hello world
back in nairobi and can do a real posting
wrote the bulk of this a couple of days ago
redid it this morning on the roof of the stonehouse
and just now posting it
oh ive been seriously out of the loop
lamu is like going back in time about 200 years
been reading day old kenyan dailys; standard, nation, whatever i
can get my hands on, so i have a rough idea of whats going on in the world
i know ethiopia and the somilian interim government routed islamists but between
somalian distrust of ethiopia, keeping the warlords in check and a budding
islamic insurgency the interim government gon have to get serious w/the quickness
(hint: 1st step of magnanimous victor: coopt moderates) - else pray for somalia
i know that the palestinians fighting each other – bummer
and a tickled israel been offering abbas guns (instead of land)
i know folk still dying in darfur while islamic and african
countries coddle sudans bashir – bummer
i know that bushs new idea in iraq consists of sending
in more troops against the advice of the generals (when
has he ever listened to the generals) - bummer
i see they bout to hang saddam - and add kangeroo trials
to torture and other degredations of us policy in iraq
those black masked executioners look like they came
straight from the beheading videos - whose idea was that
somebody explain to me again how we came to be dying in support
of an extremist shiite neotheocracy and why we cant leave
hate to see kofi go (bummer) but i suspect he needs a rest and maybe he
can be less circumspect now – i suspect he got a lot to say (redemption)
and i heard the godfather of soul closed down his act
(i can see him throwing off his cape and coming back for one more show)
thats about all i know of blackworld global significance while i been gone
which is very frustrating for an internet junkie like me
who generally checks google.news every 20 minutes or so
to make sure i know whats going on - when its going on
the old rootdoctor like to see, old rootdoctor like to know
keep my finger on the hoodoo pulse
but lamu is a magical place, very otherworldly
which for a magical realism writer is a good space
and i been working hard, moving slow working hard
thats all i ask of the literary gods, give me the hours and i will accept what i get
many of the faculty went off on a 2 day dhow adventure among the islands
but mr literary workaholic could not see 24 hours of woodshed time unspent
they came back w/all these tales of adventure and i hate i missed it
but i think i would explode if i couldnt work on my novel for 24 woodshed hours –
just fucking explode – im way too desperate for that
went on the boatrides last year and after about 30 minutes of exhilaration
i file them under more of the same
there was a faculty reading last night, jeff allen read the prologue
to his new book, song of the shank, powerful stuff
reminded me of something aishah rahman once told me when as a young cub
i once mentioned to her that i wanted to be the greatest novelist ever lived
she said no art, thats not what you want
she said what you want to do is sing your song the best you can sing it
that way she said, you can appreciate other folk singing theirs
one of the most important insights ive ever been given as a writer
right up there with john o killens once telling me ‘art, you a brilliant writer
but with a little compassion you could be profound’
singing my own song has kept me from being jealous of my
friends works and styles and successes like georges recent mcarthur
its kept me from trying to write like folk i admire (marquez, wideman, chamoiseau)
and concentrate on making my own style sing (flowers)
and its going to keep me from gnawing off a leg cause i dont write
like jeff (allen) does, cause that was some powerful stuff he read last night
a passage that covers some of the same historical ground rest covering
also we talked about his pan african literary forum idea – he is really fired up about it
dont know if jeff fully aware of the work it will entail
or just so fired up probably doesnt care
while the old gray organizer shuddering at the
commitment and op cost
and if im contemplating helping jeff do his thing, i can no longer justify
not putting the time in it will take to take new ren to higher ground
the pan african lit forum is a great idea thats going to eat prodigious noveltime
i been approaching new ren writers guild the way john o approached his workshop
john killens concentrated on helping folk write good novels
(which can entail up to 10 years of guidance)
may not get the play the literary rah rah folk get
but johns o killens as literary visionary is a story yet to be told
oh well, one does what one must - when one must
which reminds me i need to do my end of the year griotic report fairly soon,
got that why bother sense of frustration on me though
its not like anybody actually cares if i do it or not, except maybe me
maybe one or two others - we talking a whole weekend of hard work
pretty much for naught – like so many of my weekends – all work no glory
i had such potential when i started out
where did it all go – now my future seems to be all past
cant really cry about it cause on the real side
i been blessed – beyond my wildest dreams i been blessed
but this particular novel continues to abuse me, just read it thru and so
much of it still unacceptably weak - i wonder sometime if it will ever work
got to ignore all the doubts and just plow on, no matter how i feel about it
just dig in everyday i can and slog thru – soon as the suns up
last day in lamu and im composing this on the roof of the stone house
waiting for enuf sunlight to get some work done
lights go out every night, been coming back on about 3
(ive been told rich expats on other end of island suck it up at will)
been an aggravation workwise but i have learned to live with it
i use the laptop till the battery go, go to bed early, wake up when
lights come on at 3 and commence to crunching it
but no lights this morning at all and waiting on the sun to write by is a bummer
cant work when i want to work wont work
everybody else having fun, i dont do fun, aint interested in fun,
i just want to work, world aint real unless ive done my days novelwork –
and waiting on the sun to rise to be able to work just do not get it
not by a longgame it dont
might as well gone on the boatride i cant work
and thinking i might have to pass on jeffs initiative
aint got time to be signing on to somebodys else vision
got visions of my own need tending
but i really like what jeff has in mind
the potential is limitless, a pan african literary infrastructure
only reason i been considering it is because its jeff that asked me
one of the few folk in the establishment i consider friend
also tempting literary in crowd and gatekeeper points
which appeal to the once upon a time power freak in me
but my response to lack of respect in literary circles is to pretty much
ignore them - concentrate on getting my work done and bet on historys judgement
ive gotten this far without pandering, why start now
best to stay focused - rest for the weary - the longgame
jeff can afford to do this, jeff has already made his bones w/rails
if he dies tomorrow his historical rep is assured, mine is not
still got to make my bones w/rest - before its checkout time
else aint gon be no rest for the weary
been back and forth w/it but im liable to go ahead and sign up
a running buddy has asked me to participate in good game
what can i do
fortunately me and jeff good w/the mutual respect rituals
you the man no no, you the man no i insist, you the man
cause two weeks in somebodys elses world
is two weeks enough for me
suns up
and im outta here
my love to you all
rickydoc flowers
mganga maua
wouldbe prophet
of the hoodoo way
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