Falola, AFRICAN MEMOIRS AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS
Toyin Falola
- Toyin Falola, AFRICAN MEMOIRS AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS
https://anthempress.com/african-memoirs-and-cultural-representations-hb
African Memoirs and Cultural Representations
Narrating Traditions
By Toyin Falola
In this book, memoirs by West African writers are discussed as repositories of African communities, ranging from the traditional to the contemporary. Each memoir examined analyzes and sheds light on the inner workings of society via the individual, including the dynamic processes of African cultures, civilizations, and peoples.
Oral traditions and creative oratures have been celebrated in African studies over the years, specifically from the 1950s, as the most important and viable correspondence, aside from material artifacts, between social “archeologists” attempting to penetrate the African preliterate past and the social-political and economic productions of that same past.
In the memoirs chosen for this book, oral traditions are braided with personal experiences in the formation of the self, providing the basis of some African literary outputs and championed as having the ability to engineer the African knowledge system in global academe. In this regard, this work stresses the concept that most memoir writing scholars feel that the production and presentation of the autobiographical self are dependent on the categories of individualism and relationality.
The memoirists depict their own identities in their tales as not simply a part of their society but also one strongly impacted by prominent persons in their many lived settings. The book discusses an approach that enables West African memoirists to review their cultural backgrounds in the light of living in other spaces and acquiring different experiences.
Editorial Reviews
African Memoirs and Cultural Representations presents an encyclopedic repository containing transitions of African multidimensional identities—personal, political, social, and cultural. From the politics of memory, to the nuances of everyday life, the universal and particular converge in this philosophical reflection and creative synthesis of the African memoir by Toyin Falola”—Prof Mobolanle E Sotunsa, Professor of African Oral Literature and Gender Studies, Babcock University, Nigeria.
“This book is arguably about the retrieval, projection, and dissemination of African voices. As most times with Toyin Falola’s reflections, the anti-colonial stance is implicit, nuanced, and understated. But this guarded celebration of African subjectivities is far more effective than it would appear on the surface. It veers into the very real issue of African diversity, core underlying epistemological assumptions and the ability to transcend delimiting ethnic and geographical demarcations. Once again, Falola reestablishes his astonishing versatility”—Sanya Osha, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
“African Memoirs and Cultural Representations by Toyin Falola presents an excellent assessment of the critical role of West African memoirs and their interconnectivity to various realms of African society, including the political, economic, social, and cultural realms. The book brilliantly interrogates the challenging work of the memoirists as they juxtapose their ideas within the much broader context of changing societal values, traditions, and expectations of the prevailing political and social orders”—Bessie House-Soremekun, Ph.D., Interim Dean and Professor of Political Science, College of Liberal Arts, Jackson State University, USA.
segun...@gmail.com
On Feb 14, 2023, at 4:49 AM, Toyin Falola <toyin...@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:
- Toyin Falola, AFRICAN MEMOIRS AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS
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Oluwatoyin Adepoju
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Akin Alao
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Harrow, Kenneth
kenneth harrow
professor emeritus
dept of english
michigan state university
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 5:35 AM
To: dialogue <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>; Yoruba Affairs <yoruba...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Falola, AFRICAN MEMOIRS AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS
Biko Agozino
Toyin Falola
Although they don’t know about my book, the memoirs that I examined were written by those on this dialogue: Assensoh, covering his life in Europe and the US; Michael Afolayan, his childhood years; Cherno Njie, his experience staging a coup to overthrow Jammeh in The Gambia; Emmanuel Babatunde, leaving Catholic priesthood to get married; and Kalu Ogbaa, growing up as Igbo and educational journeys in the United States.
TF
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/usaafricadialogue/1495762435.2528410.1676421603894%40mail.yahoo.com.
