some of the best poetry prose [he has] read in his life", he finds one of the most "contemporary pieces of literature that [he has] read in a long time" -- a book which fits into our texting, tweeting, Facebook culture. Bulawayo does not hold back in depicting the daily challenges of children growing up in poverty in contemporary Africa. As Ikheloa points out, "The words seep into your bones and slap you awake." The book does not dissolve into what some books about Africa do, namely "poverty porn," but rather presents a startling and complex portrait of modern life in Africa. Here's a review of NoViolet Bulawayo's new book:

http://xokigbo.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/for-noviolet-bulawayo-we-need-new-names/

On Kwame Dawes: His Work and Aesthetic

Kwame Dawes is a Ghana-born, Jamaican-American poet and professor whose work has won him countless awards, including an Emmy for his amazing work on the website, "Live Hope Love" (http://www.livehopelove.com/#/home/) a beautiful and interactive collection of poems, music, photography and video, dealing with people living with HIV in Jamaica. More about that site later.

In my latest book, A Poet Speaks of Empire, I praise Dawes' ability to "write a growing torrent of a poem" which "inspires wisdom and a knowing only he knows." Dawes has the remarkable ability to breathe life into ordinary words and to inspire reflection with each evocative lyric. Even in his prose, his language is so very precise and thoughtful. This much is evident in books, Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius and poetic works like Midland. 
  
I chose to highlight Dawes in my book, not only because he was born in Ghana and seems to have retained an inspiring sensibility and respect for where he comes from, but because of his determination to preserve a perspective on Jamaica which is altogether unique and somehow fragile. In the halls of academia, Dawes is one of the few who respect reggae as an aesthetic that needs to be examined and understood. In many ways, I understand why he writes and is so prolific. He seems to aim to write the books that he wishes to read himself and finds far too few of in the halls of libraries and bookstores. 

I wrote A Poet Speaks of Empire for just this reason. I have been unable to find many books that reflect on the current political and economic developments in the whole of Africa in recent years. No doubt, current events are being written about. In the years since independence, there have been a plethora of African authors writing about the promises and the challenges faced in the immediate post-colonial era. International publication of such authors seems to have waned in recent years. I have had difficulty identifying more contemporary authors who speak of the hopes and concerns I touch upon in my latest book.

Kwame Dawes has a new book out entitled, Duppy Conqueror, after a title of a song by Bob Marley. I have not read the book yet, but based on the reviews I have read, Dawes continues his commitment to promoting a pan-African awareness.


"Live Hope Love" (http://www.livehopelove.com/#/home/) is a stunning example of Kwame Dawes' work and commitment to issues facing the African diaspora. On the site, rich poems accompany gritty photography which present the face of HIV in Jamaica in recent years. The poetry that you will find on this site documents the courage and challenges that many Jamaicans deal with in the face of this epidemic. Check out the site and do not miss poems like triumphant "Nichol," who cries, "Man must live/ Man must live." Dawes notes that in all Nichol's smiles and in the persistence of his will, he "is the posture of survival."

In my work, I owe a debt of gratitude to poets and authors like Kwame Dawes, who have blazed a path for authors documenting and reflecting on the experiences of people in the vast African diaspora.

It only seems appropriate to cite the words of Franz Fanon, a thinker on the frontier of the Negritude movement: “Our history takes place in obscurity and the sun I carry with me must lighten every corner.”

A Review of "Building BRICs: The New Scramble for Africa" by Barbara Njau

For those of you whose interest in Africa's economic rise was peeked by previous blogs or by the introduction to my latest book, please read on as I review/summarize a fascinating new essay published by Barbara Njau, the Kenya-born, Senior Reporter and Markets Editor of "Foreign Direct Investment (fDi) Magazine" (part of the Financial Times).

In her essay, aptly entitled, "Building BRICs: The New Scramble for Africa," she indicates the gains made in the last 15 years on the continent of Africa due to the rise of, investment from and trade with the "global south," or the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Njau provides qualitative and quantitative evidence that Africa is, in fact, experiencing a renaissance, one that will have far-reaching consequences for growth and development on the continent in the decades to come.  
  

Indeed, over the last decade, there has been a “realignment in commercial relationships…a shift in centers of global production away from western markets, towards emerging markets generally.” The West's economic downturn of 2008 marked a watershed moment in this gradual shift. 

The BRICs are leading the pack with new investments in everything on the continent from infrastructure to mining to schools and hospitals. China alone invested $100 billion by 2008 according to Standard Bank. China, in particular, has become the continent’s largest bilateral trading partner. By 2009, 15% of sub-Saharan Africa’s trade was with China, followed by 12% with the US. As Njau carefully notes, “for the first time in decades, Africa’s growth appears enduring.”

According to Njau, BRIC nations know how to work in markets and with populations similar to their own, those with low incomes, low savings and low purchasing power. BRIC nations can “more readily understand the dynamics of the continent’s markets and adapt their products accordingly.” As a result, multinationals based in BRIC countries and building in Africa are more risk averse than Western multinationals and are willing to engage with a rising middle class.

