Discussing Short Stories on Oprah.com

It's clear (at least to me)by now that I am very excited about the selection of Uwem Akpan's Say You're One of them to the Oprah Book Club. I had already bought the book three weeks earlier, which meant that I paid a higher price than the $8.00 or so it is going for now since its on a 30 percent discount in many bookstores. Yes, very many bookstores, nearly ALL bookstores, and retail and grocery stores. I have already seen many copies in places like Borders, Barnes and Noble, now it's everywhere: Target, Costco, Rite AID, and of course, all the online outlets. It's everywhere, because Oprah recommended it, but most importantly because Akpan wrote it the way he did, which led to an agent liking it enough to sell it to Little, Brown and Company where it fell in the hands of caring editors and publicity personnel... For them, as it is for Akpan, for African literature, and for the short story genre, it's a huge success. For that reason (the causal process here doesn't have to make great sense), I have joined the discussion group at Oprah.com, and I have started posting comments.

Here is how things work at oprah.com. Discussion questions about the selected book are posted, and there is a generous reading schedule. You can post comments under the discussion forum, or post an answer to the discussion question, or do both. I am going to do both, and I promise to read everyone's comment. This is like a study of how an African fictional work does in America (using the readers who read what Oprah recommends, and based on my experience with books and bookstore, that readership puts someone on the bestseller lists of America). So far, most are saying great things. There are those who feel the book is too painful, others are struggling with some aspects of "African English", but generally, they all seem engaged.

So here is an example of my participation in some of the discussions:

Question: In “An Ex-mas Feast,” Maisha leaves her family to become a full-time prostitute. Do you think she chose to depart, or did her family’s poverty force her to flee? Is it possible to have complete freedom of will in such a situation? Is it reasonable to judge a person for her actions if her choice is not entirely her own?

Answers: First, we need to realize that Maisha is only twelve and already a prostitute; the issue of choice should not even come into play. She is a kid who should be receiving the care of her parents, but is born in a situation that does not allow her to be a child. She didn’t choose to depart, but that was the only way she could liberate herself later in life and enable her brother to attend school. The parents also have their hopes anchored on her, now that she has attracted some white tourists.

These people are victims of something larger in Kenya, be it the politics of the country (which is hinted at), or the parents’ failure in life. Yet even in their desolate state, they have dreams and hopes, something which forces the reader to blame their condition on something beyond their control, just as we cannot blame Maisha for what she ends up doing. Choice is out of the question…she is twelve. It’s a shame that wealthy men come to these streets looking for the child prostitutes; and some of the “clients” are from places like the United States, Jaguar-driving men who promise hope but deliver life-long scars…

So this is what the members of the club get to do and it feels like fun. I am working on the second story since I am ahead of the reading schedule.