Kathleen, that is the way it is; perhaps we should ask the real Mwombeki in Dar what he thinks of the novel. My take of Chimamanda is simple - she combines art and research, but the problem is when research outweighs art, a novel become more of an academic treatise disguised as a creative prose. Anyway, I know a Professor who made it his lifelong mission to turn his academic research (including his PhD dissertation) into novels so that the average people can also access his research findings, perhaps that is what Chimamanda is also doing. She got a prestigious fellowship at Radcliffe Institute at Harvard when she was researching-cum-writing Americanah. I haven't (yet?) read it but I remember hearing her talk a bit about her research process when she was still writing it and what she was trying to drive at. In the case of Half a Yellow Sun, the version that I read had a part at the end that talks about the whole research process. In her reading, my mom saw the application of Daniel Defoe Robinson Crusoe vis-a-vis Friday in the way that intellectual guy in Half of a Yellow Sun dealt with his servant, especially in terms of the naming/calling - that 'creativity' must be a product of 'reading/researching'.
From:"Kathleen Bomani kathleen.bomani@gmail.com [Wanazuoni]"<Wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com>
To: Wanazuoni - Informal Network of Tanzanian Intellectuals <Wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 6:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Wanazuoni] Half of A Yellow SunAikande,Sure she is an amazing talent, but don't tell me she is THE talent coming out of Nigeria nor should one compare her or ordain her as the next Achebe. Teju Cole experiments, I really liked his everyday is for the people, which were original blogposts imagine that got published into a book. Also what i really like about Teju is his responsibility as a writer/activist.He was the 1st prominent social media nigerian to warn against US intervention with the bring back our girls, what did Chimamanda do, write a neo liberal esque piece of "The President I want" which to me read like a note to Obama, it was so simple, like Chineke....but hey the machinery PR behind that girl, it's already considered Genius.I am just seeing as Africans we need more conscientious cultural creators who stand up for the truth.(Aikande, here a nice comment from me, Half of a Yellow sun movie, i heard the movie is great, so im sure you will enjoy that.)Biafra...you know for Tanzania being the only country that recognized Biafra surely we deserve an honorable mention anywhere, any cab I take and the driver is igbo, I purposefully mention that i am Tanzanian, yes I am looking for a discount, and special treatment.On other writers on Biafra, one of my good friends mentioned how Chimamanda talks about growing up reading Mills & Boons, she said it's evident in half of a yellow sun perhaps thats what makes it more relatable ;p okay nachokoza.Chambi..no ways!! Mwombeki then is a real character, Chimamanda went to Drexel University as well, and I bet you probably same time (I too went to Drexel lakini baadaye) also chima lives on/off in the Maryland/DC area (Georgetown) when she's not on tour promoting.Mabala, I tried with Americanah..maybe I will try force read it again.KathleenOn Wed, May 14, 2014 at 6:08 AM, 'Aikande C. Kwayu'aikande.kwayu@gmail.com [Wanazuoni] <Wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Thanks Kate,Unfortunately I read more than listening to news, interviews, etc...It's sad if she thinks Tanzanian are not intelligent enough OR as much as Nigerians...but sure she must know the truth deep down, that she would not dare to put such an (insult- for the lack of a better word) on her writings...even in Americanah, her character Mwombeki, a Tanzanian, was an active uni student bringing international students together... she can't do away with great people-Tanzanians, and probably that's why she mentioned them even in her interviews...lol....well and in Half of A Yellow Sun, Odenigdo's comment on Nyerere was "this man will go down in history as a man of truth"....so she knows the truth!With regards to intellectual/writing innovation, it is true that Teju Cole is exceptional (I believe so out of his tweets and storify essays) but am yet to read his books to say more. Are they of the same genre?To Mabala,It's true that her account on Biafra is not so different from other writers...and how could it be different anyway? that's the whole essence of triangulation...In fact, I saw many similarities to the true/real/non-fiction account by Chinua Achebe in "There Was A Country". Nevertheless, the fact that she could narrate the war through a love story woven together in so many layers of social complexities and relationships is, for me, an amazing talent.Aikande.On Tue, May 13, 2014 at 11:08 PM, Kathleen Bomani kathleen.bomani@gmail.com [Wanazuoni] <Wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Interesting..Lakini wajameniRecently your beloved Chimamanda had a conversation with Zadie Smith and upon trying to explain Nigerian excellence, she compared or to paraphrase Your average Nigerian is definitely not your Average Tanzanian, and then she said please dont kill me, I love Tanzania! to sweeten the blow.In addition, upon talking about colonial history, she grouped Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa together, did she mean Zimbabwe?Yes she had a bar feature as Tanzania in her book or so, so what? clearly she's not that well informed about Tanzania.Again, there is a certain romanticism with Chimamanda, yet I find her interview after interview that most simplistic and scripted person, Ive seen. I find it very disrespectful when she's being touted for or listed by Skip Gates as a leading African intellectual/innovator. What has she innovated? (if anyone is innovating it would have to be Teju Cole)Rant over.On Tue, May 13, 2014 at 3:19 PM, 'Aikande C. Kwayu'aikande.kwayu@gmail.com [Wanazuoni] <Wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Dear all,As some of you may already know, I do book reflections every now and then and post them on my personal URL under "Book Review" menu. My latest reflection is on Chimamanda Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun. For those interested, you can read it through the link provided below. I will appreciate your comments.I look forward to hearing from you.Many thanks,
Aikande--
"That which is good is never finished." - Sukuma, Tanzania
"Generosity is not limited by income or wealth, only by passion and creativity."About MeChirpChirp: @KateBomzBlog: KateBomdiggity--Aikande Kwayu, PhDResearch Affiliate: University of Oxford: http://www.education.ox.ac.uk/research/comparative-and-international-education-research/people/aikande-clement-kwayu/Development Consultant: Bumaco Ltd: www.bumacoltd.com
Personal URL & Blog: www.aikandekwayu.com
twitter: aikandeskype: aikande.kwayu--
"That which is good is never finished." - Sukuma, Tanzania
"Generosity is not limited by income or wealth, only by passion and creativity."About MeChirpChirp: @KateBomzBlog: KateBomdiggity__._,_.___
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