Njau also notes the many changes in the political and economic environments in Africa in the last few decades. Improved macroeconomic management, more transparent business environments and robust interest in African markets on the part of emerging market economies have herded in a dynamic new era for the continent. 

She also observes that “one of the positives cited about the growing interest of the BRICs in the continent is the positive spill-over effects that the BRICs’ expertise will have...as integral actors in transferring skills and technical know-how to their African employees. The Chinese firm, Huawei, which is the world’s second largest telecommunications equipment supplier, has worked to integrate African talent into its global operations.” Such practices are evidence of important investments in human capital which will have far-reaching effects on Africa’s future growth and development.

Rather poignantly, Njau points out that the BRICs' investment in Africa and Africa's exploding growth illustrate that Africa should be taken seriously as a viable investment destination by the world at large. “Africa, with nearly one billion people, represents the world’s third largest market after China, which has a population of 1.3 billion people, and India, with 1.2 billion people.”

Finally,“With new opportunities opening up, and more tangible developments on the ground…people will demand their cut. This could begin to shift African politics away from domination by ethnic loyalties, and create new alliances around demand for public goods and a share of the national cake.” In other words, improved economic conditions in Africa could lead to political revolutions in favor of democracy and greater economic equality as it has in East Asia over the past few decades. The Africa we know could very soon emerge transformed.

If you'd like to read the essay in its entirety, simply go to Amazon and enter the title, "Building BRICs: The New Scramble for Africa" or the author's name, Barbara Njau.

  

Paris Review Interview with Chinua Achebe

Read this stunning and illuminating interview with Chinua Achebe, the so-called "father of African literature." The world lost this literary luminary at the age of 82 just a little over a week ago. In this extended interview, read about his life and his craft. Learn something about this soft-spoken giant of literature that you didn't know. Brew some tea. Take your time...

http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1720/the-art-of-fiction-no-139-chinua-achebe

Chinua Achebe is best-known for his novels, Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God, among others. He is perhaps lesser known for his poetry, although it is equally as powerful. If you'd like to read some of his poetry, simply visit my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Contemplating-Eve-The-Collected-Works-Other-Books/110883098935354 

I've posted a poem from Chinua Achebe everyday for the last week. (You do not need to have a Facebook account to read the poetry on the page, so click away!)

Youthful Exuberance

The following site has been a useful resource and an inspiration for me in my work on my latest book. Complete with the latest news, photography, fashion and quotations from leading African figures, B-Sama (a pseudonym for the site's organizer) has compiled a mashup as colorful and socially relevant as Ebony and as global in focus as the Financial Times. I encourage you to follow or to return to this site periodically to stay up to date on the latest in news and thought from Africa. B-Sama's youthful exuberance is infectious. Enjoy!

http://b-sama.tumblr.com/

The Editorial Review for A Poet Speaks of Empire

Buy Now!

"In the introduction to January Wilson’s new collection, A Poet Speaks of Empire, we read, “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.” Yes, a book of love, but also a book of deep admiration for a continent that Wilson knows well: Africa. A Poet Speaks of Empire is full of references to legendary African figures. Emperors such as Mansa Musa, whose legacy is evoked by the poet to urge new generations to, “carry on traditions older than time,” in the poem whose title gives name to the book. The Emperor Sundiata Keïta and Queen Sarraounia are brought to life by ravishing poems that dissect and discuss a distant time. Looking at the past serves as a means of understanding the present and encouraging current African generations to look to the future, “Arise, oh continent, arise: a new age beckons your voice, your voyage.” References to Mandela and other African leaders deeply admired by the author, such as the poet Kwame Dawes, are also frequent. Wilson’s admiration for African history and traditions does not prevent her from viewing current political scenarios through a critical lens, as in the poem “Rapid Impermanence in Zimbabwe.” Along with references to Africa, the reader will also find that A Poet Speaks of Empire contains other themes that have run through Wilson’s previous work. Readers who have followed previous work, Contemplating Eve: The Collected Works, A Dawn Run Hot with Morning and The Lily & The Aster, will see this commonality. We find notes of romantic love in poems such as, “The Next Dance.” But love goes beyond falling in love, as the author makes clear in the tender poem “Father and Son.” In A Poet Speaks of Empire we also find other themes and concerns always present in Wilson’s work. The quest for and commitment to clear and direct poetry is particularly clear in the poem, “Extraordinary Knowing” where we can read, “I want to speak a poetry that embraces you; one that does not obscure understanding, but quickens the pace toward extraordinary knowing.” In this most recent work by January Wilson, we also find several haiku, a minimalist form that Wilson has employed before, in her excellent previous work, The Lily & The Aster.  A Poet Speaks of Empire is a creatively written book full of excellent poems—a piece of work that I truly recommend. Without any doubt, one of the best books January Wilson has put together so far. I am sure you will love it." - Xavier Martin, Editor