How NOT to Write About Africa
This video is really poignant in addressing the ways in which Africa is so often overgeneralized, pitied, romanticized, historicized, and misrepresented. Check it out:
Thanks to my girl Kate for the heads up.
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Right On The Money!
Also, whenever possible, avoid naming any actual countries and just say "Africa".
Yep. And refer to everyone in Africa as Africans, as opposed to their individual groups.
I forwarded this on to a former classmate who's now doing her doctoral work on African history. Thanks for the link!
I don't want to trivialize these statements, but how is it that Djimon has never been voted sexiest person alive by People magazine (he's gotten "most beautiful black-man alive" recognition)?
And be sure to hire America's sanctioned 'African', Djimon Hounsou, for the movie version.
Yes. I am snarky today.
this is great. i just put together a video / photo essay, "Why Congo Matters" and felt strongly that i wanted to include positive images as well as images that portray the crisis. i think it works.
http://vimeo.com/6284324
I'm really interested in seeing this clip- does anyone know where I can find a transcript?
This video seems unnecessarily sarcastic to me, especially in the points where he says "because you care." It doesn't make sense to me to make fun of people who "care" about Africa, even if that care doesn't seem genuine or seems misguided.
I would rather see a video that provides advice on how to sensitively and intelligently write about Africa. Because we're not allowed to write about tribes, savannahs, wildlife, Nelson Mandela, genital mutilation, AK-47's, music, corpses, or sunsets at the risk of sounding cliche and ignorant...
I'm guessing that the way people write about Africa is leaving people who know better FEELING pretty fucking sarcastic.
dormouse
I'm African. If you can't write about Africa without writing about tribes, savannahs, wildlife, Nelson Mandela, genital mutilation, AK-47's, music, corpses, or sunsets, then do us all a favor and don't write about Africa
Secondly, stop giving tone arguments and do your own research. There is a 'how to write about Africa piece' and lots and lots more on this issue online and in libraries.
Oh and you aren't the sarcasm police. People are allowed to be sarcastic and annoyed on issues they feel strongly about. I know it's crazy but try to imagine that people don't have to put your feelings above all else all the time. Plenty of people write angrily or sarcastically on feministing, plenty of people use humor and irony on youtube on a manner of issues. I saw tons of political comedy during the last election for example. Should we pull all of that down or is it only on issues you are ignorant that everyone must kow tow to your sensitivities?
Sass -
The full piece this is based on, "How to Write about Africa" (guess they added the 'not' for the irony-impaired, was published in Granta and you can find it on their website.
I had a chance to meet the author, Binyavanga Wainaina, at a writing workshop and he's a wonderful writer and speaker - he edits a journal called Kwani, does a lot of journalism and I think his first novel is coming out soon - a good place to start for what else writing about Africa can look like . ..
Thank you very much!
My dad is from north africa, but apart from a slightly unusual name no-one would guess that I had any connection to the region. I feel very strongly about certain issues (that directly affect my relatives- female and male) but because I look and sound like an "outsider" I am not very confident writing about or debating the topics.
Cheers
Sass -
The full piece this is based on, "How to Write about Africa" (guess they added the 'not' for the irony-impaired, was published in Granta and you can find it on their website.
I had a chance to meet the author, Binyavanga Wainaina, at a writing workshop and he's a wonderful writer and speaker - he edits a journal called Kwani, does a lot of journalism and I think his first novel is coming out soon - a good place to start for what else writing about Africa can look like . ..
Sass -
The full piece that this video is based on, by the wonderful Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina, was published by Granta in 2005 and you can find the text on their website.
http://www.granta.com/Magazine/92/How-to-Write-about-Africa/Page-1
I like the points in this paper. There could easily be a version for Asia: make sure to mention sake, geisha, kungfu shaolin monks, almond shaped eyes and golden skin, the wisdom of the ancient eastern arts, always refer to East Asia when saying Asia, and don't forget the word exotic! also mention the bull testes as the daily meal of men who want and value only sons, the submissive woman who must be freed by a liberal minded Westerner, the tao of sex, concubines, and also the selfish, selfish pollution of developing cities making the world a worse place, not to mention the oppressive communism/dictatorships under which the people can barely function let alone be happy ect.
Though I believe the countries and peoples of East Asia don't suffer as much generalization as the countries and peoples of Africa. I think this paper is valuable not only because it calls out hypocrites, but also because the idea of it can be applied to many places, like the Middle East or more.