BOOKIES 1/26/2016 delayed (which is never good for accuracy—sorry) notes
additions & other impressions or corrections welcome & needed!

Book discussion of Obioma’s ambitious first book THE FISHERMEN—childhood in the ‘90’s in Nigeria, when boys grow old fast—Ben entering prison at 10, exiting at 16?!
A tale of young brothers—dyadic relationships & familiar family push/pull dynamics complicated by the strict father’s departure from home to work in the city, interlaced with cultural tales that stretch into the realm of magical-realism while exploring the lines of sanity as we follow the mother’s attempts to keep them on set paths to become professional men, not fishermen but oh, that’s not to be so with the madman Abulu entering in to speak his curse & carry the Cain/Abel tragedy into the family in Akure. Each of the 18 chapters is introduced by a creature, symbolic and culturally linked to a character: Ikenna the python, Mother a falconer, etc. —a curious & effective device to anchor chapters & maybe simplify complex relationships?

Lots of angles discussed, PLUS we took up a couple other key topics, too (sorry to be slow reporting back on these, Sandy, but Laura got the book titles posted [+ got LOTS of thanks from us for the super new site!] and here finally, is my take):

Clarified Cai’s “departure” as a more intermittent status:

—she explained that she’s at a place reading several books at once & not always able/wanting to finish books that aren’t holding up, has an interest in continuing with the group on some level but not as a regular; this seemed workable. [Then today I talked w/Hue Ping at White Lotus, who suggested The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance, which looks good, could be a nice enlargement?]

“EMERITA status” explored: a looser presence, recommending books & attending when there’s a match of interests & commitment to at least a solid sampling—a possibility with long-time members: Cai a founding Booky! [history reviewed—add to blog?!]

SIZE of group also discussed. & adding a new person. For people attending, sense was to add one at the most, and maybe another not really needed. (Agreed attendance best w/a minimum of 4; usually have 5-6—& great when more! Seems good as is.)

Yet AGREED: offer one invitation to play-writer UO prof neighbor of Margie, Theresa May who seems like she would be a strong addition.

Both Cai and Margie will speak with her.

[2/19 addition: Cai hasn’t, suggests I or someone else do this. Margie?
—or talk again next week at the February meeting?]

What else? We never left the table, were well catted, with carrot cake for the b’day trio: Laura, Catherine, & Cai, with wishes earned but no picture to prove it!

     New photos in order! –maybe some Patty poses ahead . . . ?

Also, the article I mentioned on translation is Teeth Marks: The Translator’s Dilemma by Chigozie Obioma, POETS & WRITERS, Jan/Feb 2016.   “A Nigerian-born author and professor provides an in-depth look at two versions of the same text, one in the original Yoruba, and an English translation by Nobel Prize–winning author and translator Wole Soyinka. In his comparison of the two, Obioma poses the question: Is the writer who translates another writer preforming an act of creation or destruction?” It’s another dimension of Obioma that’s nice to take in with this book!

http://www.pw.org/content/teeth_mars_the_translators_dilemma