babyosisi: Wole Soyinka should be careful not to destroy the legacy he has built by involving himself in unsavory affairs.
The first time the Prof disappointed me was when he spoke in support of Patience Jonathan's perm sec appointment,now this.


Chinua Achebe was called the father and grandfather of African literature by others
He did not label himself that
People recognized his immeasurable contribution to African literature and bestowed on him that honor in his lifetime so it is quite petty for WS whom I respect a great to utter such words.
It makes him sound jealous and he should be above such pettiness.
Michael Jackson was called the King of Pop
Elvis was the King of Rock and Roll
Donna Summer was the Queen of Disco While Aretha Franklin is and remains the Queen of soul
That label on Chinua is deserving.


Secondly why speak about Chinua's Book in his death what you couldn't say while he was alive?
I love Soyinka but his words here are beneath a man of his calibre
Maybe old age is setting in
Still respect you sir but you disappoint me here once again

babyosisi: Wole Soyinka should be careful not to destroy the legacy he has built by involving himself in unsavory affairs.
The first time the Prof disappointed me was when he spoke in support of Patience Jonathan's perm sec appointment,now this.


Chinua Achebe was called the father and grandfather of African literature by others
He did not label himself that
People recognized his immeasurable contribution to African literature and bestowed on him that honor in his lifetime so it is quite petty for WS whom I respect a great to utter such words.
It makes him sound jealous and he should be above such pettiness.
Michael Jackson was called the King of Pop
Elvis was the King of Rock and Roll
Donna Summer was the Queen of Disco While Aretha Franklin is and remains the Queen of soul
That label on Chinua is deserving.


Secondly why speak about Chinua's Book in his death what you couldn't say while he was alive?
I love Soyinka but his words here are beneath a man of his calibre
Maybe old age is setting in
Still respect you sir but you disappoint me here once again

Good job Asa...U've said my mind

babyosisi:

He made African literature popular and respected
Fiction or no fiction
African literature became a staple in USA schools due to Achebe and his things fall apart
That is the point
Your attempt to belittle fiction is laughable
I hope you know most classics that have stood the test of time by authors like Shakespeare,Mark Twain and George Orwell are fiction and the most widely sold book by an African ( things fall apart) also happens to be fiction so Chinua is in excellent company.
I smell ignorance all through your post.



Secondly I am tired of educating some of you ,it is annoying to read folks parrot what they hear others say without checking out the facts for themselves
Chinua's most popular book was fiction
But he has to his credit several non fictional books
He is your countryman celebrated the world over,others shouldn't know more about him and his works more than you do
If only the cloak of tribalism will let you.

babyosisi: This is from a fellow writer,a non Nigerian at Chinuas death and it captures the essence of it all
Let us call a spade a spade
I will post an excerpt






http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/22/1196200/-RIP-Chinua-Achebe

babyosisi: In the wake of Achebe's memoir,WS was interviewed by the Telegraph newspaper in London
This is part of that write up





http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/soyinka-backs-achebe-on-civil-war-memoir/127


Achebe dies and the same WS now says he should have never written his memoir?
What a man

shymexx: Damn son!! I had to read this interview again. Who's better than this man in the use of English? This Ijebu Nigerian invented the English language!! I bet William Shakespeare would marvel at his use of diction, multi-syllable words, verbs, adverbs, the captivating structure of his sentences - and how he succinctly and intellectually answered all the questions, he was asked.

I'm not the type to go nuts about the use of English; but this man is the supreme grammarian!!

Respect!

Jah bless!!

funnyx: There's absolutely no reason to tribalise this interview! WS was only stating the obvious, Professor Chinua Achebe himself rejected this tag of 'Father of African Literature' because there was no such title.
No one can be a father of African literature because literature is not just one genre, just as you cannot call someone the father or king of sports because sports is not just about football.

babyosisi:

Here are other titles given


Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 A.D. – October 25, 1400 A.D.), known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. Chaucer is a crucial figure in developing the legitimacy of the vernacular, Middle English, at a time when the dominant literary languages in England were French and Latin.
http://learningtogether2012./2012/01/26/geoffrey-chaucer-father-of-english-literature/


Samuel Longhorne Clemens (1835-1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, has been called “the father of American literature. ” In his day he was America’s most famous literary icon. A humorist, satirist, lecturer and novelist, Twain combined narrative wit and a strong sense of irony to create distinctive masterpieces based on American culture and language. His works drew upon his extensive travels and show a remarkable depth of human character and perception of individual experience. Twain’s writing provides a unique reflection of the American way of life in the latter part of the nineteenth century.
http://blog.paperblanks.com/2011/11/mark-twain-bio-“the-father-of-american-literature-”/


So why do you have problem with Chinua being the father of African literatures she he truly is
You folks are pathetic

Ola Johnson:
'The father of African literature' which Wole Soyinka tries to dissuade people from tagging Chinua Achebe was also rejected by Achebe. Read the thread again. Saying Achebe is the father of African literature is like saying Sunny is the king of music in Nigeria. This is wrong - what my teacher in my undergratuade days, Dr Dipo Fashina would call 'fallacy of hasty conclusion.' Sunny Ade is just a king of a genre of music known as juju. You can only call him king of music if he is the best in other genres like: highlife, reggae, hip hop, pop, country, R&B, etc.

babyosisi:

