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Never look an American in the eye : a memoir of flying turtles, colonial ghosts, and the making of a Nigerian American / Okey Ndibe.
Van Pelt Library PR9387.9.N358 .Z46 2016
Available
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Ndibe, Okey, 1960- author.
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Ndibe, Okey, 1960-.
- Ndibe, Okey.
- Authors, Nigerian--21st century--Biography.
- Authors, Nigerian.
- Novelists, American--21st century--Biography.
- Novelists, American.
- Nigerian Americans--Biography.
- Nigerian Americans.
- Journalists--United States--Biography.
- Journalists.
- Civilization.
- United States.
- Nigeria.
- College teachers--United States--Biography.
- College teachers.
- Nigeria--Civilization--21st century--Anecdotes.
- United States--Civilization--21st century--Anecdotes.
- Genre:
- Biographies.
- Autobiographies.
- Anecdotes.
- Physical Description:
- 210 pages ; 22 cm
- Place of Publication:
- New York, NY : Soho Press, [2016]
- Summary:
- "Okey Ndibe's funny, charming, and penetrating memoir tells of his move from Nigeria to America, where he came to edit the influential--but forever teetering on the verge of insolvency--African Commentary magazine. It recounts stories of Ndibe's relationships with Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and other literary figures; examines the differences between Nigerian and American etiquette and politics; recalls an incident of racial profiling just 13 days after he arrived in the US, in which he was mistaken for a bank robber; considers American stereotypes about Africa (and vice-versa); and juxtaposes African folk tales with Wall Street trickery. All these stories and more come together in a generous, encompassing book about the making of a writer and a new American"-- Provided by publisher.
- "Okey Ndibe's funny, charming, and penetrating memoir tells of his move from Nigeria to America, where he came to edit the influential (but forever teetering on the verge of insolvency) African Commentary magazine. It recounts stories of Ndibe's friendships with Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka, and tells of Okey's own development as a novelist; examines the differences between Nigerian and American etiquette and politics; recalls an incident of racial profiling just 10 days after he arrived in the US, in which he was mistaken for a bank robber; considers American stereotypes about Africa (and vice-versa); and juxtaposes African folk tales with Wall Street trickery. All these stories and more come together in a generous, encompassing book"-- Provided by publisher.
- Contents:
- English dreams, communist fantasies, and American wrestling
- Never look an American in the eye
- My commission and a chilly American reception
- Sleepless in New York
- Nigerian, going dutch
- Fitting the description
- Are you okay?
- A Norwegian "Okay" interlude
- On a croc's back, America-bound
- Will edit for food
- Lying to be a writer
- Writing, reading, food, some ass kicking
- A brand-new American
- An African folktale, a Wall Street lesson
- A dying father, dreams of Burma and England
- Wole Soyinka saves my Christmas
- Crashing a party, changing hearts.
- ISBN:
- 9781616957605
- 1616957603
- OCLC:
- 952942739
- Publisher Number:
- 99968945941
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