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Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Literature / Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer (19014 Views)
Two Nigerians Nominated For 2015 Caine Prize For African Writing / Tope Folarin Wins The 2013 Caine Prize For African Writing / 4 Nigerians Shortlisted For 14th Caine Prize Award. (2) (3) (4)
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Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by Neduzze5(m): 12:26pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
Erm.... See enh, I don't like noise oh But there's no comparing Adichie to Achebe Its simply impossible. Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart gives all her novels a run for their selling price! 2 Likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by MaziOmenuko: 12:46pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
There are better ways of passing a message and not be misunderstood. Now people will start seeing her in a new light with bad blood. |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by hitman2911: 2:02pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
ELNATHAN JOHN's response THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVING NGOZI It is the Americans you blame as you struggle to craft a response to Ngozi that sounds neither bitter nor desperate; ‘something funny’ your friend said, so people would be left with no doubt about your maturity and sense of humour. You blame the Americans for organizing that workshop and putting you on the guest list where you first met Ngozi. This is what the Americans have often been guilty of: causing wars through third parties and standing back, claiming ignorance of roots and beginnings. They made you meet Ngozi. They made you love Ngozi. This is what the love of Ngozi meant: that you ignored pride and your status as a local champion from a small town who had been told by some well meaning but not so literary friends that you didn’t need any workshop- you applied for her ten day workshop. Ten days where you could listen to her speak and stare into her big brown glassy eyes, her skin smooth like flat milk chocolate. Where you could see a shimmer as light bounced off her forehead, a sparkle as light bounced off her eyes. You imagined her skin in terms of taste. You thought it would have the consistency of small cocoyams, the ones that overcook a little in between the big hard ones, the ones that slide out of their skins when held with a little pressure with the tips of one’s fingers. It is not something you would have admitted to anyone, especially not after you discovered she was married to a handsome doctor-man. You imagined he did sixty push-ups every morning and spent an hour after work every day at the gym. Your man bosoms would not even let you entertain the thought of eating small cocoyams. Not around this hunk of a husband. This is what the love of Ngozi meant: that even when she sent you a nasty manhood-shrinking email about you tweeting negative things about natural hair –an email that shocked you because you did not read or realize she had just announced to the world that hair was political- you sent her three even more manhood-shrinking replies, first denials, then explanations, then begging and groveling in ways you would never admit to anyone whose respect you still desired. She ignored it all. The cocoyam’s skin would not come off. Not with the hot boiling water of manhood-shrinking pleas. Not with requests for intercession to a mutual friend who simply laughed at you on twitter. This is what the love of Ngozi meant: that you remembered that she passed your stories to someone who thought they were good in New York and wanted to speak further, to see if you could make those stories into a novel. You remembered that and let it re-inflate your manhood. You erased words like: I am disappointed in you. It didn’t matter anymore. She was a small cooked cocoyam again, even if she wasn’t talking to you anymore. The love of Ngozi meant you swallowed your cocoyam in silence and didn’t send back an email saying, Ngozi, you are too big for this, this is beneath you. She sends you a two line mail many weeks after you are nominated for a literary prize. It makes you sad instead of happy: it dries out the cocoyam in your mouth instead of adding palm oil to it. You cannot swallow. The second line is a phrase: ‘Very well deserved’. This is not how she speaks to you, not in brief impersonal phrases that could have been sent by a secretary. Not phrases that you later found out were sent to another person who was shortlisted, without editing. It brought back that manhood-shrinking feeling when you learnt. Some words of congratulations feel like warm spit in the face instead of a gentle pat on the back. Still, this is what the love of Ngozi meant: that you found your own palm oil to lubricate the drying cocoyam in your mouth and only complained to a few friends you thought could understand. Your name ends up in the Boston Review where she gives an interview about race and her new book- the first page of which you have read and like very much. She sounds irritated when they ask her about the prize you were shortlisted for, which she too was once shortlisted for. She calls the prize over-privileged. She mentions your name and says that although you are her boy, and she has not quite bothered to read your work, you have not made the shortlist of ten best African fiction writers domiciled in her mailbox. You would have sent her an email to ask why. Or even joked about it. But she no longer reads or replies your emails. There is no palm oil left for this cocoyam. The cocoyam dries in your mouth. This is the first time you think of it- how silly this cocoyam analogy is. You spit it out, the cocoyam. This is the consequence of loving Ngozi: you get free publicity in the Boston Review. (Modify) (Quote) (Report) 22 Likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by repogirl(f): 2:18pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
She did sound arrogant and overbearing, almost as if she was the interviewer sef. Me no like. :\ Fame does mess with people's brains sha, imagine her saying the best works from Africa are in her inbox. SMH, so not nice belittling other people's hardwork like that. 3 Likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by drnoel: 2:19pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
Don't see anything wrong with her comments, as myopic as they sound. They remain her comments, which is her God given right to profess. Funny enof, while reading her comments. I asked myself how silly she sounded, an African fiction writer who has no imagination. I wonder then how she wrote her books. 2 Likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by Jordanmusa(m): 2:20pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
JIGHU: no she does not...are you a learner? She is the best thing after Soyinka and Achebewow coming from a. Bootlicker A.K.A ass kisser. You make me puke! |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by Nobody: 2:27pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
kreami diva: Yuzedo na u dey blow all dis big big grammar Hmmm...lmao yu just said what i was bout sayin o |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by Nobody: 2:28pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
slap1: I wanted to say that you don't know Nigerian literature, but I realized that your opinion is your entitlement. I agree with you. |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by slap1(m): 2:28pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
Mature reply by Elnathan John. Now, I hope he, along with other 'siblings' of his, crawl out of their mother's(Adichie) shadow and take a bold, independent step into the jungle of literary prominence. |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by yuzedo: 2:29pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
