Still Beating the Drum: Critical Perspectives on Lewis Nkosi (Cross Cultures 81) (Cross Cultures: Readings in the Post Colonial Literatures in)

Lewis Nkosi is one of South Africa’s foremost writers and critics, and one of the few survivors of the exile generation dating from the Drum era. Up until now, however, no full length study has been done on his work. This is a gap in South African literary history and criticism that this book is intended to fill. Besides his well known earlier works, Nkosi is still very much an active writer as the publication in 2002 of his novel, Underground People, shows, with his latest novel due out in 2005. The timing of Still Beating the Drum, a book which intends to highlight and evaluate his extensive and varied oeuvre, is thus appropriate. Given Lewis Nkosi’s life trajectory, this volume will appeal to readers interested in South African and African literature, both in South Africa and abroad. Intended as a important critical resource on Lewis Nkosi, the book is divided into three parts: Part One collects papers from scholars around the world currently working on Nkosi’s work in various genres; Part Two reprints key articles from different moments in Nkosi’s critical writing, together with hitherto unpublished recent interviews with Nkosi; and Part Three provides the reader with a timeline and extensive bibliography for Lewis Nkosi, both invaluable resources for scholars working on Nkosi given the scattered nature of much of his more ephemeral writings in the past. Lewis Nkosi is an important figure in South African literature whose voice has been heard far and wide – this book aims to collect for critical consideration some of the echoes and reverberations his voice has generated. Contents Acknowledgements Illustrations Preface Liz GUNNER and Lindy STIEBEL: Introduction: Lewis Nkosi – Inscriptions PART ONE: WRITING ON LEWIS NKOSI THE LITERARY CRITIC Annie GAGIANO: Lewis Nkosi as Literary Critic Chris WANJALA: Lewis Nkosi’s Early Literary Criticism Oyekan OWOMOYELA: Lewis Nkosi: A Commentary Piece THE DRAMATIST AND POET Liz GUNNER: Contaminations: BBC Radio and the Black Artist – Lewis Nkosi’s “The Trial” and “We Can’t All be Martin Luther King” Sikhumbuzo MNGADI: Hostage Drama: The Rhythm of Violence and Some Comments on “The Black Psychiatrist” Astrid STARCK-ADLER: Psycholoanalysis and Apartheid: The Image and Role of the Psychiatrist in Selected Works of Lewis Nkosi Therese STEFFEN: The Desire of Knowledge, or, the Body in Excess: Lewis Nkosi’s Play “The Black Psychiatrist” Litzi LOMBARDOZZI: An Introduction to the Poetry of Lewis Nkosi THE NOVELIST Lucy GRAHAM: “Bathing Area – For Whites Only”: Reading Prohibitive Signs and ‘Black Peril’ in Lewis Nkosi’s Mating Birds Lindy STIEBEL: The Return of the Native: Lewis Nkosi’s Mating Birds Revisited in Post-Apartheid Durban Companion Piece: South African Censors’ Report on Mating Birds Andries OLIPHANT: Mammon and God: Reality, Imagination and Irony in Underground People Raffaella VANCINI: Beyond the Literature of Protest: Lewis Nkosi’s Underground People PART TWO: LEWIS NKOSI IN HIS OWN VOICE INTERVIEWS 14.1 Interview with Lewis Nkosi 25 October 2002, Durban, South Africa conducted by ZO? MOLVER, filmed by DAVID BASCKIN 14.2 Nuruddin Farah and Lewis Nkosi in conversation with ACHILLE MBEMBE at the Time of The Writer Festival, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre in Durban, South Africa on 15 March 2003 Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu–Natal A RETROSPECTIVE SELECTION 15.1 Fiction by Black South Africans 15.2 Alex La Guma: The Man and His Work 15.3 Negritude: New and Old Perspectives 15.4 White Writing 15.5 Bloke Modisane: Blame Me On History 15.6 The Republic of Letters After the Mandela Republic PART THREE: SOURCES FOR LEWIS NKOSI 16 Bibliography 17 Timeline Notes on Contributors Index Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Illustrations......Page 12 Preface......Page 14 Introduction: Lewis Nkosi – Inscriptions......Page 16 PART ONE: WRITING ON LEWIS NKOSI......Page 38 THE LITERARY CRITIC......Page 40 1 Lewis Nkosi as Literary Critic......Page 42 2 Lewis Nkosi's Early Literary Criticism......Page 64 3 Lewis Nkosi: A Commentary Piece......Page 76 THE DRAMATIST AND POET......Page 84 4 Contaminations: BBC Radio and the Black Artist – Lewis Nkosi's "The