Usman: Proactive phenomenon in creative writingTitle: My Literary Journey Author: Bukar Usman Reviewer: Yemi Adebisi Publisher: Klamidas Communications Limited No of pages: 235 Though I have been following up his witty writing style for about a decade, but just for about 10 minutes that I was privileged to chat with Dr. Bukar Usman in April this year, during the 50th anniversary of Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God, at the Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, I was dazed to have discovered so lately a reliable voice in the manual of creative writing. Soft spoken, but armed with hilarious hallucination, the erudite scholar, who has been in the forefront of promoting indigenous literature through his 652-page compendium of Hausa language folktales and others like Marainiya; Jarumin Sarki;Yarima Da Labbi; Tsurondi, among others, must have set a dependable pace for Nigerian writers, home and abroad. Some of his English language titles includeThe Interface of the Muse & Government Protocol (Literature/Criticism); Democracy, Human Rights and National Stability (Politics/Development); Voices in a Choir: Issues in Democratisation and National Stability in Nigeria and Hatching Hopes (Autobiography). My Literary Journey is the update of the author’s autobiography, Hatching Hopes. Written in simple language, the eight-chapter book is divided into four parts, namely: The Journey Begins; Literary Approach; Selections from Published Works and Reviews & Commentaries. In Part 1, the author, who claimed to have been captured into writing expedition by involuntary decision, narrates his journey into the creative world after his retirement, laying emphasises on how the “initial yawn became a walk and eventually a journey, one that has produced some modest publications that have aroused the interest of my readers.” (3) But indeed, there is no doubt that Usman, the current chairman of the Nigerian Folklore Society Revival Steering Committee, must have mentored a college of writers over time through his therapeutic style with explosive creative candor. “I doubt if anyone will group me among the shamans. Since a writer is part of the society, I believe that art and the artist should be at the service of the society. Maybe my background as a public servant and one who superintended over the conduct of other civil servants had helped in nurturing this point of view…” (4) In chapter two, Usman explains how he finds it so exceptionally easy to write as he talks. This is one writer whose experience and approach could change a universe of writers and readers that suffer from literary fatigue. “And I like to write as if I am conversing with my reader. Yes, he or she may not be there to make it a dialogue but I try my best to anticipate their reactions.” For instance, in Hatching Hopes, the story began with a conversation between him and his former staff, Ms. Maria who asked the questions while he provided the answers. In Part two, the author explicitly presents the gallery of infinite folktales he has churned out comprising of four short stories in English and 15 in Hausa. His foray into existing literature through the encouragement of his publisher and the likes of Professor Dandatti Abdulkadir led him to a comparative understanding of the place of folktales in global literature. As a voracious reader, Usman’s first attraction anytime he travels out of the country is a visit to bookshop. He states that in most of his folktales, he focuses on the moral galore in the stories. Usman uses the book to predict the future of folktales, bearing in mind its universality and using it to unite mankind. Part three includes the list of selections from his published works. To start with are six non-fiction readings that form the fifth chapter. This includes facts about his home town, Biu, Lagos Lifestyle, Obama & King’s Prophecy; Why Vision 20-2020 is a Pipedream; The Case of Local Police and The Scramble for Africa. Justifying his ebullience as a creative writer, his writing sees through the eyes of the society and with his charming choice of language, he resolves lots of controversies that resentfully confuses an up and coming writer. Reading through one of such works, The Forbidden Fruit, one finds himself in a world of fantasy where sense of creative imagination plays to the tune of the music. The mystery of how the king’s missingdinya makes his last daughter to become the wife of his own son is a story everyone must read. Reviews & Commentaries in Part IV are highly commendable, describing the rare worth of the author among the comity of patriots in Africa. The print is clear; the binding is durable; the design is appealing. The book is recommended to everyone that thirsts for the best in creativity. Yemi Adebisi Independent Newspapers Limited oluyemiworld.blogspot/ 08039472715
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 19:47:19 +0000
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