A giant of African literature whose best works existed between the political and the personal, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was warm, funny and friendly – and liked to bet on my pool gamesAmong the African writers who emerged in the middle of the 20th century, the most political undoubtedly was Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. Born in Kenya while it was still under British rule he was anti-colonialist, a communist, anti-dictatorial, and an almost militant proponent for African languages being used for African literature.His best works exist at the interface between the political and the personal. His first book of essays, Homecoming, is at once engaging and polemical. His early novels Weep Not, Child and A Grain of Wheat look at the impact of colonialism and the Mau Mau rebellion on individual lives. He was strangely at his best with the personal and the intimate, but his reputation grew more from his political stances – first against the British government, then against the dictatorship in Kenya in the 70s. He was jailed not for a thundering political text but for a play in Kikuyu called I Will Marry When I Want. In prison he wrote his memoir on toilet paper. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2025-05-30 16:36:34 UTC ]
“Once I can’t rely on sight to write anymore, will I, like Borges, no longer be quite sure who is writing this page?” Andrew Leland on Jorge Luis Borges’ blindness and his own. | Lit Hub Memoir It’s a banger week for new books, starting with a new Whitehead. | The Hub Alfred J. Naddaff […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-18 10:30:16 UTC ]
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From Bono to Jarvis Cocker, Bruce Springsteen to Cosey Fanni Tutti, the last decade has seen an explosion of books by artists from every walk of musical life. Why is this once-rare genre striking a chord with stars and readers alike?By her own admission, Miki Berenyi was not a woman itching to... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-07-15 08:00:25 UTC ]
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Kate Flannery’s “Strip Tees” is a racy, thoughtful memoir of her tenure during the rise and fall of the controversial retail company. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-14 09:00:33 UTC ]
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“A collection of these issues would undoubtedly be my favorite book that no one has heard of,” says the author of the memoir “Stay True,” one of the Book Review’s 10 Best Books of 2022. “If you are reading this, please write me!” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-13 09:00:09 UTC ]
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Ask ChatGPT about comedian Sarah Silverman’s memoir “The Bedwetter” and the artificial intelligence chatbot can come up with a detailed synopsis of every part of the book Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2023-07-12 22:32:35 UTC ]
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Ask ChatGPT about comedian Sarah Silverman’s memoir “The Bedwetter” and the artificial intelligence chatbot can come up with a detailed synopsis of every part of the book Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2023-07-12 22:32:31 UTC ]
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I was surprised to read this morning that Milan Kundera, the eminent Czech novelist best known for The Unbearable Lightness of Being, died yesterday at the age of 94. Mainly because I thought he was already dead. For a generation of literary types (Gen X in particular), Kundera was the cool,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-12 15:34:43 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery Books will publish 'The Woman in Me' on October 24. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The release date and cover of pop icon Britney Spears' memoir have been released. Here's what you should know. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-07-11 16:42:00 UTC ]
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The Woman in Me, which will cover pop star’s conservatorship experience among other topics, is set for release later this yearBritney Spears will release her tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me on 24 October, the publisher announced on Tuesday.The Woman in Me will be “a brave and astonishingly... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-07-11 16:02:28 UTC ]
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It’s back and here to ruin our savings and increase the gadgets in our homes. Yes, Amazon Prime Day isn’t entirely about headphones, tablets and wearables, but for Engadget staff… well, it feels like it is. Prime Day deals on tech are typically only matched by Black Friday and Cyber Monday... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-07-11 11:15:13 UTC ]
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Sarah Silverman is suing OpenAI. On Friday, the comedian and author, alongside novelists Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, filed a pair of complaints against OpenAI and Meta (via Gizmodo). The group alleges the firms trained their large language models on copyrighted materials, including... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-07-10 17:53:22 UTC ]
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This fall, Running Press cofounder Buz Teacher will release 'Among Friends,' a book featuring more than 100 personal essays by people who had a hand in shaping the book business in America in the latter half of the 20th century. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In her memoir “Thunderclap,” the British art critic Laura Cumming explores her passion for the virtuosic images of everyday life by painters from Dutch art’s golden age. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-09 09:00:19 UTC ]
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Beth Nguyen left Vietnam and her biological mother when she was a baby. Her memoir “Owner of a Lonely Heart” examines the ripple effect of those departures. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-01 09:03:10 UTC ]
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Lamya H’s powerful memoir Hijab Butch Blues is an honest grappling with what it means to be queer, to be a devout hijabi Muslim person who resists gender normativity, to love faith and community. Seeking other queer women in Islam as a young person, H wonders if Maryam, whom no man has touched,... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-06-29 11:12:00 UTC ]
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These 8 books that explore the relationships between humans and animals in a variety of ways, including the personal and professional. Start with Birding While Indian: A Mixed-Blood Memoir by Thomas C. Ganno. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-06-29 10:35:00 UTC ]
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As a fiction writer, I’ve always felt compelled, memoir style, to pore over my life’s timeline. But in a novel, I can erase, revise, smash, crash, reconstruct, and transfigure that squiggly narrative. A novel has no obligation to mirror or represent anything familiar, recognizable, or real. And... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-28 08:52:54 UTC ]
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Fictional Translations: Pablo Neruda’s “Oda al actor,” by Ilan Stavans Poetry [email protected] Mon, 06/26/2023 - 13:48 Photo by throgers / FlickrIn what follows, I have created three heteronyms to render Pablo Neruda’s “Oda al actor” into English.... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-06-26 18:48:50 UTC ]
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Judi Dench sells a book on Shakespeare to St. Martin’s, Gallery’s 13a imprint buys a memoir from Nia Long, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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