He’s Not a Fan of Ryszard Kapuscinski’s Work
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 03.21.07 | 12:39 PM ET
Binyavanga Wainaina explains why he believes the late Polish journalist and travel writer didn’t get Africa right, and how he inspired the satirical Granta essay, How to Write About Africa. (Via The Elegant Variation.)
Related on World Hum:
* Kapuscinski: ‘I Sometimes Call it Literature by Foot’
* Remembering Kapuscinski: ‘He Was a Deity’
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Jim Benning is the editor and co-founder of World Hum.
Eva Holland 03.21.07 | 6:11 PM ET
Wow - that Granta essay managed to sum up an entire undergraduate seminar I took on the image of ‘Africa’ in the West. Might make a handy checklist of cliches to avoid for anyone trying to write about ‘The People’ anytime soon…
Frank 03.21.07 | 7:29 PM ET
Much as I love Kapuscinski’s writing, Binyavanga is right on this. The annoying generalizations about Africa and Africans are easier to ignore in the Soccer War (especially if you’re not an African) but almost impossible to take in Shadow of the Sun.