I was struck recently by how few black writers I have read. I've set out to read three books to remedy the situation -Derek Walcott's Omeros from the Caribbean, Chinua Achebe's African Trilogy from Nigeria and James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time from the United States.
"Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children. Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. but his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and weakness."
Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart
No comments:
Post a Comment