Conversations with History: Wole Soyinka

[outmymindjustintime]

Thank you

[TheShadesMadane2010]

He look like Morgan Freeman lol

[KrfNYC2]

I suspect that I shall read some of this mans work.

[ukindex07]

very inspiring

[patrician360]

Now that's PROPER ENGLISH

[YoungHorusMedia]

pounded yam with vegetable stew (efo) is better than sex.

[emmatey]

I like pounded yam too

[Paskamees]

Well I wouldnt call this man a nigerian as he is descended of prominent americo-liberian family; basicly african-americans who moved back to Africa in mid 1800s

[nnaamen]

@Paskamees Utter and complete nonsense. Soyinka is 100% African. Not a descendant of slaves.

[beautifulgooal]

@Paskamees what the fuck are u talking about? nigeria is not sierra leone and liberia where some slaves came back to settle down, wole is 100 percent pure nigerian with no slavery heritage.

[olabodewins]

Nigeria needs more of you now, Prof. The wealth that you possess at the sphere of mentality is required to fill the void paramount in the sense of direction for Nigeria. You are a legend, A legend to my tribe, to my nation. A legend to the fight for a New Nigeria. God Bless You!

[mayofabulous]

@Popalongkid I find it strange and insulting that people should find a black man who speaks english eloquently strange or have a problem with it. i dont find it an achievement for a nigerian to speak proper english .. in fact i believe that it should not be a topic of conversation... where i grew up in nigeria, my fluency of english wasnt discussed but here in DC in the US, people find it strange that i speak well.we all have been equally immersed in the language.

[Boston09Silver]

what a fag

[PrincessEnitan]

@Boston09Silver Your comment is a problem in DC not in Nigeria. We do not notice how or in what language one speaks. But in DC, inferiority complex play a major part. Hence, a black man may be accused of trying to be too white, while going about doing his job. My question is, why looking for something negative in human being? Stop looking at the skin color, and you will start noticing that we are more of a rainbow than black or white.

[Popalongkid]

Ok people follow me here . I being an African American clearly see the problem some young Nigerians may have with Soyinka. Once a Black man masters the english language and speaks it so eloquently, young Blacks mistake him for being too lofty and trying to act white as the case of several Black Americans.So the youth feel distant . But to master their language and speak it to them as ( or more) eloquently as they do is a testament to our strength and genius . Soyinka is pure inspiration.

[15uccia]

@Popalongkid not to mention the fact that the accent is clearly there.

[mayofabulous]

I find it strange and insulting that people should find a black man who speaks english eloquently strange or have a problem with it. i dont find it an achievement for a nigerian to speak proper english .. in fact i believe that it should not be a topic of conversation... where i grew up in nigeria, my fluency of english wasnt discussed but here in DC in the US, people find it strange that i speak well. nigerians, african americans, white americans have been equally immersed in the language.

[Dantesdoom]

@mayofabulous The thing is that most African Americans don't speak English even close to the standards. When someone black comes along and actually knows how to communicate on an intelligent level without slang, cursing, being vulgar, and enunciating correctly, it shocks us. African Americans say people like this are heroes and are proving black genius. To us whites, we just think they arent stupid. We wish all our blacks would speak this way and act intelligently. Ebonics holds them back.

[PeterJ2k11]

@Popalongkid I thoroughly agree with you, I just find the thinking flawed that why is speaking with eloquence seen as acting "white" in our communities? As opposed to being a trait of just an intelligent man lol Love this guy

[nnamdieze87]

actually young nigerians have no problems with that but we are happy to see a black man speak eloquently. Maybe in America but not in nigeria

[Dantesdoom]

@Popalongkid lol Genius? Most of you cant speak this well and that's based on those who were raised in America.

[Popalongkid]

@Dantesdoom Ok, here the gist! Black people over the world naturally speak english with their native accent . So do Asians and Latinos etc. So it is an effort to speak English like a European . Not a sign of intelligence , just accomplishment . Nigerians speak pidgin , Jamaicans padtwa ,etc. Our African tongues are strong! Peace.

[Dantesdoom]

@Popalongkid Its not something to gloat about as something that represents your overall race. Black people would benefit more if you all quit living off the accomplishments of others and actually tried to accomplish something yourself. And yes your tongues are strong, just like you backs. After years of working in the fields that tends to happens.

