WEALTH OF IDEAS

This decision might be one of the a few that demonstrate commitment to poetry in this century. See full story here.

When a country plunges into a deteriorating state like Zimbabwe, when a large percentage of its citizens flee to other countries to make a living, when over 80 per cent of its citizens are jobless, when corruption grips it with relentless cruelty, and when all possibilities of fair governance and respect for the will of the citizens are banished to a hot desert of chaos, the last word one would want to hear in reference to that country is hope. For one poet, when all else fails, hope is what we have left, hope is what keeps us going, what helps humanity not only "to endure" but also "to prevail", as William Faulker would say. Shilla Mutamba, an emerging Zimbabwean poet based in Leicestershire, UK, believes that as a poet she is called to give a message of hope. Her poetry grips the reader with its clarity and optimism. In describing her role, Mutamba says: "There are enough writers who talk about depression and despondency. I believe my mandate is different. Pe...

Chenjerai Hove, a Zimbabwean writer who is currently the 2007-08 International Writers Program visiting fellow at Brown University, has stated that academia should regard all writers as primarily writers without obsessing with compartmentalizing them into categories like 'post-colonial, African, Indian, Latin American". Hove argues that when he writes, he is not thinking of himself as practising postcoloniality or Africanness; he approaches his subject from the vantage point of a writer at work, a writer who happens to be from Africa, who happens to be presenting to the world a specificity of subject matter that the work of art enables. Speaking at the Under the Tongue workshop in Brown Univerisity's Watson Insitute, Hove said, "Academia becomes a business of creating compartments so people can become comfortable... As a writer I write stories... The job of the writer is to write well." He also criticised bookstores for creating meaningless categories for liter...

Tim Kahl reports that John Amen and Brad Henderson will be reading at the Sacramento Poetry Center(1719 25th Street) on Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 PM. John Amen is the author of two collections of poetry: Christening the Dancer (Uccelli Press 2003) and More of Me Disappears (Cross-Cultural Communications 2005), and has released one folk/folk rock CD, All I’ll Never Need (Cool Midget 2004). His poetry has appeared in various journals and anthologies, including, most recently, Rattle, The New York Quarterly, The International Poetry Review, Gargoyle, and Blood to Remember. He is also an artist, working primarily with acrylics on canvas. His second CD, Ridiculous Empire, was just released (Spring 2008) and is now available for purchase. Amen travels widely giving readings, doing musical performances, and conducting workshops. He founded and continues to edit the award-winning literary bimonthly, The Pedestal Magazine . Brad Henderson is the author of Drums: A Novel. He is the the co-a...

New Zimbabwe.com reports that MAFIKIZOLO, the undisputed dance and best pop group from South Africa, return to the UK by demand. They will be rocking UK with larger than life house DJ OSKIDO, alongside the mesmerising new kid on the block, TINA, of the 'Bangiloyile' Fame. This will be a tour to remember, with a mixture of hot danceable tunes cooked from a fusion of South African township disco, jazz, pop, mbaqanga and house. This is a star studded and powerful event, and there can never be a better combination to Celebrate South Africa Freedom Day. THEY NEVER DISAPPOINT! FIRST SHOW AT BATLEY TARVENERS CLUB, BATLEY (NEAR LEEDS) - WF17 7NL: FRIDAY 25 APRIL 9PM-05AM SECOND SHOW LONDON STRATFORD REX (E15 4QZ): SAT 26 APRIL 9PM TO 5AM FOR MORE INFO CALL 07985240363 or 07985568995 I am sitting here thinking: when are they going to tour the United States? Then we will have a chance to demand that they come back.

The message below was distributed by the International Poetry Organization. “Zimbabwe is a country of poets. Zimbabweans write poetry, speak it and sing it in Shona, Ndebele, Tonga, Shangaan and other minority languages; we have poetry in English, praise, performance, oratorical, and declamatory poetry. Perhaps as many as one in six people writes poetry or takes pleasure from trying to do so.” Poetry is important in Zimbabwe. During the 39th Poetry International Festival, Poetry International – in collaboration with and supported by Hivos-NCDO Culture Fund– is paying special attention to one of the most talked-about domains on PIW. Despite the political and economic circumstances in the country, each publication in the online magazine, www.poetryinternational.org, is rich in wonderful poets and excellent translations, accompanied by essays and interviews. In response to the question of how a troubled country like Zimbabwe is capable of presenting such a wealth of poetry, country editor...