Here are other titles given


Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 A.D. – October 25, 1400 A.D.), known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. Chaucer is a crucial figure in developing the legitimacy of the vernacular, Middle English, at a time when the dominant literary languages in England were French and Latin.
http://learningtogether2012./2012/01/26/geoffrey-chaucer-father-of-english-literature/


Samuel Longhorne Clemens (1835-1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, has been called “the father of American literature. ” In his day he was America’s most famous literary icon. A humorist, satirist, lecturer and novelist, Twain combined narrative wit and a strong sense of irony to create distinctive masterpieces based on American culture and language. His works drew upon his extensive travels and show a remarkable depth of human character and perception of individual experience. Twain’s writing provides a unique reflection of the American way of life in the latter part of the nineteenth century.
http://blog.paperblanks.com/2011/11/mark-twain-bio-“the-father-of-american-literature-”/


So why do you have problem with Chinua being the father of African literatures she he truly is
You folks are pathetic

Chinua's rejection of the title was out of modesty

Did ou expect him to say yes I am the father of African literature?
I am lead he was called that throughout his career and not a title given him in death

funnyx:

It seems you're set by default to post abuse and to see everyone from a tribal angle.
Chinua rejected the title because there was no such title and not out of modesty as you stated because if there will ever be such a title its not just for Nigerians alone to come up with, Africa is not just about Nigeria alone.
Why can't they award Shakespeare the father of European literature?

babyosisi:

Read my post once more and come up with an answer that is in line with the response I gave
You seem to be answering to another thread altogether

The title of father of African literature is not out of line
Other fathers of literature in other locations exist and I just gave you 2 examples
Kapish?

Afam4eva: I think Soyinka lost it by making this assertion himself instead of allowing it to come from Achebe's mouth. It will be misconstrued to paint him as jealous. It's very possible that Achebe frowned upon being called the father of internet not because he doesn't think he's qualified. The "Father of Internet" tag is not award but a recognition of one's immense contribution to literature in Africa. it doesn't necessarily make his works the best but the most influential and we can argue from now till next year, Achebe is the arguably the most influential African writer until his death hence the need for the title. This is not about genre of anything. Tell me an African writer of any genre whose book has more influence than those of Achebe. Let's not stretch it, whether Achebe wants to be called that or not, if anybody deserves that title it's no other than person than "Chinua Achebe".

babyosisi:

Read the answer I have above regarding the father of American andEnglish literature
A father of African literature also exists
You are as wrong as WS here
next!

funnyx:

You don't get it do you?, you're free to award Prof Achebe the father of world literature if you like, whatever makes you feel high.

babyosisi:

Kai
Na so e dey pain una?
Pele my broda
I didn't give him the name
Deal with it
That is a title that should make any Nigerian proud that the African being spoken of comes from his homeland but tribalism gets the better part of you
Deal with it I say

Afam4eva: I think Soyinka lost it by making this assertion himself instead of allowing it to come from Achebe's mouth.

Afam4eva: It doesn't necessarily make his works the best but the most influential and we can argue from now till next year, Achebe is the arguably the most influential African writer until his death hence the need for the title.

Afam4eva: This is not about genre of anything. Tell me an African writer of any genre whose book has more influence than those of Achebe. Let's not stretch it, whether Achebe wants to be called that or not, if anybody deserves that title it's no other than person than "Chinua Achebe".

Prof Corruption:

Achebe was educated enough to reject such a title while on earth. But intense promotion of such has been the work of the untiring hagiographers and vicarious sympathizers who sometimes do cry more than the bereaved. Soyinka lost nothing by pointing out what's factually correct. There is no such thing as Father of African literature-at least not in relation to the duo-because quite frankly, African literature predated Soyinka and Achebe.

Prof Corruption:
This assertion of your provokes an uncontrollable laughter. If Achebe is "arguably" as you put it, then he is certainly not the most influential. If that does not necessary make his works the best, then on what premise do we base his influence? That's the core of the abuse of the phrase "Father of Africa literature" Who exactly did he influence-no one would mention? What vicarious sympathizers pontificate again and again are just vague generalizations that are neither rooted in facts nor in any meaningful research.

Prof Corruption:
On the other hand, I don't think there is need for such a vain title. It's only in Africa perhaps much more pronounced in Nigeria that we bestow on ourselves all sorts of unmerited appellations and titles. In one breadth, someone is called or perhaps called oneself Otunba Olorogun Asiwaju ojogbon omowe engineer professor xyz where an ordinary Mr would have done the magic. Achebe did not create a new genre of literature that one would have been able to justify such vainglorious title. So what did he do exactly to merit such title?



That's perception which is quite far from reality. And more often those who indulge in such should show some "humility and respect facts" to paraphrase Soyinka. So if it's not about genre, on what basis should we base the influence? Achebe is not known to have written any good poems or poetry of literary value. Same is applicable to plays and drama. But he has been a consistent good story teller essentially confined to prose or to a lay man "Novel" genre. How logical would it be to now call him "Father of Africa Literature" where there is dexterous versatility in the works of others who might have not been a great story teller but nevertheless wrote good novels, great poems and great plays. That's what make your definition arguable.

To truly lay claim to being the best as his camp followers tend to laboriously assert-and to go mathematical- he should have displayed unparalleled, unequaled and unassailable lead in at least two genres of literature. That's why the bogus appellation is ludicrous at best and projection of willful ignorance at worst.