Today, I mourn the
passing on of an Icon.
Chinua Achebe, rest
in peace.
Jee nke oma.
Quotes from the late
sage:
"The triumph of
the written word is often attained when the writer achieves union and trust
with the reader, who then becomes ready to be drawn deep into unfamiliar
territory, walking in borrowed literary shoes so to speak, toward a deeper
understanding of self or society, or of foreign peoples, cultures, and
situations."
"There is no
moral obligation to write in a particular way. But there is a moral obligation,
I think, not to ally oneself with power against the powerless."
"The sun will
shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them."
"You cannot
plant greatness as you plant yams or maize. Who ever planted an iroko tree —
the greatest tree in the forest? You may collect all the iroko seeds in the
world, open the soil and put them there. It will be in vain. The great tree
chooses where to grow and we find it there, so it is with the greatness in
men."
"We shall all
live. We pray for life, children, a good harvest and happiness. You will have
what is good for you and I will have what is good for me. Let the kite perch
and let the egret perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing
break."
"I worry when
somebody from one particular tradition stands up and says, "The novel is
dead, the story is dead." I find this to be unfair, to put it mildly. You
told your own story, and now you're announcing the novel is dead. Well, I
haven't told mine yet. "
“The world is like a
Mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place."
– Chinua Achebe (1930
- 2013)
Picture: Chinua
Achebe
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