THE LEGEND OF JANUS: LOOKING BEHIND

In ancient Rome, the god Janus was worshipped as the god of gates, transitions, time, passages, past and future, beginnings and endings. He had two faces, one looking back and one looking forward. 

One thing that seems to characterize every new year is the preparation to look forward. New year resolutions are made, promises are made, hopes and dreams are made and plans are made to reach certain goals. What many people miss however is the tiny little detail with great implication which is looking behind.

This post is about the lessons I learnt from 2021. While 2020 was a turbulent year for many, 2021 might have been even more terrible for most. 2020 focused on loss but 2021 became the aftermath with normalcy beginning to return and reality hitting a lot of people. 2021 taught many lessons and these lessons can be used in the new year for a much better year.

LESSONS I LEARNT FROM 2021

1.      Financial freedom is key: Money makes money makes more money. Strive to achieve financial freedom. Educate yourself on how to create wealth and grow financially. 2021 has taught me that financial freedom is not just having money coming in steadily but building your finances to where you can afford to take a break and you will still be fine financially. Read books, attend online lectures, study the secrets of others and invest in building your value and finance.

2.      Know when to let go: Knowing when to let go applies to friendships and relationships. Any toxic friend or partner should be dropped immediately for your mental health and personal growth. If all efforts to repair and maintain a relationship have failed, let go.

3.      Do not be afraid to try: An opportunity that looks much greater than your capacity might present itself. In this case, do not avoid it but take on the challenge and even if you fail at least you tried and you can learn from this.

4.      Depression is real and does not always look like what depression: It is important to understand the signs of depression, ask yourself questions and ensure that you are truthful to yourself.

5.      Do not box yourself, let go and dream big.

6.      Never follow the crowd: Envision, visualize, access the risk, plan and accomplish.

7.      Permanence is dependent on certain factors: Always be prepared for change. 2021 was the year a lot changed for many people. With the world being hit by the COVID-19 virus, change occurred suddenly and in the wake of this many fell to depression because they were unprepared or could not accept the new lifestyle they needed to adapt to. Be welcoming of change and always prepare for change.

8.      Be ready to walk alone: A dream can be chased only by the person that has the dream. When others do not understand or support your dreams, trudge on alone. Do not give up because others have given up.

9.      Avoid crime: With the advent of camera’s and the internet, every little detail can be captured, stored and retrieved. Watch your actions so as not to do what will be your downfall tomorrow.

10.  Stay low key: Practice keeping quiet and making loud moves. Never blow the news of your accomplishments on rooftops. This can lead to hatred and discouragements. The more people know about your plans the more they will try to discourage you.

11.  Never give up: No matter how difficult it seems, never let any situation make you discouraged. Always find a way out of a situation instead of being drawn back by it. There is always a silver lining in every cloud.

12.  Have a Plan: Never leave the house without a plan. Have goals for the year, have goals for every month and when you wake every day, make goals you must accomplish daily. To fail to plan is to plan to fail. These little daily plans will lead to the accomplishment of the monthly plans and in turn lead to accomplishment of the goal for the year.

These lessons were what I have been able to deduce on looking back at 2021. What did you learn in 2021 and how can these lessons be applied in 2022?

DEVELOPING PLOT IDEAS

HOW TO DEVELOP PLOT IDEAS

         Reading, studying, criticizing and analyzing other writers' plays, novels and poems help in the formation of plot ideas in a creative mind. It is advisable to bring together strands from different literary works, experiences and sources to  create a plot. Always have your plot in mind, keep developing it through out the day. Carry your story with you where ever you go and write down ideas when ever they come into your mind. Gather materials by listening to  unique life stories and comments made by people about certain issues in the society, examine literary works from other writers, draw ideas from your past experiences and imagine situations and work on them creatively to develop your plot.

