|
Books by Niyi
Osundare
Songs of the Marketplace (2006)
/
The Word is an Egg
(2005) /
Pages from the Book of the Sun (2002) /
Two Plays (2006)
Thread in the Loom: Essays (2002) /
The State Visit (2002) /
Midlife (2005) /
Moonsongs (1988) /
The Eyes of the Earth (2007)
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*
I am
Alive
message from Niyi
Osundare
Nigerian Poet & Katrina Survivor
Mon, 5 Sep 2005 12:19:39 -0700 (PDT)
This is my first real internet access since the disaster
struck...
I can't thank you
enough for your concern and care. It's been all so overwhelming.
My wife and I are alive and, after passing through five
horrendous "evacuation centers", have been
allocated to the Red Cross shelter in Birmingham, Alabama.
The nightmare of the past seven days is simply unimaginable. We
very narrowly escaped drowning in our own house. Pursued by an
8-foot high toxic flood water (15 feet in the street outside our
door), we were forced up a stuffy, airless attic, where we were
holed up for 26 hours, with no food, no water, no prospect of
any rescue. We were only saved by the fortuitous
intervention of a neighbour who heard our shout for help when he
came round with his rescue boat to pick up something from his
own house. With life vests provided by him, we managed to swim
out of our house, leaving everything we had behind. Right
now, all our clothes, books, academic and professional
credentials, trave documents, computers,, manuscripts, etc. etc.
are submerged in the dirty waters of the New
Orleans flood. Hell has no other name...
We deeply appreciate your concern. Kindly pass on our gratitude
to all on your listserv.
Yours in the Eye of the Storm * * * * *
Niyi OsundareNiyi
Osundare, who was born in Nigeria in 1947 and is currently a
professor of English literature at the university of New
Orleans, is considered the greatest living Nigerian poet. Most
of his books are published in Nigeria;
The Word is an Egg,
his latest collection, appeared earlier this year. Just
recently, two books of his,
Pages from the Book of the Sun:
New & Selected Poems and
Thread in the Loom: Essays
on African Literature and Culture, were published in the
United States by African World Press. His work has been
translated in Dutch, German, Korean and French, and has won many
literary awards, such as the Noma.
* * * * *
update 8 July 2008 |
