Dear Oluwatoyin,
I found a new word today: Bibliomaniac!
http://www.bartleby.com/145/ww134.html
"You ever seen a ghost?
No But you have heard of them" (B.D.)
To tell you truth, I'm tired with some of the conventional type of
books that are so powerful that they are capable of lulling even the
most chronic insomniacs to sleep (more effective than sleeping pills)
and you wake up not remembering anything that you just read. If only a
few words had made an impression you would have remembered at least a
few lines or some main idea even if you were coming back not from a
brief sleep but coming all the way back like Lazarus, who Jesus raised
from the dead. Nota bene: He at least remembered Jesus. The Gospels
had not been written yet.
So, of course it's not enough for anyone to beat his chest and
boast,"I have written a book - or more than a dozen books" if the
book or books are never get read or mentioned or even reviewed by
others. Methinks that there should also be a profit incentive and I
hope that you too have that in mind about future books. Haley's
"Roots" earned him a lot of money...
I suppose that what's most important is your mastery of the subject
now , even if that mastery will be more light upon alight in another
ten years from now. There's no denying that unconventional in
form,welding together the expository and poetic your book could gain
some traction in challenging wicked wikipedia orthodoxy (or is it
heresy?) about the Adinkra. I can't wait to place my order for an
autographed copy! However, we should not forget that sometimes when
the philosophical and the poetic are welded together as they sometimes
are in some of the quotes featuring the pithy Chidi Anthony then the
expository + the poetic can result in the enigmatic, thus defeating
the purpose of the expository.
From you I anticipate a crucible containing elements of Aleister
Crowley's "Moonchild" laced with some kind of Carlos Castaneda's Don
Juan expositions in action, and some practical uncovering such as
James Oberg's "The Sirius Mystery Explained" the whole soup zapped
through with some Arthur C. Clarke and artificial intelligence at the
service of the imagination (mark my words, we will soon have some
machines better at churning out mother-tongue poetry than Amatoritsero
Ede and Chinua Achebe – if you don't believe me just ask David
Ferrucci...
You ask me, " Why did you bring that up?" (Oyibo contributions to The
African Renaissance)
Well, I mentioned them to checkmate Mwalimu Bangura saying that
"it behooves us Afrikans to give a bit of our time editing the
encyclopedia. If we do not take advantage of this opportunity, Afrikan
thoughts and thinkers will remain marginalized. And if other folks who
are less knowledgeable about them do so, we have no business
complaining for our failure."
emphasis on " other folks who are less knowledgeable" etc
after which the mwalimu duly goes on to enumerate his further
accomplishments : "Having edited more 100 Wikipedia entries dealing
with Afrikan thinkers and contributions to mathematics, computer
science, politics, economics, linguistics, Abrahamic faiths, etc. "
In February 1970 Kenneth Little (expert on the Mende) was amazed that
I knew next to nothing about the Poro and Wende societies in Sierra
Leone - and had written about something else in a short seminar
presentation about "Rites of Passage in African societies"
So it's true that charity often begins at home....
Its actually a matter of digging deep where one is standing.
Talking about home,this morning I did some digging here and it made me
more humble:
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/88978/jewish/Kuntres-HaHishtatchus.htm
On Jan 4, 11:35 pm, kenneth harrow <har...@msu.edu> wrote:
> toyin
> you forgot one important thing:
> what is the name of the book (and the publisher please, or at least, how
> to order it--it sounds really great)
> ken
>
> On 1/4/13 4:06 PM, OLUWATOYIN ADEPOJU wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > You have a point.
>
> > Book publication makes a lot of difference.
>
> > I have written a book I consider unique on Adinkra and most likely
> > unique in relation to extant works on any classical
> > African knowledge system.
>
> > I have been wondering how to proceed with it.
>
> > Its form is unconventional- it integrates a novella, expository and
> > poetic writing.
>
> > It is framed by a series of letters by a writer who presents himself
> > as the editor of the book, letters telling a bizarre story of the
> > author of the book about whom all records seem to be progressively
> > vanishing from the universe.
>
> > His manuscript is right here in front of me, the editor states,
> > but the house where he used to live is no longer there, there being
> > no record of any house having been there in the first place, his
> > office at the University of Ghana might be the one gutted by fire
> > some time ago but no memory or records exist of any such personage as
> > himself in the employment of that university. .
>
> > Is it possible that his engagement with the power of the Adinkra
> > symbols has erased him from the memory of the universe?
>
> > Within this context,the editor introduces the book from
> > the disappeared author through a survey of almost all the Adinkra
> > symbols in terms of interpretive possibilities beyond
> > anything achieved so far, to the best of knowledge, building upon
> > but greatly expanding the conventional interpretations and subsequent
> > hermeneutic developments.
>
> > After that, we enter into the book proper, which is an exploration of
> > the nature of being in terms of the Adinkra symbol, Kuntunkan.
>
> > The scope of interpretation provided for that one symbol, within the
> > context of a survey of the others novel
> > in its expansiveness, demonstrates what can be done with each of the
> > other symbols, thereby demonstrating the possibilities of Adinkra as a
> > cognitive discipline of the broadest interdisciplinary scope
> > and possibilities of cosmic value.
>
> > On the literature essay in Wkipedia, I have been busy but will do my
> > bit once I am free.
>
> > I have been researching the art of Victor Ekpuk and will give an
> > account of my revelatory discoveries there.
>
> > On scholarship on Africana issues, some of the most important names
> > are not African, such as some of those names you mention.
>
> > Why did you bring that up?
