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Hey Literary bugs!

So its be a while since I blogged,well too long. I have just been preparing for university for the last few weeks so I have been unable to blog as much as I would have hoped. However I am not only full of apologies but also good news! Firstly I am going to start vlogging soon, secondly I have so many new books to share with you guys! It going to be a stressful year for me as its my final and third year. So cut me some slack! Hope you guys continue on this journey with me

Also and update on Exhibit B:
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/sep/24/barbican-criticise-protesters-who-forced-exhibit-b-cancellation
I am not going to lie, I don't like this piece at all.It makes it seem as if this was some art which would have done some good in the world.





Best of luck on all the endeavours this month brings !
F
30/09

Withdraw the racist Exhibition "Exhibit B - The Human Zoo" from showing at the Barbican from 23rd-27th September Sara Myers Petition by Sara Myers Birmingham, United Kingdom

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/12/exhibit-b-human-zoo-boycott-exhibition-racial-abuse

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/sep/05/exhibit-b-is-the-human-zoo-racist-the-performers-respond

https://www.change.org/p/withdraw-the-racist-exhibition-exhibition-b-the-human-zoo#

Check out the links and sign the petition !!!!

Oscar Pistorius

I am sure like many other women, I am disappointed in the South African legal system, yesterday hearing Pistorius had been cleared of murder sent a shudder down my spine. In my opinion his guilty, but unfortunately I am not the judge. Many of you may ask how does a case like this link into literature, but it really does because literature is formed by context. A case as high profile as this one demands that Judge is  aware of the consequences of their decisions, because their decision will in effect send out a message to the public, and this message will become for some a mindset and a belief thus affecting some literature produced and the world as a whole. In my opinion the case represents 

patriarchy at its finest,a woman dies and he may never spend time in a jail cell, what does that promote really? In a country like South Africa where the sexual violence against women is at a all time high.This case presented a good platform where the judge could have demonstrated that women do have rights, and men will be punished for mistreating women. Hopefully leading to more women standing up for themselves. I mean don't get me wrong he could have shot a man or a dog and still got away with it, but in this case I think it was really important to make an example of Pistorius. This case although to some may seem mediocre, it must be noted in the world  post-colonial literature, it may be quite the opposite. As after all South Africa is ex-colonial land (some may rebuke this) and the literature produced by the writers from this country will be affected by such events This in turn will  affect readings of post-colonial literature. It leads me to ask do you think this will make post-colonial literature more anti-feminist, or was post-colonial literature never anti-feminist to begin with?

F. 12/09

Lest We Forget The Black In The Union Jack

Hey LTs

So I recently found this newspaper article about black people in World War One being honoured in a mass, although I think this is great in the sense it's being acknowledged. I question why this mass didn't get better coverage? I guess it's the old tale of seek and you will find, I guess ignorance can be eliminated but it's up to you to do so.

Check it out
http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/lest-we-forget-black-union-jack

F 03/09

Notting Hill Carnival

Hey Literature heads, 

So I haven't blogged in a while, its been a busy week! So last week, the Notting Hill Carnival took place on Sunday 24th and Monday 25th August, now for those of you that don't know what Notting Hill Carnival, it is "an annual event that since 1966 has taken place on the streets of Notting Hill, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, UK, each August over three days (the August bank holiday Monday and the two days beforehand).It is led by members of the West Indian community. The carnival has attracted around one million people in the past years, making it one of the largest street festivals in the world"^[1]. 

Many people don't actually realise that Carnival wasn't always a street party, it actually began in St.Pancreas Town Hall. Carnival was a counter-reaction to the negative race relations occurring at the time which eventually led to the Notting Hill race riots. "The Notting Hill race riots were a series of racially motivated riots that took place in London, England, over several nights in late August and early September 1958."[2].
I am not going to go into the history in depth, because after all this is a LITERATURE blog not a history one, but it just shows you if you do a little digging something interesting always turns up! So for those of you interested to know more, just search Notting Hill Carnival and if anything interesting turns up email me or comment below I would love to learn more.

So now on to the literature,to honour the carnival ... in my own bloggy way- if thats even a word? I am going to share a beautiful poem by Marsha Prescod called "May the force be with you" written in 1984. just 18 years after the first carnival took place. I am not actually sure if I can post the poem so heres a link to a site where you can view the poem (TO VIEW POEM CLICK HERE). What I love about this poem is that it is a poem that it aggressive in a comical way, it addresses the issue of police prejudice in a comical way and thus makes it more palatable for the reader. In this way Prescod really does use comic mode to question hegemony, it is important in postcolonial writing as it allows the writer to highlight the inconsistencies in our world views, in this humour acts as a political unconsciousness in fiction. This poem, in my opinion is an example of what Boskin termed external humour, a type of humour that allowed for adjustment to the hegemonic white culture. It takes what could be viewed as a negative aspect of Carnival and makes it more palatable and positive.



Hope you had a lovely Bank holiday!