kenya kommentary: representing: african american to the bone

hello world
on my way to kenya
plan to keep a running commentary
if i can find an internet cafe like i did
last time

im too tickled
had a wonderful time last time
mostly cause i met this kwani crew
its like they got a harlem renaissance thing happening
nairobi style

ive attached the schedule
kwani has a much higher profile this year

gon be interesting

always trying when about to go through an experience to
gain the most out of it  -  at all times in a what is most significant about this moment
mode - alert to moments of fa

looking forward to it

and im very conscious of representing
african american to the bone

gon do my act
it went over well last time - mostly,
oral tradition and all

so often folk from the continent dont think we can throw down
think we lost our licks

so i enjoy representing, bells on the ankles and my longtailed rattle
and all, doing an afroamerican hoodoo thing

my ritual performancework being acknowledged as the real thing
on the continent mean a lot to me

last time i didnt have my instruments
this time im taking it all the way home

thats why i been working on my signature piece
gon initiate that bad boy on the continent

got to represent and leave that good impression
cause im very proud of being african american
and i want folk of the world to think well of us

folk around the world like to sneer at us cause when
they think afroamerican they think MTV and BET

but thats alright cause when i was coming up being afroamerican meant
something else - our struggle was the model for struggles around the world
thats what im representing when im in the world

im looking im listening im learning
im growing in struggle
do a little good here and there all the better

solidarity means more to us than it does to blacks of the world
that grew up in black countries
where the very being of blackness is not challenged and defined every day

we grew up under the gun and solidarity is one of our greatest values

when im somewhere and i see another black person and i give them that
little you and me nod and they dont respond it hurts my feelings

i expect that acknowledgement to the point where it totally throws me off
when i dont get it

i get to kenya and its like when i went to jamaica recently
im just overwhelmed with the blackness

naive or not, for better or worse
my attitude is damn, look at all this solidarity

im outta here
keep you up as i can

in struggle
rdoc

awaken the sleeper
protect the weak
guide the strong

-----------------------------------------------

Summer Literary Seminars - Kenya 2005 Schedule

 

Wednesday, Dec 14th

Noon – 2pm

Registration/meet and greet.

2 – 4pm

Official opening of program.

Remarks from Binyavanga Wainaina, Mikhail Iossel and Thomas Burke.

Lecture by Marjorie Oludhe-McGoye

 

6 pm Welcome Cocktail

 

Thursday, December 15^th

10am – 12noon

Craft-based Lectures

New Journalism and Investigative Journalism

Nonfiction within a context - an introduction to the nonfiction process

  Parselelo Kantai

Fiction 

Fundamentals of good fiction writing  Thomas Burke

Advanced Fiction Writing 

Advanced Perspectives on the craft  Arthur Flowers &

Mikhail Iossel

2 – 4 pm

Roundtable presentation followed by group discussion The Business of Writing in

Kenya

Stanley

Gazemba, Binyavanga Wainaina, Fiona MCrae, Mike Vasquez and Mikhail Iossel

 

Friday, December 16^th

10am – 12noon

Craft-based Lectures

New Journalism and Investigative Journalism

Translating

Kenya

for Kenyans - perspective and audience in non-fiction    Billy Kahora

Fiction

Crafting the short story    Doreen Baingana

Advanced Fiction Writing 

The editor’s perspective - what kind of work excites us?  Fiona McCrae &

Mike Vasquez

2 – 4 pm

Lecture:

“Soundtracks: The Meeting Of Music And Creative Writing” Dr Joyce Nyairo

Roundtable presentation followed by group discussion Spoken word: Where Literature meets Music

Arthur Flowers, Oneko Arina, and Kama of Kalamashaka.

 

Saturday, December 17^th

11 am – 6pm

All day event: excursion to Paa ya Paa artist colony in the outskirts of

Nairobi

for an afternoon of visual arts, music, and nyama choma barbeque.

 

Sunday, December 18^th

Free day.

 

Monday, December 19^th

10am – 12noon

Craft-based lectures

New Journalism and Investigative Journalism

Building a viable career as a nonfiction writer Parselelo Kantai

Fiction

An editor’s perspective - what do editor’s look for?  Mike Vazquez

Fiona McCrae

Advanced Fiction Writing

The editing process and experimentation with form and style  Binyavanga Wainaina

Thomas Burke

2 – 4 pm

Lecture: The

Matatu Culture Dr.

Mbugua wa Mungai

Roundtable presentation followed by group discussion Writing within a Context: The Kenyan Conversation

Binyavanga Wainaina, Tony Mochama and

Stanley

Gazemba

 

Tuesday, December 20^th

10am – 12noon

Roundtable presentation followed by group discussion Opportunities and challenges of getting published in the

US

Arthur Flowers, Doreen Baingana, Mikhail Iossel, Thomas Burke, Mike Vazquez, Fiona McCrae

 

Noon: Closure, SLS-Kenya 2005

Remarks by Mikhail Iossel

Invitation to participate in SLS-St Petersburg 2006.

 

7pm

Kwani Reading with Arthur Flowers

Carnivore’s Simba Saloon

 

Wednesday, December 21^st

Transition to Lamu/safaris begin.

 

Wednesday, December 21^st – Saturday, December 24^th

Meet on

Lamu

Island

.

Independent writing time, with nightly group dinners at one of several oceanfront restaurants.

 

Saturday, December 24^th

Evening: Christmas Eve party on

Manda

Beach

.

 

Sunday, December 25^th

Morning: group breakfast and writing time.

Optional group trips to

Lamu

Museum

,

Swahili

House

Museum

, and Donkey Sanctuary.

Afternoon:

Dhow ride with stop at Manda beach for swimming.

Evening: sunset participant reading and workshop on Yumbe House rooftop area; group dinner to follow.

Nighttime: Christmas party on Manda beach.

 

Monday, December 26^th

Morning: group breakfast and writing time

Afternoon: walk to Shella beach for lunch and swimming; take dhow home.

Evening: sunset participant reading and workshop on Yumbe House rooftop area; group dinner to follow.

 

Tuesday, December 27^th

Morning: group breakfast and writing time

Afternoon: TBA

Evening: Farewell group dinner at Hapa Hapa.

 

Wednesday, December 28^th

Lamu to

Nairobi

.

Program finished.

Fees(KSh)
Students:
Private Schools & Universities                           KSh 3,500
Public Universities Literature Students                KSh 1,300 (Subsidised by Kwani Trust)

Non-students:                                                  KSh 5,000

Contact Jacqueline Achwoka at the Kwani Trust office or on 0733298689 for more details on SLS.

  

Suite 1S, 1st Floor
Madonna House( opp Soin Arcade)
Westlands Road
Westlands
Nairobi
______________________________

P. O. Box 2895
Nairobi 00100
KENYA
______________________________

Tel :  +254 20 4451383 / 4450490
Cell : +254 733 526358
Cell : +254 721 934807
______________________________

Email : [email protected]
URL : http://www.kwani.org
MSN : [email protected]
______________________________

kwani?