Ken,
In Cyprian Ekwensi's Burning Grass, the protagonist, Mai Sunsaye is periodically afflicted by the Sokugo, the wandering disease, so called because, each time the disease struck him, he would feel a need to wander off and he would. The point is that it was not a disease like a physical flu ...
I loved Cyprian Ekwensi's works. They were unpretentious, they spoke to me as a little boy and I could imagine all the places he had been to. He wrote important works about Northern Nigeria and the urban areas. He may not be as celebrated as Achebe, Soyinka, etc, but he remains firmly in the hearts of the precocious children of my generation as a great teacher. When he passed, I wrote an ode to him that I have reproduced several times in many places. For what it is worth, here, enjoy!
- Ikhide
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From: kenneth harrow <harrow@msu.edu>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, November 4, 2012 10:46 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Five years ago today Cyprian Ekwensi left this world.....
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, November 4, 2012 10:46 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Five years ago today Cyprian Ekwensi left this world.....
was it the 1918 flu epidemic?ken
-- On 11/4/12 8:52 PM, Oluwatoyin Ade-Odutola wrote:
--
Cyprian Ekwensi (September 26, 1921 – November 4, 2007)
As the day goes the way of yesterday, I recall the passing on of Chief Cyprian Ekwensi.
As they say to live in the hearts of those who love us is not to die.
A note to myself....
There is a novel written by Cyprian Ekwensi called "Burning Grass" In that novel he mentioned a disease: SOKUGO....it is said to be a wondering disease. I am not sure this is a real disease or an imagined one. I have been trying to find out IF there is any institution researching on Sokugo. Will there ever be an International Conference for Cyprian Ekwensi? I ask sister Sophia Ekwensi-Ojukwu and others what you have in the pipeline. Please share with us...Thanks
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-- kenneth w. harrow faculty excellence advocate distinguished professor of english michigan state university department of english 619 red cedar road room C-614 wells hall east lansing, mi 48824 ph. 517 803 8839 harrow@msu.edu
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