Essence of DOPE
Posts tagged Ethiopian Author
Between Privilege and Blessing
Sep 2nd
We must balance our expectations of ourselves with the responsibility we have to our fellow man in order to recognize, name and attain our true blessings.
by Liya Endale. Posted: Thursday, September 2, 2010
Author: Liya Endale
I am a spoiled and ignorant woman of great privilege not just globally, but throughout the known history of mankind. Not only do I not have to worry about where my next meal comes from, but I can also control the temperature of the air around me, the amount and temperature of water I want/need in any given moment, and I wear a freshly laundered and different outfit every day of the week, maybe even month. Now that that has been said, let us dissect the meaning of privilege in different contexts and how we privileged individuals can best carry this privilege with the guilt and responsibility which trails after it like cosmic dust after a comet. Then, let us further disabuse the notion that privilege is synonymous with blessing; though these two constructs may have overlapping meanings at times.
As I mentioned in my last article, I have always had my basic needs taken care of. I have always managed to pay my rent and car More >
Book Review: How to Read the Air
Aug 25th
After an award winning debut novel, The Beautiful Thing That Heaven Bears, Dinaw Mengestu has returned with a beautifully crafted novel.
By TsehaiNY.com. Posted: Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Author of How to Read the Air, Dinaw Mengestu.
I’ve heard the term succulent being used on many occasions to describe certain foods, plants, etc, but never a book. And yet succulent seems like the perfect word to describe Dinaw Mengestu’s second novel, How to Read the Air.
Like a piece of steak smothered with the right amount of fiery barbeque sauce with rosemary skewers sprinkled on top, How to Read the Air was just as succulent. Only thing is at the end of reading, I wanted more as though second helpings of the book was sitting on my shelf.
After an award winning debut novel, The Beautiful Thing That Heaven Bears, Dinaw has returned with a beautifully crafted novel that speaks to the heart.
As soon as you read the first few lines, the journey has begun. You’ll visit two generations: one with rich customs and eccentric ideologies plagued with instability and the other full of uncertainty. As I got deeper into the story, I found myself easily relating to both.
The story is narrated by the main character More >