Winners and Honorable Mentions of the Annual High School Poetry contest performed their work last night at the Sacramento Poetry Center's HQ for the Arts. This was a successful event, well-attended. Here are some images from the event. A contestant reading his work. Brad Buchanan, CSUS English Professor and member of the SPC board, who coordinated the high school contest. Bob Stanley, president of the Sacramento Poetry Center board. Contest reading audience.

Zimbabwe's diaspora has given birth to yet another interesting writer,Tapiwa Kapurura, author of Touching the American Rainbow . Tapiwa Kapurura studied law in Zimbabwe before migrating to the United States in the year 2000. The synopsis of Touching the American Rainbow reads: Leaving Africa as an attorney, the young man from Zimbabwe left family and friends, and sold all his earthly possessions, hoping to start a better life in America. He took everything for granted. Considering himself educated enough to easily fit into the American job market, he hoped to easily pass the legal bar exam, become an American attorney and live “large.” Before departure, he combined his childhood fantasies with a mature analysis, convincing himself that he was bound for the biblical Canaan—“a land of milk and honey”. Just like anyone from the Third World, the author possessed a vivid-colored picture of America. He never contemplated any glitch in the transition process. Because of media hype, ...

Charlotte Hill O'neal aka Mama C, gave a lecture at Cosumnes River College today. She is an amazing poet who takes her audience through the rich terrain of her poetry as he speaks; then she transports you to East Africa with her visually-enhanced presentation, which is about her life as an American who left Kansas City and moved to Africa with Pete O'neal, her husband. The family has lived in Tanzania,where they direct the United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC),for over 37 years. Mama C and her husband are also former members of the Kansas City Chapter of the Black Panther Party of which Pete was the chairman. The UAACC has done much work at the grassroots level to train Arusha villagers to become skilled in different careers. This growing institution, which depends on its founder's resources and donations, has made a big difference in the village, training students in areas like art, music, fashion and others. The center has a studio that has produced some of Ea...

Click to expand image.

Zvinoita sadza! Takangoti tichiburuka bhazi paChimanimani Town Center kwava kuchimhanyira kwaibva munhuwi waro. Ipapo ndanga ndabva mukusangana neumwe murume wechidiki seni, uyo anga andiona ndichidzerekera kumusuwo webhazi ndokuti, "Manangepi ishe?" Ini ndokuchitiwo, "Tisu maticha matsva ekwaNdima." Akabva asimuka ndokunangawo mukova seni, apo bhazi ranga rozhamba rananga musika. "Zvatoita tawandirira. Neniwo ndakananga kwaNdima; ndiri kunotanga basa paprimary." "Ini ndakariwanira pasecondary." "Makorokoto; ekumusoro uku anonzi oti netsei kuwana. Asi muchangopedza paUZ?" "Hongu; gore rapfuura irori. BA rangu, Chirungu neShona. Asi ndiri kunodzidzisa ChiRungu." "Makorokoto chaiwo. Ngatiburuke; tamisa vanhu." Tava panze pebhazi takambotarisa mamiriro anga akaita nzvimbo. Chese chandaiona chaipuruzira moyo wangu, kubvira kumadzimai emusika aitinongedza nemiguri yechibage, kunyanya madzimai echidiki, zvic...

For the first time in a long time it took serious interest in following the Zimbabwe election news, reading everything I could find online, listening to the several internet radios, calling relatives in Zimbabwe and South Africa. All came to nothing when it became clear that the results would be delayed, and that things would slowly take the path most people had feared, the seeming unwillingness of the ruling party to release power. Like most Zimbabweans and non-Zimbabweans, I had looked forward to change in Zimbabwe, any change, but the little hope that had seemed possible is now, in Valerie Tagwira's words, glaringly "uncertain". Politics.