“African Roar” – A Review by Zeblon Nsingo

 

  African Roar is a unique collection of African stories. This anthology tackles a lot of issues which people hardly talk about. Selected from the Story Time e-zine, the works are from both established and budding writers.

The first story, Big Pieces,Little Pieces by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma , immediately breaks the silence on domestic violence. The protagonist, an unnamed child, pieces together various incidents in her life which later turned out to be tragic.

But then, Kola Tubosun quickly shows us that solutions can just be a door away. In his story Behind the Door, a young man takes a life altering decision when he goes for an HIV test. Myths and facts are fused as the young man waits to know his status. You just have to read on to find out what happens to his fear and confusion as the moment of truth descends on him.

Memories of war are triggered as Stanley meets an ex Rhodesian soldier in Masimba Musodza’s story, Yesterday’s Dog. Stanley desperately needs to take revenge on this now defenceless soldier. He soon hatches the perfect plan as the enemy boards his car.

The Nestbury Tree is a nice fusion of Christianity and tradition. Do witches really exist, and if so, would they dare enter a church compound? Do belief and prayer give us what we want .Find out in this gripping story by Ayodele Morocco-Clarke.

Beaven Tapureta’s Cost Of Courage takes us through the struggles of jobless Kenny and his friend – brother, a poet - as they strive on their companionship in a ghetto of Harare.

Memories of a past love in Ivor W. Hartmann’s Lost Love are delivered to us by an aging man on his deathbed. The point of view makes one realize just how some memories will only be memories and need to be celebrated as such since age cannot be undone.

Memories can be very bitter too as experienced by Jemusi in Christopher Mlalazi’s A Cicada In The Shimmer. His innocence is violated in a game of hide and seek and these memories haunt him, coupled with the superstitious beliefs of MaDube.

African stories would be incomplete without mention of greed and self-aggrandizement. Chuma Nwokolo’s QuarterBack & Co tackles the issue of company politics, the need for more money, though I felt the story just ended abruptly somehow. This I attribute to the voice of the narrator who seems to be having some mental problems due to a poisonous insect sting earlier on.

Expectations are high in Emmanuel Sigauke’s A Return To The Moonlight as Ranga returns from the Diaspora with his new bride. The narrator, his sister, is quick to point out that “We were not greedy or anything, but it was high time people saw that my brother had spent many years overseas for a good reason.”

We get a taste of University life and betrayal in Nana A. Damoah’s Truth Floats. The escapades of two contrasting characters, Kweku and Akoto, who are roommates at the University College of Amenfi make an interesting tale.

The last story, Tamale Blues by Ayesha H. Attah reminds us that we don’t always get what we want in life, but that can be the best for us. Nana’s visit to Tamale is not something she looks forward to but when she gets there she meets the pleasant Rafik and gets comfortable.Maybe too comfortable according to her grandmother and other people in the compound.

Watch out for African Roar, published by Lion Press Ltd. The book will be out soon and these stories will leave you asking for more.

Blocked Minds

A day passes , then a week and soon it’s a month since you last wrote anything and you feel rotten. Not a drop of ink on your writing pad. You drag yourself to your writing desk but nothing moves from your head onto that blank piece of paper. You chew the barrel of the pen off ( or hammer the keyboard ) but no ideas come out of it.

There is only one dreadful conclusion , you think . “I’m not a writer. I’ll never write in my life.” And the thought shoots you right on the forehead. Bang. You’re literally dead. No more artistic work from you.

You’ve heard it labeled writer’s block. It’s a phase in a writer’s life where ideas just vanish. Due to hectic schedules at work or school , you simply cannot focus on the writing task facing you.The mind wanders a lot.

The best advice I’ve heard from professional writers – people who sucessfully changed blank pieces of paper into novels and short stories , poetry or plays – is to go out and spend time with people who share your passion. People who can comment on your work. Even if you’re alcoholic , hang out with people who can say ‘…Your story reminds me of the time I slept in a chicken run after having one too many,' or , ‘…. this poem refreshes like a cold beer…...’ Anything to get you thinking : What if you had written it in another way? What if this idea involved two characters? What if…..? Just to keep your mind on the go.