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Or, Melange
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My birthday wishlist, now an annual tradition, is out! You can find it here and any and all gifts will be appreciated 🙂
(I’m also open to surprises; as long as it’s not a surprise party.)
Reader,
I didn’t do a lot of reading last week but I encountered a lot of texts and met a person I think may become one of the loves of my life (look at me with this capacious thinking— “loves”) and I thought I’d come and share some highlights. When I say I didn’t do a lot of reading, I mean I didn’t even read the article I’d said I’d talk about this week. That kind of week.
What I did: Attend a workshop titled Ghosting The Machine at the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute (NCAI) led by doyen of Kenyan cinema Cajetan Boy and the Indian artist Sahej Rahal on Thursday and Friday. Exploring the limits and possibilities of AI in creative practice, it was a great chance for me to get out of my usual spaces and get to meet people whose views on the technology are different from my own. You already got one feedback response as entry this last month so that’s all I’ll say for now.
On Saturday, I moderated a talk between Cajetan and Sahej. Inviting both the workshop participants and members of the public; it made for an expansive conversation that reminded me how much I love talking to people about their work and ideas. I hope I have many more such opportunities (to moderate in the art and literary world in this case) and more such space.
Before the conversation at NCAI, I went to the Kenya Museum Society (KMS) Christmas Market (I don’t know how I forgot to mention it!) with two friends and left with a small pile of books; including An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong whose COVID-19 reporting in The Atlantic I reached for in the early days of the pandemic and whose XOXO talk I’ll be thinking about for a long time. As always, I chose more books than I took home (thanks to MJ for always documenting The Ones that Remain) and I got to hang out with homies (and reconnect with some familiar faces) so lots of fun all around. If this is your sort of thing, keep your eyes out for future KMS events — they usually have a big second hand book sale in September that is great for the bargain hunter/ rare book lover in us all.
Lastly, Sunday saw me go to The Nairobi Arboretum for a queer book club meeting discussing Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. I think I found my people!!! It was such a generative conversation and I was glad I had re-read the book for the first time in 15-odd years. I so rarely read with other people it’s always such a pleasant surprise to be reminded what a joy it can be. If you’re looking to read queer titles in community, I highly recommend this group.
Quick news/ things that may be of interest:
Happening today at 1400 EAT (UTC +3): my CORPUS co-conspirator (& PLP - Platonic Life Partner) Don and me LIVE as we speak to Sahej Rahal on Calotropis Radio
Read Palestine Week; ending 5th December— includes free books and calls to action
Subscribe to my WhatsApp channel for texts I find while I spend time online
If you’re in the Global North and would be open to engaging in the North-South solidarity that is sharing a library card, please email or message me so we can figure things out. Thank you! (Shout out to the 2 folks who shared their credentials over the weekend. I appreciate you!)
My friend Agnes Waruguru will be taking part in an artist talk at 3pm on Thursday as part of her show What the water left behind continues at Circle Art Gallery. Please attend if you can!
Download Mombera Rising, a Cli-Fi three story anthology written by Muthi Nhlema and Ekari Mbvundula Chirombo with the participation of the Nature Futures Framework for free
A book recommendation site which I found out about via @kyylareneee on Twitter
Free books from Haymarket Books
The fantastic Abigail Arunga has a new book out. It’s open access so have at it!
Since Elon seems to want (some of) us gone, I’m trying to post more often on Bluesky. Follow me there if you’re on it!
Sign the Refusing Complicity in Israel's Literary Institutions letter
Next Saturday: The December Silent Book Club Meeting. Register for free here.
Issue 1 of Will This Be A Problem?, the magazine, is out. Download it here.
Words for Resilience, Community Care, and Survival, a list curated by the Queer Liberation Library
Available for free till 11th December: How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams by Christina M. Greer
You can send me books, postcards, letters, and assorted items via PO Box 102439, Jamia Posta 00101, Nairobi, Kenya
I have finished two books since I last wrote to you: the e-book version of No Rules Tonight: A Graphic Novel by Kim Hyun Sook (illustrated by Ryan Estrada) and a hybrid read of Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (e-book and audiobook narrated by Dan Butler). I hope to get back to making videos soon so I can share my thoughts on recent titles. Before then, please go ahead and subscribe to the channel.
As ever, please write back to me and tell me what books you’re reading or looking forward to reading — it’s always a great time talking about books.
Thank you for reading 🙂
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Enjoy the week ahead and have a lovely time reading. Talk to you soon!