Expediting Life Itself

I recently stumbled—o.k., not stumbled—read might be more appropriate as the New Yorker Fiction has become a weekly addiction of mine. So in very few words, I wish, I read Egan’s explosive short story Safari. And am still wowed by the effects.

Essentially, it’s a story of a family—a father and his latest girlfriend, with her PH.D in view, his two children—among a group of tourists in Kenya on an expedition of wildlife. It seemed to be an out of life experience for them; Of course because they were whites, and Africa was just vacation and sun enough to tan their skins.

For the father, perhaps it was more than that. Owing to the fact that he is notorious with ladies, he enjoys the ambience and pleasure of a warm flesh next to him, which he could reach out to at any odd hour when sexual intuition gets the better of him. But alarmingly, his latest girlfriend, as subtly as a crush could be written into a story without heralding character bias, is sexually attracted to another.

This story, in the most subtle form, comments on the complexity of the relations and relationship. And surprisingly, gives a tidy ending—something not readily obtainable in the short story form. The unhindered plunge into the future gives the story its denouement, and makes it function as a short story. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to any reader.

There is no mincing of words, an album like Gongo Aso is difficult to surmount either in artistry, social acceptance or record sales. It is with this caveat that Tradition, the L.P closely following Gongo Aso should be acknowledged.

Kudos must be given to 9ice who worked fervently to make something similar in delivery, as he recruited similar ingredients; but hits are not made, they make themselves. Perhaps this is why Gbamu-Gbamu cannot be another Gongo Aso, although it would pay its dues as a club banger like every upbeat song.

Also 9ice’s attempt to stretch his craft with every album is noteworthy. Certificate is a far cry from Gongo Aso, and only in terms of diversity can Tradition be rated above Gongo Aso. For one, more versatile producers are recruited, the mastering and mixing is top-notch, even featured artists like Germany-based Nneka in Show some love goes a long way to prove that 9ice made a more matured album with a wider catchment at Fanbase.

And if street appeal is being put to question, there is no doubt that 9ice had street in mind as this effort is targeted at all age groups in the street. 9ice’s ambassadorship as a proponent of the Yoruba language is laudable and it has become a style he can be identified with. And he must also be appreciated for the amount of research that would go into sounding African, different.

9ice is perhaps the only Nigeria hip pop artist who puts a flavor of local musical genres like Fuji into his music. But there are some songs that leave more to be desired on this L.P. But all misgivings can be forgiven, as 9ice’s loyalty to his craft is not in doubt.

Plumptre's Livelihood Methods

No Bullshit is an apt title. For sincerely there are no mincing of words or sugar-coating of the truth in this volume to be followed by subsequent issues. It’s the world as it is. Natural and Stark. Indeed it is fluid prose that tackles living in itself with admixtures of commentaries and exposition that still gives room to the place for rhetorics.

Although the view is invariably tilted to a feminine perspective, this book boycotts clichés and the author constantly seeks new ways of re-presenting the mundane. It is fresh both in handling and outlook as what the author seeks to do is carry readers along whilst expressing her opinionated ideas as succinctly as permissible.

And the book is pretty much about anything. Everything. Nothing, even. As it seeks to touch all the details of life. In this, it cuts some bias and some views are slack, vague and even ambiguous but the author is quick to write in a caveat, that the words are essentially hers and the world, which she illustrates, is the one in which she functions.

The book is divided into several monologues tagged “Disclosures”. And each monologues, although uneven in text content, often disclose the author‘s views especially on marriage, relationships, family, sex, friendship, etc. These are often interspersed with poems, titled “freestyles” and some thematic photographic images which depict moods and often hint content at a glance.

No Bullshit is personal as well as artistic, as various art forms are dabbled into to achieve a collagist impression, a beautification of the mundane. It can easily be termed the sophistication of the simple. And Plumptre’s style of prose is exceptionally conversational; the language is accessible, not quite far-fetched, as she picked everyday diction and painstakingly composed them into several personal essays that could have been excerpts of an impersonal diary.

And this book is timely, necessary and should be accepted, even though it enunciates just a single female’s view. Plumptre, although does not cut across as a stereotype female, is an interesting voice that should be heard, as her yearnings, her innermost desires, draws parallels and cuts across the entire female gender.

She often does not proffer solutions and even when she does, she does not force them on her readers. Plumptre essentially wrote this book for herself. In her own words, she wrote that she writes “to simply escape”. She further said she writes because reality is subjective and the ideals only exist for a few moments when we choose to allow it to”. And so readers would do well to subject the ideas espoused in this book to there are own ideals and live by leaving reality to take its hold on them.

The story, story issue.