What Are You Reading... and Why?

[Akua Ma'at]

I'm reading Ayi Kwei Armah's The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born and I decided to read this book at this time for a couple reasons. First, its authored by Armah and, after reading Two Thousand Seasons and The Healers, I vowed to read all of Armah's books. His writing style is very powerful, very graphic, and for a person who thinks in pictures it definitely makes a deep, lasting impression.

Secondly, the book came to me by "chance". Here in Antigua AfRAkan centered books are virtually unheard of so getting them means ordering them online or having a relative or friend living in the US, Canada or the UK buy them and send them to you. Without a credit card online shopping is difficult if not impossible and with financial challenges buying the book (or any other Armah books) just wasn't possible. That's when "chance" stepped in... while leaving work a few weeks ago one of the teachers mentioned a old box under one of the tables and all the books it contained. She said the box had been there for years gathering dust and suggested that we all go through its contents with the view of either taking books useful for our classes or donating some to the campus library. When we opened the box one of the first books to present itself was The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born. I looked at it for a good 5 seconds before it clicked in that THIS was an Armah book! Then I screamed. Then I contained myself, lol, and volunteered to take that one book off their hands.

I'm only on chapter 5 now but its an excellent read... as expected. If forces you, like the other books I've read, to take your time to absorb it all and, like the other books I've read, I find the images he carves in my mind deep and hard to ignore.

What are you reading.... and why?

.

[Obadele Kambon]

That was a good read. I read that when I was doing study at home in Ghana before going back abroad to the u.s. back in 2000-2001. I remember learning a lot about Armah and Ghana from reading The Beautyful Ones.

Right now I'm reading the Asante-Fante Dictionary from cover-to-cover as my advisor wants me to develop the worlds first exhaustive list of serial verbs in both Akan (Twi) and Yoruba. I'm up to the letter G and have about 400 pages to go! Lucky me.

[Yaw Agbede]

Re-reading Armah's Two Thousand Seasons for a couple of reasons. (1) a friend of mine is reading it and we want to have some discussions on it; and (2) I want to know the story well enough so that I can tell it to my children as anansesɛm.

Re-reading the Destruction of Black Civilization as a part of a study group.

Re-reading Ifi Amadiume's Reinventing Africa: Matriarchy, Culture, and Religion because she raises some good points that I really like and I have been having conversations with some sistas who are plagued by feminist thoughts about traditional Afrika and I'd like to offer them a more accurate perspective.

Reading a textbook about Applied Hydrogeology because I want to be able to contribute to the infrastructural aspects (specifically environmental fluid mechanics, groundwater hydraulics/hydrology) of community and nation building.

[Yaw Asare Aboagye]

Thomas Sankara Speaks because wanted to strenthen my knowledge of an Afrikan revolutionary and liberator. My general knowledge of him is limited.

Black Roots for my continuing genealogy tree research. I'm looking to learn more research techniques.

Re-reading The Rebirth of African Civilization to re-infuse the work we need to do in Afrika.

@Akua Maat, after you're done with The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born. You may want to read Armah's latest two books, The Eloquence of the Scribes and Remembering the Dismembered Continent. He also has a website, Per Ankh_The Publishing Cooperative.

[lloyd98]

i just started reading AFRIKAN presence in early asia by runoko rashidi, i am very interested in our origin around the world.

[Yaw Agbede]

He also has a website, Per Ankh_The Publishing Cooperative.

I'm very disappointed that there are euro and asian members of the Publishing Cooperative...Their pictures used to be on the website.

[Yaw Asare Aboagye]

I'm very disappointed that there are euro and asian members of the Publishing Cooperative...Their pictures used to be on the website.

I noticed that and didn't understand it myself. I found it very strange coming from Armah. But if you read Eloquence of the Scribes you won't find it strange. That being said it's the first thing I've seen/read/heard about Armah I disagree with.

[Akua Ma'at]

@ Yaw - I will try to source them as soon as possible.

[Ekundayo]

This is an excellent thread. As an avid reader any discussion on books, writing, or the ideas that spring forth from them are of interest to me. Thank you Akua. Interestingly, all of the prior replies are timely for me in one way or another.

First of all, what am I reading? I rarely read one book at a time. I'm reading a book called Iwakiri. A book on Ifa/Isese written by a good friend who asked me to read and review. The second book I'm reading is "The Third Reich in Power" by Richard Evans. I decided to read more european and history for a few because it never hurts to know the machinations of your enemies. The third book I'm reading is "Great by Choice" by Jim Collins. It is a business/leadership book from an author who has had great influence on my ideas and the ideas of Egbe Ijoba.

In addition, there are always a number of books that I am referring to throughout my week. These usually, but not always, center on African culture/history.

As far as the linkages with the other replies. Ayi Kweh Armah is one of the undervalued jewels of contemporary African thought. Every Afrikan should read his works (both fiction and non) especially those who color themselves "conscious" This is a reminder to me to re-acquire his works, as I wont purchase the "original" european published editions. Its been at least 3 years since I've read anything by him.

The reply about Thomas Sankara is also timely because I too am just learning about this man and his works. He is a phenomenal African. So much so that in January 2012 Egbe Ijoba will be showing the documentary on his life "An Upright Man" I am trying to buy "Thomas Sankara speaks" here in Philly. Unfortunately, like many of our great thinkers, he has been hi-jacked by the european (old and new) left. His books are published and sold by white leftists. SMH!

The ancestor Chancellor Williams is always in regular rotation. Ife Amadiume is excellent reading, especially, as the brother alluded, for some of our sisters who have begun to fall under the sway of american feminism. As an aside, american feminism is huge in the undermining of contemporary efforts at African family development largely in the u.s., but more and more on the continent and in the islands.

EE

[?errthang]

Love this thread!

I only get to read when i'm in between writing projects (so as not to mix ideas), but Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God is on my nightstand now.