Saturday, January 29, 2011

Evangeline Kirigua: Liberation of Me


Liberation of Me is the new poetry collection from writer and poet, Evangeline Kirigua. Kirigua is a native of Kenya; her poetry collection touches on the time growing up in Kenya, and Kirigua's relationship with her family. It also talks about love, deception, and heartbreak, or to state in plainly, Liberation of Me talks about LIFE. The poems are universal because each of us has experienced these moments in our lives.

The book opens with the poem, “I Say, Not Now.” This poem simply talks about the daily struggles and decisions we make in every day living, such as whether we should pick up the phone or go back to sleep. It talks about work, dirty laundry, and the weariness that we sometimes experience when life becomes overwhelming. Kirigua does a great job by taking the most mundane activities in our daily lives and turning it into a beautiful collection of words – poetry.

There are other poems that talk about life in the African Diaspora like “A Child of Two Worlds.” If you are a student of literature and history, this poem may remind you of W.E.B Dubois’, The Soul of Black Folk, where he speaks of the duality that exist in the minds and souls of [some] African Americans. In it states, “One ever feels his two-ness – an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body…” Dubois’ words from his poignant work best describe the contents of Kirigua’s poem. This is one to read.

I am certain there are other poems that will peak your interest as well. Simply put, Liberation of Me consist of poems dealing with everyday life and living, but these poems expressed in such a creative and meaningful way that it may change the way that you look at your everyday life. Evangeline Kirigua's book does just what the title suggest – it changes the way we see life. I enjoyed looking through the lenses of Ms. Kirigua. It made life so much more interesting.

About the author:

Evangeline is a teacher and translator of English and Swahili.  She is a devoted mother of a son and daughter.  She is an avid reader and she loves learning new languages.  She lives in the Maryland suburbs just outside Washington, D.C. 

2 comments:

K. Ako said...

Wow - your review of the work alone is poetic and poignant. I hope you have been well, brotha. I will definitely check out Evangeline's work.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Thank you, brother. Good to see you. I will pay you a visit.

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