[Popalongkid]

@Dantesdoom thank you for your lovely observation . you couldn`t have been Stupid enough to think that would insult me , or are you ? Please comment anytime . Peace!

[brianedwardkaitare]

Phenomenal ...............

[TheBlessmedia]

simply genius!

[nearchukwu]

You beautifully roooccck uncle Wale + you're an inspiration to our generation... You + beautiful family are infinitely loved....

[1888junkteam]

excellent worker!

[AfricanCentreforCom]

An inspiration to be admired by all men alive.

[Theeboy007]

great man! inspires me!

[ndoss01]

Wole Soyinka is one of the african's most brilliant spirit..Respect from Cameroon

[onyibiafra]

eragoggle... ok, I thought you were criticising the literary grand master's command of the English lang.. peace

[jide1000]

His books are mostly a difficult read though as i am sure you will agree , Achebe on the other hand is equally as profound but far more accessible. put it this way and no disrespect to soyinka i was juggling between rereading the man died and chimamanda adichie's purple hibiscus. God forgive me but i had to ditch the man died.

[planetolusola]

Have you read Soyinka's "The open sore of a continent?". Not a difficult read AT ALL.

May God indeed forgive you for mentioning Adichie and Soyinka in the same breath. Don't do it again.

[eragoggle]

he should minimize the ehhhhhh..............

[onyibiafra]

@eragoggle... why do you expect him to be what he is not? He is not an English man, and english is his second language..even British prime ministers and pulic speakers use the ehhhhhhhhhh. so what's your problem? you see fault where there is none, because he is African???

[eragoggle]

onyibiafra calm down, but he can do without the ehh.. i like Mr. Wole Soyinka because i am Nigerian and also he is full of knowledge. my point is dat when he says ehh... it really distracts me from getting what he is saying.

[kashub5]

u know about Eric Williams boook

[chined86]

Professor Wole Soyinka,an African institution

[davuleo]

wole soyinka's "the climate of fear" is my all time favorite. :)

[koollifestudio]

my roll model...baba of all supportive like Fela kuti

[ActionGroupA]

We once heard about Ghandi of India(1 Bilion people), Mao of China (1.3 Billion people), and Soyinka of Nigeria (128 million people). How great would it have been if it were the Soyinka of Africa (850 million people)! He does not even know he is still a subject of the AU with no voting right!

[audrey600]

Great writer. Thanks for the classic - The Lion and the Jewel - one of my all time favourite.

[audrey600]

Great writer. Thanks for the classic - The Liona and teh Jewel - one of my all time favourites.

[luvo8o]

i treated all his book in school i had to break it down words for words to get the literal meaning.

[luvo8o]

wole soyinke the hero,the poet,the writer the intellectual may you live long.

[amanroxx]

does anyone know where I can get a dvd of his play 'Death and the King's Horseman'?

[obi347]

Courageous, outspoken, intellectually robust...I admire you

[tirayi]

What is that music?

[Mrmoc7]

Wole Soyinka! My hero! Please, never die!

[somamuli]

Baba u are simply too much!!!

[quelea1986]

congo!

[vixxy02]

BABA OF SECRET CULTS IN NIGERIA!!!!

[aligreat]

You some form of education!

[vixxy02]

wetin be your own sef!

[toammyb]

omgoodness, this guy's just not making sense to me (not in a bad wy). All that grammar's confusing

[adejareojo]

the ability 2 master words comes from reading da whole freakin dictionary!

[CARLISTO777]

YOU ARE RIGHT...

[mawuli782000]

Prof you are an icon of literature on the continent and the world as a whole.Very outspoken on socio-political issues.i read a few of ur books and u re just an intellectual baggage.Bravo

[18battalion]

A great Nigerian

[Bebiri60]

I would have offered him drinking water to cushion the effect of the the choking and coughing. Big oversight!

[planetolusola]

Not to worry. the old man won't die. If Abacha couldn't kill him, coughing will not!!

[planetolusola]

Baba wole, thanks for your literary legacy. I still have a copy of your book "burden of memory..." that you personally authographed for me at Vanderbilt.