One of most provocative and original voices in contemporary literature, Chinua Achebe here considers the place of literature and art in our society in a collection of essays spanning his best writing and lectures from the last twenty-three years. For Achebe, overcoming Eurocentrism in our appreciation of works of the imagination goes hand in hand with eradicating the destructive effects of racism and injustice in Western society. He reveals impediments that still stand in the way of open, equal dialogue between Africans and Europeans, between blacks and whites, but also instills us with hope that they will soon be overcome.
“A brilliant collection. . . . [Achebe’s] thoughts always pack a provocative wallop. . . . Mr. Achebe aims to nudge readers to think past their stubborn preconceptions, and he succeeds marvelously.” —New York Times Book Review
“These essays are funny, lucid, intelligent, and formed by a historical experience that is still too little understood in the United States. . . . [Achebe is] a powerful voice for cultural decolonialization.” —Village Voice
TABLE OF CONTENTS An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Impediments to Dialogue Between North and South Named for Victoria, Queen of England The Novelist as Teacher The Writer and His Community The Igbo World and Its Art Colonialist Criticism Thoughts on the African Novel Work and Play in Tutuola’s The Palm-Wine Drinkard Don’ t Let Him Die: A Tribute to Christopher Okigbo Kofi Awoonor as Novelist Language and the Destiny of Man The Truth of Fiction What Has Literature Got To Do With It? Postcript: James Baldwin (1924-1987) Notes and index
Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria in 1930. His first novel, Things Falls Apart, became a classic of international literature and required reading for students worldwide. He also authored four subsequent novels, two short-story collections, and numerous other books. He was the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University and, for more than 15 years, was the Charles P. Stevenson Jr. Professor of Languages and Literature at Bard College. In 2007, Achebe was awarded the Man Booker International Prize for lifetime achievement. He died in 2013.
View titles by Chinua Achebe
One of most provocative and original voices in contemporary literature, Chinua Achebe here considers the place of literature and art in our society in a collection of essays spanning his best writing and lectures from the last twenty-three years. For Achebe, overcoming Eurocentrism in our appreciation of works of the imagination goes hand in hand with eradicating the destructive effects of racism and injustice in Western society. He reveals impediments that still stand in the way of open, equal dialogue between Africans and Europeans, between blacks and whites, but also instills us with hope that they will soon be overcome.
“A brilliant collection. . . . [Achebe’s] thoughts always pack a provocative wallop. . . . Mr. Achebe aims to nudge readers to think past their stubborn preconceptions, and he succeeds marvelously.” —New York Times Book Review
“These essays are funny, lucid, intelligent, and formed by a historical experience that is still too little understood in the United States. . . . [Achebe is] a powerful voice for cultural decolonialization.” —Village Voice
TABLE OF CONTENTS An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Impediments to Dialogue Between North and South Named for Victoria, Queen of England The Novelist as Teacher The Writer and His Community The Igbo World and Its Art Colonialist Criticism Thoughts on the African Novel Work and Play in Tutuola’s The Palm-Wine Drinkard Don’ t Let Him Die: A Tribute to Christopher Okigbo Kofi Awoonor as Novelist Language and the Destiny of Man The Truth of Fiction What Has Literature Got To Do With It? Postcript: James Baldwin (1924-1987) Notes and index
Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria in 1930. His first novel, Things Falls Apart, became a classic of international literature and required reading for students worldwide. He also authored four subsequent novels, two short-story collections, and numerous other books. He was the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University and, for more than 15 years, was the Charles P. Stevenson Jr. Professor of Languages and Literature at Bard College. In 2007, Achebe was awarded the Man Booker International Prize for lifetime achievement. He died in 2013.
View titles by Chinua Achebe
