"A Poet Speaks of Empire" - a new poem by January Nicole Wilson
Saturday, February 9, 2013
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.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
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?
"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!
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!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
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:
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.
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.
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!
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.
As usual, I encourage your thoughts and comments. Please
pass this post on to anyone you think may be interested.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
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!
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.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
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.
“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.
“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.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Introducing, My New Book, A Poet Speaks of Empire...
 |
| Book cover on iPad screen |
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that you enjoyed your
celebrations. I am still celebrating because this new year will bring a new
book for me--one which will be released as early as the spring. The book cover
is an ever-evolving project. I wanted to share an initial sample with you. I hope that you like it!
This is the book that I have waited to write. This is the first in a series of works about the great
diversity and new hope born on a continent so well-known for war and
corruption. For years, I have worked, traveled, read and extensively researched life on the
continent of Africa--all in an effort to better understand the rise and fall of empire--the tides of history.
Africa may be the poorest continent today, but the future whispers of profound change and considerable development.This book captures a moment in the history of Africa, on the precipice of a new era. For details on the new book, click on the image below to check out the front and back covers of the
new book!
 |
| Full Book Cover |
The title of the book, A Poet Speaks of Empire, originates from the title of a poem by one of my favorite poets, Langston Hughes. Among his most recognized poems, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," was a tremendous inspiration for my forthcoming book, even beyond the title. In the poem, Hughes merges the Old World with the New, imagining himself as a part of history, closely wedding the geography of Africa and America. Here's the poem:
I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln
went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy
bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I've known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
A Poet Speaks of Empire is a book that gently weds past with present, new with old. It is a book that plucks the tender nodes of the everyday and creates a splendid and complex impression of life on the continent. More to come...
You are receiving this weekly email because you have shown an
interest in my books in the recent past. I want to keep you abreast of my new
book as it develops.Stay tuned for details...! (Please forward this note on to others who may be interested.)
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
My First Book Review: by Angella Graff
Blogger, book reviewer and author, Angella Graff recently reviewed The Lily & The Aster on her indie book blog. What a lovely review! To check out what she had to say about the book, please see the link below:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)