Visions of ailing men in Chenjerai Hove’s ‘Bones’ & Shimmer Chinodya’s ‘Strife’
Professor Robert Muponde
On Thursday 16 October, the 5.30pm Literary Evening at The Book Café extends a warm welcome to Professor Robert Muponde from the Department of English, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Responding to a long-standing invitation by Pamberi Trust, he will make a presentation based on the work of two of Zimbabwe’s best-loved authors, entitled ‘Visions of Ailing Men in Chenjerai Hove’s Bones and Shimmer Chinodya’s Strife.
The paper seeks to explore the ways in which differently placed dystopian masculinities in the two novels help us to think about an evolving narrative of postcolonial Zimbabwe.
Mr Memory Chirere of the UZ Department of English will chair the ensuing discussion. Read more
Ruby Magosvongwe and Steven Millhauser on the short story
There is much talk about the short story these days. The latest authoritative views about the genre are by University of Zimbabwe professor Ruby Magosvongwe and award-winning short story writer Steven Millhauser who presented the short story as more important than the novel.
Speaking at a high school short story contest award ceremony recently, Magosvongwe labelled Zimbabwe “a short story country.” To make such a claim, one has to have a strong reason, here is hers:
“Nearly every, I emphasise EVERY Zimbabwean who has become prominent today started with short stories or has a short story collection somewhere along the way. Here we go: Dambudzo Marechera’s House of Hunger, Charles Mungoshi’s Coming of the Dry Season, David Mungoshi’s Broken Dream and Other stories, Yvonne Vera’s Why Don’t You Carve Other Animals, Stanley Nyamfukudza’s Aftermaths, Chenjerai Hove’s Matende Mashava.” (Her full speech is on the Unofungei Fungai Blog).
But why is the short such an important genre in the literature of Zimbabwe and any country for that matter? Perhaps Steven Millhauser’s New York Times essay provides a possible answer: “The short story apologizes for nothing. It exults in its shortness…its greatness is its shortness.” Millhauser also points out that the difference between a short story and a novel is that the former concentrates on some small portion of the world, “but you will find, deep within it, nothing less than the world itself.” Basically, the short story, in its modesty, albeit pretenteous, is an addictive little outlet, enabling much to be said in a few words. A novel may thrash out with overconfidence and limitless indulgence, but the short story, says Millhauser, believes in hidden power, its brevity: “It wants to be a single word.” Read more on Wealth of Ideas
The Waterman cometh
More excerpts from In Search of rain & Harvest (a novel, unpublished)
From the Deathwatch Journal
Entry: 31/12/99
10:30 p.m.
Here we stand at the gates of the new millennium. I don’t see what it is exactly that we, as humanity, have done to deserve this renewal. Perhaps the prophets of doom are right to predict Armageddon. Nothing like a bit of fire and brimstone for thorough and effective cleansing. Read more
A Nobel Idea
The Nobel prizes are being handed out again and already we know the winners in the two categories of Medicine and Chemistry. We still await announcements for Physics, Literature, Peace and Economics. By nationality Medicine has been awarded to three Europeans and Chemistry to two Americans and a Japanese scientist. Will there be an African laureate in physics Read more
Chimamanda Adichie now a MacArthur Fellow
Chimamanda Adichie is one of the recipients of the 2008 MacArthur Fellowship, which comes with a generous stipend of USD 500 000.00. The fellowship “ awards unrestricted fellowships to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction. There are three criteria for selection of Fellows: exceptional creativity, promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishment, and potential for the fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work.”
Another great day for African literature. Congratulations, Chimamanda!
For more information click here and here.
The Uncertainty of Hope by Valerie Tagwira- a discussion
Valerie Tagwira
LITERARY DISCUSSION @ THE BOOK CAFÉ
“THE UNCERTAINTY OF HOPE” By Valerie Tagwira
Thursday 18 September 2008, 5.30-7pm, FREE
Thursday 18 September brings another early evening literary discussion at The Book Café, based on the award-winning novel “THE UNCERTAINTY OF HOPE” by Valerie Tagwira.
“Through the various and complex lives of Onai Moyo - a market woman and responsible mother of three children, and her best friend Katy Nguni - a vendor and black-market currency dealer - we are given an insight into the challenges that face those who only survive by their wits, their labour and their mutual
support.” (www.africanbookscollective.com/books/the-uncertainty-of-hope). Read more
