A Time to Be Thankful

This Thanksgiving I am thankful that I received my contributor copy of State of the Nation. It is a collection of thirty poets' works, edited by Tinashe Mushakavanhu and David Nettleingam. I haven't read all the poems, but I like how each poet was allowed to submit a short essay on craft or the process of writing. Mine, for instance, focused on my poetic journey, which, as you can imagine, tried to cover details about the many writing activities I was involved in growing up. It is an opportunity to get the writers to talk about their writing, something that most of us try to do in the wrong places...[like a friend just warned me against trying to talk about writing at the Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, and I will comply].

I am not going to review this book, since I am in it, but check this blog next week for a review from Memory Chirere. Featuring his review here will be an honor.

I can tell you that there are many good things about this book, especially the essays by Ignatius Mabasa, Nhamo Mhiripiri, Joyce Mutiti, and others.

Tinashe Mushakavanhu is doing great work. His dedication to Zimbabwean literature is evident in much of what he does. His next publication will center on Chenjerai Hove.

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