Sunday, December 30, 2007

My Year 2007 in Books

Habara Gani and Happy New Year...

2007 was a hectic and exciting year for me and I’m looking forward to a slower-paced, yet exciting 2008. I didn’t write many book reviews this year, but I read a lot of books; saw a lot of films; and listened to a lot of music.  This year I also went back to books that I have read and enjoyed. I want to share some of my 2007 past-times with you.

My Favorite Books in 2007

My #1: The Wizard of the Crow, by Ngugl wa Thiong’o

Exiled Kenyan writer, Ngugl wa Thiong’o spins a darkly comic tale of Africa and her dictators. The Wizard of the Crow takes place in Abruria, a fictional country that could be anywhere in Africa, with characters drawn so exquisitely and completely, that the Ruler could be any dictator in Africa.  There are about 765 pages to this book and the reader is advised to take his/her time and get to know the Abruria characters as they appear because all of them are important to the story. 

This is parody at it’s highest level.  Abruria is a country where down is up and the newest government project is “Marching to Heaven,” erecting the tallest building in the world.  There are fantastic stories within stories, mistaken identities; torture in jail cells; love gone bad; love finding two lovers; and all sorts of hilarious, non-sensical happenings. Do yourself a favor.

Stolen from Gypsies, by Nobel Smith:

Generally, the myths speak of babies stolen by gypsies. Stolen from Gypsies is a madcap tale told by a hypochondriacal English nobleman named Ambrogio Smith is like Monty Phython, The Black Adder and Mel Brooks on crack.  Ambrogio, the narrator, lies in bed in attendance by his slavish manservant, Antonio.  The laughs never stop coming.  This is the story of a child stolen from gypsies, replete with antiquated slang, bawdy English, beet-juice enemas and a glossary to boot.

The Death of Vishnu, by Manil Suri:

With The Death of Vishnu, Manil Suri, takes on themes of religion, lost love, classism and spiritual emptiness. While Vishnu lies unconscious on the landing of an apartment building in Bombay, the lives of the residents spiral out of control all around him. Vishnu becomes an inconvenience, where he once was a playmate to the children of the building and later, a handyman. His alcoholism has stolen away his life and now he drifts in and out of consciousness.  His story is as riveting as the other stories in the building.  This is Bollywood on paper with music, laughter, sorrow and tears.

The Village of the Water Spirits: The Dreams of African American, by Michael Ortiz Hill with Mandaza Augustine Kandemwa and
Twin from Another Tribe, by Michael Ortiz Hill and Mandaza Augustine Kandemwa.

Michael Ortiz Hill is an Nganga--a South African healer, born in North America.  In The Village of the Water Spirits, Ortiz Hill begins to collect the dreams of African Americans about white people. His initiator is Mandaza Augustine Kandemwa, a Shona and an Ndebele Nganga.  They met when Ortiz Hill brought the dreams of African Americans to Kandemwa for interpretation.  In his work with the ‘water spirits”, Kandemwa is often involved in dream-telling and interpretation.  In his work as a collector of dreams, Ortiz Hill learned that Africa is at the very core of African American dreaming.

In Twin from Another Tribe, Ortiz Hill and Kandemwa recount their separate journeys towards initiation and their inevitable twinning.  Kandemwa is from the Shona people who were sworn enemies of the Ndebele people.  All attempts to find a Shona initiator were futile until his spirits led him to an Ndebele Nganga.  Across the world in Los Angeles, Ortiz Hill was reeling from the Rodney King verdicts and riots. He began to prepare himself to go to Africa and to be initiated.  He was initiated by Kandemwa, who in a dream saw Michael, his “brother.” Eventually, Ortiz Hill initiated Kandemwa, freeing his spirits in a trance possession.  They had become twins.

Posted by Dorothy Ferebee on 12/30 at 12:00 AM
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