Trial" and "We Can't All be Martin Luther King"......Page 88 5 Hostage Drama: The Rhythm of Violence and Some Comments on "The Black Psychiatrist"......Page 104 6 Psychoanalysis and Apartheid: The Image and Role of the Psychiatrist in Selected Works of Lewis Nkosi......Page 130 7 The Desire of Knowledge, or, the Body in Excess: Lewis Nkosi's Play "The Black Psychiatrist"......Page 140 8 An Introduction to the Poetry of Lewis Nkosi......Page 164 THE NOVELIST......Page 180 9 "Bathing Area – For Whites Only": Reading Prohibitive Signs and 'Black Peril' in Lewis Nkosi's Mating Birds......Page 184 10 The Return of the Native: Lewis Nkosi's Mating Birds Revisited in Post-Apartheid Durban......Page 204 11 Companion Piece: South African Censors' Report on Mating Birds......Page 220 12 Mammon and God: Reality, Imagination and Irony in Underground People......Page 224 13 Beyond the Literature of Protest: Lewis Nkosi's Underground People......Page 234 PART TWO: LEWIS NKOSI IN HIS OWN VOICE......Page 252 INTERVIEWS......Page 254 14.1 Interview with Lewis Nkosi......Page 256 14.2 Nuruddin Farah and Lewis Nkosi in conversation with ACHILLE MBEMBE......Page 266 A RETROSPECTIVE SELECTION......Page 280 15.1 Fiction by Black South Africans......Page 282 15.2 Alex La Guma: The Man and His Work......Page 294 15.3 Negritude: New and Old Perspectives......Page 304 15.4 White Writing......Page 328 15.5 Bloke Modisane: Blame Me On History......Page 334 15.6 The Republic of Letters After the Mandela Republic......Page 348 PART THREE: SOURCES FOR LEWIS NKOSI......Page 368 16 Bibliography......Page 370 17 Timeline......Page 390 Notes on Contributors......Page 396 A......Page 400 B......Page 401 D......Page 402 G......Page 403 I......Page 404 M......Page 405 N......Page 406 P......Page 409 S......Page 410 U......Page 411 Z......Page 412 The Literary Critic : Lewis Nkosi As Literary Critic / Annie Gagiano -- Lewis Nkosi's Early Literary Criticism / Chris Wanjala -- Lewis Nkosi: A Commentary Piece / Oyekan Owomoyela -- The Dramatist And Poet: Contaminations: Bbc Radio And The Black Artist -- Lewis Nkosi's The Trial And We Can't All Be Martin Luther King / Liz Gunner -- Hostage Drama: The Rhythm Of Violence And Some Comments On The Black Psychiatrist / Sikhumbuzo Mngadi -- Psychoanalysis And Apartheid: The Image And Role Of The Psychiatrist In Selected Works Of Lewis Nkosi / Astrid Starck-adler -- The Desire Of Knowledge, Or, The Body In Excess: Lewis Nkosi's Play The Black Psychiatrist / Therese Steffen -- An Introduction To The Poetry Of Lewis Nkosi / Litzi Lombardozzi -- The Novelist: Bathing Area -- For Whites Only: Reading Prohibitive Signs And Black Peril In Lewis Nkosi's Mating Birds / Lucy Graham -- The Return Of The Native: Lewis Nkosi's Mating Birds Revisited In Post-apartheid Durban / Lindy Stiebel. Companion Piece: South African Censors' Report On Mating Birds -- Mammon And God: Reality, Imagination And Irony In Underground People / Andries Oliphant -- Beyond The Literature Of Protest: Lewis Nkosi's Underground People / Raffaella Vancini -- Interviews: Interview With Lewis Nkosi 25 October 2002, Durban, South Africa Conducted By Zoë Molver, Filmed By David Basckin -- Nuruddin Farah And Lewis Nkosi In Conversation With Achille Mbembe At The Time Of The Writer Festival, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre In Durban, South Africa On 15 March 2003 Creative Arts, University Of Kwazulu-natal -- A Retrospective Selection: Fiction By Black South Africans -- Alex La Guma: The Man And His Work -- Negritude: New And Old Perspectives -- White Writing -- Bloke Modisane: Blame Me On History -- The Republic Of Letters After The Mandela Republic. Part 3: Sources For Lewis Nkosi. Edited By Lindy Stiebel And Liz Gunner. Includes A Selection Of Interviews And Writings By Lewis Nkosi (p. 219-330). Includes Bibliographical References And Index. FOR ME, THREE ASPECTS of Lewis Nkosi's work as literary critic stand out: first, his position as a 'migrant exile' (writing from Britain, the USA, continental Europe, or elsewhere in Africa); secondly, his sustained commitment to Africa and South Africa and to the literature produced from here; thirdly, the unmistakably exacting quality of most of the criticism - its seriousness, its trenchant ('non-nepotistic') tone, its prescience, and its constant evolution or expansion.