Harrow, Kenneth
kenneth harrow
professor emeritus
dept of english
michigan state university
Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth
Although they don’t know about my book, the memoirs that I examined were written by those on this dialogue: Assensoh, covering his life in Europe and the US; Michael Afolayan, his childhood years; Cherno Njie, his experience staging a coup to overthrow Jammeh in The Gambia; Emmanuel Babatunde, leaving Catholic priesthood to get married; and Kalu Ogbaa, growing up as Igbo and educational journeys in the United States.
TF
From: 'Biko Agozino' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Date: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 6:56 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: Falola, AFRICAN MEMOIRS AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONSMany congratulations. It takes a memoirist.
Biko
wonderful accomplishment, congratulations oga toyin!
ken
kenneth harrow
professor emeritus
dept of english
michigan state university
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Toyin Falola <toyin...@austin.utexas.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 5:35 AM
To: dialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>; Yoruba Affairs <yorubaaffairs@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Falola, AFRICAN MEMOIRS AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS
- Toyin Falola, AFRICAN MEMOIRS AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS
https://anthempress.com/african-memoirs-and-cultural-representations-hb
African Memoirs and Cultural Representations
Narrating Traditions
By Toyin Falola
In this book, memoirs by West African writers are discussed as repositories of African communities, ranging from the traditional to the contemporary. Each memoir examined analyzes and sheds light on the inner workings of society via the individual, including the dynamic processes of African cultures, civilizations, and peoples.
Oral traditions and creative oratures have been celebrated in African studies over the years, specifically from the 1950s, as the most important and viable correspondence, aside from material artifacts, between social “archeologists” attempting to penetrate the African preliterate past and the social-political and economic productions of that same past.
In the memoirs chosen for this book, oral traditions are braided with personal experiences in the formation of the self, providing the basis of some African literary outputs and championed as having the ability to engineer the African knowledge system in global academe. In this regard, this work stresses the concept that most memoir writing scholars feel that the production and presentation of the autobiographical self are dependent on the categories of individualism and relationality.
The memoirists depict their own identities in their tales as not simply a part of their society but also one strongly impacted by prominent persons in their many lived settings. The book discusses an approach that enables West African memoirists to review their cultural backgrounds in the light of living in other spaces and acquiring different experiences.
Editorial Reviews
African Memoirs and Cultural Representations presents an encyclopedic repository containing transitions of African multidimensional identities—personal, political, social, and cultural. From the politics of memory, to the nuances of everyday life, the universal and particular converge in this philosophical reflection and creative synthesis of the African memoir by Toyin Falola”—Prof Mobolanle E Sotunsa, Professor of African Oral Literature and Gender Studies, Babcock University, Nigeria.
“This book is arguably about the retrieval, projection, and dissemination of African voices. As most times with Toyin Falola’s reflections, the anti-colonial stance is implicit, nuanced, and understated. But this guarded celebration of African subjectivities is far more effective than it would appear on the surface. It veers into the very real issue of African diversity, core underlying epistemological assumptions and the ability to transcend delimiting ethnic and geographical demarcations. Once again, Falola reestablishes his astonishing versatility”—Sanya Osha, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
“African Memoirs and Cultural Representations by Toyin Falola presents an excellent assessment of the critical role of West African memoirs and their interconnectivity to various realms of African society, including the political, economic, social, and cultural realms. The book brilliantly interrogates the challenging work of the memoirists as they juxtapose their ideas within the much broader context of changing societal values, traditions, and expectations of the prevailing political and social orders”—Bessie House-Soremekun, Ph.D., Interim Dean and Professor of Political Science, College of Liberal Arts, Jackson State University, USA.
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Elias K. Bongmba
Congratulations Prof. Falola.
Sincerely,
Elias
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-- Elias Kifon Bongmba PhD, DTheo (Lund) Elias Kifon Bongmba Harry and Hazel Chavanne Chair in Christian Theology Professor of Religion Executive Editor of the Journal of Religion in Africa Associate Editor of Religion and Theology Rice university PO Box 1892 Houston TX 77251-1892 https://reli.rice.edu/faculty/elias-kifon-bongmba
Mr. E. B. Jaiyeoba
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Olatunde Babawale
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