SYNOPSIS OF 'AN ECHO IN THE BONE' BY DENNIS SCOTT

SYNOPSIS OF 'AN ECHO IN THE BONE' BY DENNIS SCOTT

The Play has two Acts.
Act 1 begins with the preparations for a 'Ninth night wake ' ceremony in honor of a man named Crew by his wife Rachel, his two sons Sonson and Jacko and his daughter-in-law who is two months pregnant. His wife Rachel invites their friends Madam, Stone, Mas P, Lally, Dreamboat and the Rattler. At the Wake, the Spirit of Crew possesses Dreamboat first after he breaks an unblessed bottle of Rum. The Spirit leaves him after a ritual is carried out. The arrival of Jacko from the police station officially opens the Wake ceremony. They smoke weed and talk about Crew. They describe him as a handsome, well built blacksmith and farmer. Crew's spirit possesses Sonson and searches for his cutlass; the rest of the Characters fall into a 'dream-like' state where they are on a slave ship in 1792.Aboard the Ship, they are naked, beaten, dehumanized, tortured physically and emotionally and the Rattlers tongue is cut of for spitting on a White slave trader. The scene immediately shifts to two days before the wake in Madam's shop where it is revealed that Crew's blood stained machete, shirt and a bottle of Rum have been discovered by Lally by the river but the items are confiscated by the Police to use as a proof that Crew killed Mas Charlie, a White Man.
    The scene suddenly shifts to 1820 where three slaves are sold out in dehumanizing conditions but are made to believe that they should be happy.
    The scene again shifts to 1833 in a bush where a White man is chasing his run-away slave who has run to the hills. Jacko intercepts him, he tries to kill Jacko but Sonson arrives in time to save Jacko and tries to kill the White man. Jacko intervenes and the finally tie the White Slave master's hands and feet and stuff a handkerchief into his mouth to humiliate him.
     Act 2 opens still in the Wake ceremony with the characters describing the harrowing experiences of slavery and the 'false' freedom they have earned due to the fact that they are still treated as 'dirt' because they are Blacks. They also criticize the Mulattoes who side they Whites against the Blacks because of their fair skin.
      There is a flashback here. Rachel remembers four years before the Wake ceremony when Mas Charlie returns from England and requests to employ her as a House keeper in the 'Great house.' She rejects his offer though he reminds her of their sexual intimacy and her adoration of the Whites. Brigit and Jacko become engaged and plans for their marriage begins.
      The scene shifts to 1934 when slave trade is abolished. A slave girl flees from her master after she realizes that she is now free. Her master moans his love for the Island and his loss.
       The scene again shifts to 1937 on Crew's farm. Sonson still possessed by Crew's spirit complains about the sufferings of the Black particularly about the drying up of the River that flows into his farm. Rachel tells him that due to their poor financial state she would work in the Great House for Mas Charlie. Crew sees this as a loss of dignity and pride and rejects this vehemently. He decides to talk to Mas Charlie to channel some of the River's water flowing through the Great House to his farm. He is a bit drunk and Mas Charlie turns his request down abusively and in a degrading manner. To retain his pride, Crew strikes Mas Charlie on the chest with a sharp cutlass and he dies. Crew immediately plans to commit suicide to prevent jail terms and possible hanging.
      Sonson still possessed by Crew's spirit climbs to the roof of the house and tries to jump. Jacko persuades him to climb down so he would not kill himself. Sonson climbs down and as soon as he washes his face, Crews spirit leaves him. The characters who were formally in dispute are brought together by the revelation of the secret behind Crew's death and murder of Mas Charlie. They all realize that their past experiences, present events and future occurrences can not be reversed but that together, they can overcome. They celebrate this unity though they are mourning.

APOLOGY

Hi Literary lovers,
 I would first apologize for being away for so long. I missed this sphere and I am very happy to be back. This platform is one of the most exciting and educative.

LITERARY ICON: ISIDORE OKPEWHO DIES AT AGE 74!

AFRICA'S FOREMOST AFRICAN ORAL LITERARY ICON DIES AT AGE 74!!!

      Prof. Okpewho who was a prolific novelist and an African Oral Literature researcher has passed on peacefully on the 4th of September, 2016 at a hospital in Binghamton, New York in the United States of America.

FEW FACTS ABOUT ISIDORE OKPEWHO

1. He was born on 9th of November, 2016.
2. He is from Abraka in Delta State in Nigeria.
3. He was born in Agbor, Delta State in Nigeria.
4. He attended St. Patrick's College, Asaba.
5. He had a Ph.D in Comparative Literature from the University of Denver.
6. He has been living in Binghamton, a town in New York, United States since 1991.
7. He has taught in the University of New York at Buffalo (1974-1976), University of Ibadan (1976-1990), Havard University (1990-1991).
8. He is a first rate scholar and pioneer of Oral Literature in Africa.
9. He won the 1976 African Arts Prize for Literature and 1993 Commonwealth Writers' Prize Best Book Africa.
10. He died on 4th September, 2016.
11. He is survived by his wife Obiageli, his children - Ediru, Ugo, Afigo and Onome.

     Farewell Beloved Icon of Africa!!!

THE CONCEPT OF LITERATURE

THE CONCEPT OF LITERATURE

      To understand literature, two basic postulations come to mind by RENE WELLECK and AUSTIN WARREN in their book titled, The Theory of Literature. Their argument is that literature can be examined from two perspectives.

i. The Open Perspective: This view sees literature as the work of the imagination or a fantastic creation of fiction that has a semblance to reality. This is why literature is related to verisimilitude, that is to say that literature is not the truth but very similar to the truth. "The Writer is the greatest liar who speaks the truth."

ii. The Close Perspective: This view supposes that for anybody to produce literature, that person must be literate. That is, a person must be able to read and write to create literature.

FOOD: ROASTED PLANTAIN AND CHICKEN

ROASTED PLANTAIN AND ROASTED CHICKEN (BOLI AND CHICKEN )

     This is another 'street food' in Nigeria. It is popularly called "boli and chicken". It is prepared both in the day and night at street corners and is a cheap and yet filling, tasty combination. Go grab a bite, it is hotter and tastier on the street. Catch the fun!!!

       Recipe for Roasted Plantain
    
1. Prepare equipment for roasting (hot charcoal,etc) and wash and peel the plantain.
2. Cut the Plantains into the shape desired
3. Spread the plantain on a baking sheet.
4. Brush plantain with little vegetable oil.
5. Add salt, garlic powder, ginger, and pepper and Sprinkle mixture on the plantain.
6. Roast for about 5-10 minutes. turning them over about after 3 minutes.

 Note: Be careful not to burn the plantain.

     Recipe for Roasted Chicken

1. Prepare equipment for roasting (hot charcoal,etc) and wash and cut the chicken.

2. Place chicken in a pan, and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper.     Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder.
3. Heat for about 6 minutes or till it is soft and hot.
4. Put a little vegetable oil in the pan and place the chicken in it.
5.  Roast uncovered for about 30 minutes.