hitman2911: ELNATHAN JOHN's responseHahahahahaha! Elnathan is a BOSS!!! Lmaooo! His response was sagacious!!! See as he just opened Adichie's nyash without being overtly disrespectful! Lolololololol!!! The demystification of Chimamanda! 6 Likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by HezronLorraine(m): 2:34pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
cramjones:do we really appreciate our literary icons,I guess No,if yes to a fault.CNA book are widely read,in SA,some schools and colleges have it in their curriculum and its common among South africans.in Norway,purple hibiscus is in the curriculum some high schools.its widely spread in the states also. In every man's life,it gets to a point where u are intimidated by ur success.she's at that stage now.its not necessairly pride,its just in-built,to be like I am fulfilled,others look up to me and are supposed to learn from me. I just pray she doesn't allow over-sabi syndrome affect her. She should tread softly. 1 Like |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by shine12: 2:34pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
She's not the best thing after Achebe and Soyinka. She wrote a book about Biafra(A controversial topic and stimulating book which had high reviews in the EU and USA).Half of a yellow sun announced Her to the world. She won the orange prize in 2007. I think Chimamanda had a huge exposure(Studied in USA and developed Her talent more) which worked for Her. I really like Her beacue She's young and not afraid to write what She wants to write. Americanah is not what legends are made of. There is Ben Okri, Helon habila and lots more. I wont say She's next to Soyinka and Achebe. 1 Like |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by nep2ra(m): 2:40pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
And where would we put Helon Habila? What a pompous b***h!!! |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by slap1(m): 2:41pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
It appears she isn't happy that one of her 'boys' nearly won the 'African Booker', hence she downgraded the guy and, not fully expending the frustration in her, further wrote-off the prize. What a pity! |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by Nobody: 2:42pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
JIGHU: no she does not...are you a learner? She is the best thing after Soyinka and AchebeSPEAK 4 URSELF |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by DeNoble1(m): 2:51pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
kokoA: Personally I feel Chimamanda is over-hyped. She is a very good writer no doubt, but her books to me aren't anything out of the ordinary. The other dude went to far with his anger though..If you say so that means you have to go and learn how to understand literature. I hope you will say the same about Chinua Achebe's books. |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by joseph1013: 2:51pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
yuzedo: Hahaha! I went through this Abubakr's tweets and i am impressed by his soundness of mind and zero-attitude to brown-nosing!I don die! So this yuzedo guy get brain like this. Na wa o |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by DICKtator: 2:52pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
psky: She did sound arrogant, but that is no way for a shortlisted writer to reply her: "go 4k yourself"? Seriously?Nah you wrong. that is an expression of art. He was been artistic when he wrote that!!!! 4 Likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by john650(m): 2:55pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
repogirl: She did sound arrogant and overbearing, almost as if she was the interviewer sef. Me no like. :\ I read about an interview she gave at a book signing at a bookstore in Lagos some years ago. The interview was published by the defunct 234Next Newspaper. A young man who was amazed by her successes in the literary world and her beauty approached her and gave her compliments for being "brain and beauty." What would happen next was what I least expected from a literary icon, or someone the younger ones looked up to. Her response in verbatim was as follows: “You know, there is something borderline sexist about that. That women who are beautiful do not have a brain, the idea that beautiful women cannot be intelligent.” I thought to myself, was that comment really necessary? The young man paid her a complement and stated the obvious. Most women would have been delighted with the compliments. What does she do instead? She goes into rant, embarrassing the young man. Ever since then, I've looked at her in a different light. I think this chic has issues with men; another Gloria Steinem. she is, a "b***h on a power trip." Expect more gaffes from her in the future, which will expose her for what she is. 2 Likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by ireneidiva(f): 3:07pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
homesteady:'Interesting' is not the word for that book. 'Educative' is. Eat well too b4 you start reading it, if not, you might get a headache! 2 Likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by repogirl(f): 3:12pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
@ John650, she possibly says the first thing that comes to mind without garnishing it. To tell the truth I couldn't bring myself to read Americanah, I've had the audio book for a while now but was discouraged when my husband slept off listening to it.(So much for thinking she's all that). One should always make room for and respect other talents, just like how Achebe and others did to her, even if one writes crap, its not easy abeg. 1 Like |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by Erotex(m): 3:15pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
she could have not talk of igbo and Yoruba names over there and stick with her Americana!! It will be a hell for me not to speak my language #nwaforigbo |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by Rossikk(m): 3:30pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
cramjones:Inferiority complex alert! So she is more famous in America and Europe than Nigeria? So what? |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by Nobody: 3:34pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
Did she really all that? I always knew the woman had a big chip on her shoulder after watching that "We all should be feminists" video...and she's so fake. Anyway, her books are mediocre and plain. They lack the soul African literature is famous for. 6 Likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by daywatcher: 3:36pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
Erotex: she could have not talk of igbo and Yoruba names over there and stick with her Americana!! 1000 likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by Ayoobscom(m): 3:44pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
She did sounded arrogance and discouraging to young talents |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by psky: 3:45pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
DICKtator: As artistic as you when you were choosing your name. |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by Nobody: 3:46pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
Chimamanda's books only served to annoy me. And reading this interview has made me even more angry. One lucky break does not a good writer make. And how dare you critique a person when you admit in the same sentence that ' you havent read their work' or know who they are. What arrogance! mitscheeewwwww! 3 Likes |
Re: Chimamanda's Comment About The Caine Prize Angers Writer by psky: 3:47pm On Jul 16, 2013 |
Ayoobscom: She did sounded arrogance and discouraging to young talents 3 Likes |
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