>
> > thanks
> > toyin
> > On Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 11:41 AM, Cornelius Hamelberg
> > <corneliushamelb...@gmail.com <mailto:corneliushamelb...@gmail.com>>
> > wrote:
>
> > Dear Oluwatoyin Adepoju,
>
> > Since there is a vehicle which facilitates dialogue with the powers
> > that be in Wikipedia, I'm confident that you will prevail in the
> > battle �to upgrade the essay on the Gyaman/Adinkra
> > (Ghanian ethnicities) visual symbol system Adinkra� All that could be
> > necessary is that you might have to amend the language in which you
> > convey your opinions - ( it might be too strident?
> > Controversial? ).Relatively speaking (compared to whom?) not being
> > that poor in imagination,I imagine that if the skeleton of Martin
> > Bernal's original thesis Black Athena had been first presented as a
> > wikipedia entry -.-with or without much venom, suddenly, out of
> > somewhere Mary Lefkowitz and allies - all those who contributed
> > dissenting articles to �Black Athena Revisited�would have also popped
> > up out of the blue to criticize, teach, amend, preach, correct, modify
> > and where they deemed it necessary, to obliterate anything they
> > objected to as standing in the way and and as Professor Bolaji Aluko
> > usually says, � And there you have it!�: Martin Bernal would find
> > himself in the same quandary as Oluwatoyin Adepoju, who is presently
> > now shuffering but not shmiling....
>
> > Mary:
> > https://www.google.com/search?q=Mary+Lefkowitz&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=...
>
> > Mary & allies:
> > http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_rn=1&gs_ri=hp&cp=22&g...
>
> > To some extent Wikipedia must be a democratic institution. There is a
> > structure to Wikipedia : they must have a chairman (a central
> > committee?) and a board of directors, a governing body which decides,
> > approves, permits and edits entries. Those who have any hassles with
> > them could take it up with them directly. Perhaps a phone call or two
> > will settle the issue. It usually does ( a phone call or two � but be
> > cool on the phone)
>
> > It's all here, the rules of the game : Wikipedia, the free
> > encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
>
> > http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_rn=1&gs_ri=hp&cp=3&gs...
>
> > This is what's written about Sir Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston:
>
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Josiah_Lightfoot_Boston
>
> > Prior to which there was a one sentence entry which claimed that Sir
> > Henry was a British diplomat who succeeded Sir Maurice Dorman....
>
> > I should also like to take the opportunity to point out what may or
> > may not be true: that it is not to be automatically or racially
> > assumed that the black man/woman has better knowledge or understanding
> > of all things African � or connected with the birthplace of much of
> > mankind. And that there is no Oyibo that's omniscient, yet their
> > points of view and understandings are valuable contributions to our
> > own total understanding and here I'm thinking of people like Michael
> > Crowder, ( History of Nigeria) Susanne Wenger ( Yoruba art, religion,
> > culture) Ulli Beier ( drama, literature) Robin Horton (Kalabari
> > sculpture) Richard Greenfield ( History of Ethiopia) Gerald Moore
> > (U'tamsi)) Leo Spitzer ( history of Sierra Leone Creoles) Abner
> > Cohen( sociology Africa) to name just a few
>
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMOVyIBI2SY
>
> > On Jan 3, 11:47 pm, OLUWATOYIN ADEPOJU <tva...@gmail.com
> > <mailto:tva...@gmail.com>> wrote:
> > > thanks but can you clarify this, Cornelius?
>
> > > ' fail to see why it should not be possible for Mwalimu
> > Oluwatoyin Adepoju
> > > himself to make whatever modifications, amendments or further
> > editing of
> > > his own material that is featured in Wikipedia.'
>
> > > im puzzled about the 'his own material'
>
> > > just want to understand what you are thinking
>
> > > On Thu, Jan 3, 2013 at 8:55 PM, Cornelius Hamelberg <
>
> > > corneliushamelb...@gmail.com
> > <mailto:corneliushamelb...@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> > > > I could be missing something of vital importance here but I do
> > hope
> > > > that I've got it right, since to begin with, I don't know exactly
> > > > where this thread started. I have no experience in these matters
> > > > whatsoever ( volunteering to edit anything in Wikipedia or
> > correcting
> > > > any mistakes in Wikileaks) but I fail to see why it should not be
> > > > possible for Mwalimu Oluwatoyin Adepoju himself to make whatever
> > > > modifications, amendments or further editing of his own
> > material that
> > > > is featured in Wikipedia.
>
> > > > The only problem that should be anticipated is problems with the
> > > > accuracy of different/ differing understandings when it comes to
> > > > comparative matters, be it comparative philosophy, comparative
> > > > religion etc. comparing Jesus with Muhammad ( the one allegedly
> > > > unmarried, the other a man of thirteen wives)
>
> > > > I take at least one step backwards when I encounter someone
> > who does
> > > > not claim to be an advanced student or practitioner of Kabbalah
> > > > comparing Kabbalah with other systems. It makes me nervous, but I
> > > > should not be nervous since I'm not even a beginner, a
> > dilettante or
> > > > even a mere a meddler or dabbler in such esoteric matters.
>
> > >http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_rn=1&gs_ri=hp&cp=8&gs...
>
> > > > �In recent years It has been widely admitted that the more complex
> > > > states of mind, passions, and emotions do often need to be
> > > > investigated by the subject, and the elements and aspects
> > seen as a
> > > > pattern before a man can be sure what they are , even though
> > they
> > > > are his own states of mind �
>
> > > > Stuart Hampshire's � Some Difficulties in knowing� From �
> > Philosophy,
> > > > Science and Method � edited by Sidney Morgenbesser, Patrick
> > Suppes
> > > > and Morton White ( New York : St. Martin�s press, Inc; London and
> > > > Basingstoke: Macmillan 1969
>
> ...
>
> read more »
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment