[Interview] Octavia McBride-Ahebee

Octavia McBride-Ahebee lives in Philadelphia in the United States.

Her work has  been featured in journals and magazines that include  Damazine: A Literary Journal of the Muslim World; Fingernails Across The Chalkboard: Poetry And Prose on HIV/AIDS From the Black Diaspora; Under Our Skin: Literature of Breast Cancer; Sea Breeze: A Journal of Contemporary Liberian Writing; The Journal of the National Medical Association (Art in Medicine Section) and the Beloit Poetry Journal.

Her poetry collections include Assuming Voices (Lit Pot Press, 2003) and Where My Birthmark Dances (Finishing Line Press, 2011).

In this interview, Octavia McBride-Ahebee talks about her concerns as a writer:

How would you describe your latest book, Where My Birthmark Dances?

My newest collection of poetry, Where My Birthmark Dances was published this past summer - 2011 - by Finishing Line Press. In it I present various human relationships within the context of global inequality. Never are my subjects victims. They seek to be victorious despite great odds.

"Where My Birthmark Dances", the lead poem of this collection, exemplifies the tenor and intention of this project. Told through the voice of a Haitian child, whose mother has left him and Haiti to seek a some fortune in North America as a nanny, this poem invites the children the Haitian nanny is now caring for to consider her, to consider where she has come from, what she has left behind and what physical journey has brought her to them. "Where My Birthmark Dances" is the direct appeal of a small boy, a son, to the children now being cared for by his mother; it is an appeal to them to know who she is and to love her in his absence.

… my mother battled waves
as tall as a thousand ice-cream sundaes piled high
to be there with you
to push back the hair from your face
so your eyes - unobstructed - could dream big

wearing a pink dress, patterned with rainbows
smelling of moth balls, she left me
under the guard of a mosquito net
perfumed with insecticide and the salt of her own tears
in the month of May when the ocean felt young and full of itself

from the harbor named peace she boarded a boat
with the madness of the history of Haiti holding her hand
with its Boogie pushing her to you
with her fear eating the ocean’s confidence …

What is your next project?

I am working on a collection of love stories set in Cote d’Ivoire because I was so in love when I lived there and I was surrounded by so many stories of love.

Who influenced you the most as a writer?

A few days after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, the French-Algerian writer Albert Camus wrote a letter of gratitude to his former elementary school teacher-Louis Germain. Camus essentially stated that it was Germain’s recognition of his humanity and the nurturing of his intellect that had left an indelible impression on Camus and paved the way for his literary successes.

I taught for nine years as a fourth grade teacher at the International Community School of Abidjan, in Cote d’Ivoire. As a gesture of thanks and in recognition of my influence on her daughter, at the close of a school year, a parent gave me a copy of Camus’ letter to his beloved Germain. To say I was touched would be an understatement. But, I, too, as a writer, know so intimately the profound influence a teacher can have on his or her student.

I share all of this as an oral libation to Rose Martin and as recognition to those first educators in our lives who ignited those passions that would come to guide our existence. Martin, now deceased, was a teacher at the Overbrook Elementary School, in Philadelphia. Each year she organized the Black Poetry Panorama, in which just about every student, from kindergarten to sixth grade, had to learn and recite several poems for this huge and anticipated event.

Imagine a community of about 400 households filled with African-American children learning poems by Langston Hughes, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Nikki Giovanni, Claude McKay, Robert Hayden, James Weldon Jonson, Gwendolyn Brooks and Countee Cullen to name a few.

This was more than 40 years ago and even my mother, who now has Alzheimer’s, can still recall and recite Langston Hughes’ poem "The Negro Mother" because of the time she helped me to memorize this very long poem.

I came of age in a school setting and a neighborhood community that saw magic in words knew the power of a poem to inspire and respected the writer as one who could be part of a vanguard.

At this time I was also very much influenced by my father and his passion for learning about the African continent. As a boy, he had spent many summers with his aunt, who lived in Oxford, Pennsylvania, the home of Lincoln University, where many African students attended, like Nigeria’s first president Nnamdi Azikiwe; Ghana’s first president Kwame Nkrumah and Namibia’s SWAPO Chairman Mose Penaani Tjitendero. There was a clear affirmation in my early life that the world was big and I could be a part a vital player in it.

All of this marked my literary awakening as a young student, but not yet as a writer. It was when I entered junior high school and attended a small, very progressive all-girls Catholic school that my political awakening was sudden and intense. My teachers were nuns, who did not wear habits, had spent years in Central and South American countries working with displaced, landless farmers and using the philosophy of liberation theology as their guide. They were radical women who introduced me to the art of Diego Rivera, Jose Orozco and David Siqueiros as well as the writing of Ernesto Cardenal, Carlos Fuentes and Octavio Paz. These sisters with their wide view of the world fused my literary and political passions to make me want to write.

At age 18, in 1981, I visited China as part of the Williams College’s Winter Study Program and then that summer I went to Lesotho, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, which had just gained its independence . Later I would visit Kenya.

At this point, in addition to my beloved African-American poets and other writers from the Americas, I came to adore Audre Lorde, June Jordan and I was now taken with writers from Africa and its Diaspora. I read Maryse Conde, Eric Williams, V. S. Naipaul, Bernard Dadie, Nadine Gordimer, Bessie Head, Breyten Breytenbach, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Mariam Ba, and Ama Ata Aidoo.

When did you start writing?

I always wrote as a teen, but I consciously assumed the identity of a writer after my trip to China, in 1981, right when the Middle Kingdom was just reopening itself to the world. I was 18, African-American, female, traveling with an almost all-white American group and yet I had never consciously explored my perception of myself as an American.

Being the product of all-girl schools from 7-12 grade, I really had, unlike many African-American girls, a strong sense of allegiance to my female self, which would later be heavily reinforced by my reading This Bridge Called My Back (Kitchen Table Press, 1983), Where and When I Enter (Bantam Books, 1985), and the writing of Bell Hooks and Angela Davis.

But one evening in Shanghai, when I had long grown tired of my traveling companions and I wandered the streets on my own, an old man called out to me saying, “Please stop, you, the American.”

I was transfixed and surprised by my own vulnerability that his identification of me as an American created.

I did stop and asked how did he know I was American.

For the most part, the people of color that one saw then in China were a few African students and Africans affiliated with the diplomatic corps. He - Mr. George Lee - said it was the way I moved, the way I carried by backpack, the way I held my head.

He invited me to his home, a very humble apartment that he shared with his wife, son and daughter-in-law. They served me a feast, probably using most of their rations for the month and they, especially the son, told me of their lost years, of what had happened to them during the Cultural Revolution. The son had been a promising violinist and had his musical education interrupted and was forced to abandon his studies, leave the city and work as farmhand.

There was a violin in the apartment and I asked him to play and he was so ashamed, because he thought his skill level was subpar.

Well, I had played the violin throughout my school years and I showed him what subpar was.

He laughed and he played and that was one of the most memorable evenings of my life and it inspired my first short story, "The American and Mr. Lee".

How would describe the writing you are doing now?

I am fascinated by different cultures and what happens when cultures converge as well as why and how people move throughout the world. My two books of poetry are very much influenced by these interests.

My poetry, for the most part, is narrative vignettes that are dense and emotionally difficult, but they are honest. Just a few lines from, "The Welcome", my narrative poem that conveys the fear, the loss and the desperation of a woman fleeing her homeland exemplifies this point.

The Haitian narrator states:

… I fled home with 42 bodies of hope
in a boat built with none
a boat unfamiliar with the magnitude of sustained desire
spooked by the weighty fears
of those riding in it
and the moon's promise of crazed retribution
if it failed to move to the cruel rhythm of the lunar beat.

We held on with our dread and our vomit
and the death grips they gave
when we thought of home
and heads of lovers
- faces full of lashes and hyssop-stained breath -
without bodies
that rolled
with no wind behind them
down hills that hollered even when the sun was hanging …

In "In Defense of Flowers", I juxtapose the beauty of nature with the brutal nature of human beings. A Liberian woman, a victim of a horrific civil war, flees her fellow countryman and finds protection and sustenance from a flowering bush:

... I run to hide in the voluminous fury of a jasmine shrub in
bloom
its pale butter blossoms shield me
from the bloodletting
bathing its roots
I snort, in silent gulps, which claim my dignity
the calming splendor of the jasmine’s bouquet
I am rescued
for an instance
from a hunter high
on the dizziness of his own deprivation
I am rescued
from my brother
by a perfumed bush.

I am emphatic about the narrative, especially concerning the African continent, not be a singular one; one of only doom and gloom. There are many narratives to be told.

My time spent in Cote d’Ivoire was rich and exhilarating and truly celebratory. My daughter - Sojourner - was 7 when we left Cote d’Ivoire. Fluent then in English, French and making great strides with her Baoule and a student at a school where more than 70 nationalities were represented, Sojourner came to know the world with many hearts. So when we left Cote d'Ivoire due to its civil strife and landed in Philadelphia, my hometown, Sojourner was decidedly unimpressed.

It was not my city that was as disappointing as it was the general value system held in esteem here, in the States. Kids laughed when they discovered she spoke other languages. They, as well as adults, cringed when she shared what foods of the world she loved. On dress down, when students could shed their uniforms for less formal wear, Sojourner insisted on wearing clothing made of material with intricate designs that told stories of its own. These were talking clothes that she had worn in her previous life to a wedding, a baptism, a funeral, a communion or to a relative’s dissertation defense. Her new compatriots, both young and old, were neither impressed by travel nor to listening to the way others move in the world.

Sojourner never doubted her place in world and never allowed others to shame her into smallness. She came home one day from school, not upset, but incredulous, that some classmates had laughed at the natural state of her hair and part of her response to me was, ”Mom, they don’t even have combs with names …”

Thus this poem was born - one of celebration - "Victory Threads":

Victory Threads
For Sojourner

I heard her friends laugh at her
that laugh which is square
that stops at points
never to wonder
only to breathe in
base expulsions of uncurious air

she had proclaimed
in a combined fit
of wistfulness and swaggering insolence
she had had combs in Abidjan
with names
- Akissi, Ahou, Abla, Ama , Adjoua -
who understood the temperament
of each day’s hair story
who could dress your head
while weaving choruses of victory threads in your brain
preparing you to meet the day
haughty and wholly armored.

What are you main concerns as a writer?

My writing is very much informed by the years I lived in various parts of Africa.

My poetry, for the most part, gives voice to women who historically have not been heard: African women, women in refugee camps, women who are victims of civil war, isolated, rural women who battle such health challenges as obstetric fistula and breast cancer as well as immigrant women trying to find their place in their newly adopted countries.

More increasingly, my poetry addresses the environmental devastation created by corporate entities in the name of development.

What advice would you give to other writers?

I will leave you with the generous and simple advice of poet Mary Oliver:

Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

Photo Credit: The Apiary Corp

Related books:

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Resources:

• Octavia McBride-Ahebee's blog
• Where My Birthmark Dances Book Trailer
• [Audio Links] Octavia McBride-Ahebee reading "The Sweetness of Pineapples"; "Homesick Spirits" and "The Water God" live at the Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania, January 31, 2005

[Interview] Miriam Shumba

Novelist Miriam Shumba lives in Michigan in the United States where she works as a teacher.

Her books include Show Me the Sun (Genesis Press, 2010) and That Which Has Horns (Genesis Press, 2010).

Her short stories have been published in magazines in countries that include Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United States.

In this interview, Miriam Shumba talks about her writing:

When did you start writing?

My earliest memory of enjoying story-telling is when I used to sit on a rukukwe and listen to my grandmother, Theresa tell us stories that began with, "Paivepo". The stories were mythical, sometimes scary, but they always had a lesson in them. That warm feeling remained with me when I started creating my own stories, at times writing long hand in school exercise books.

At the age of 10 my mother sent one of my comics to a publisher who sent the most memorable letter in my writing career. The publisher was very gracious and I was a bit embarrassed because the story my sent was in the middle of a school exercise book. The publisher (which, I recall, was Zimbabwe Publishing House) wrote back and said, "Thank you for your submission but we do not publish comic books at this time. In future you should show us where your story starts and ends etc" because it was all over the exercise book.

Thinking back, I am surprised they even took the time to read it and send it back to me with a typed letter too. I'll never forget it because about 10 years later I did get a response from a publisher that they would publish my work. That to me was the seed being planted.

In high school I kept a diary in which I documented almost every significant event that happened during my entire high school experience. If I didn’t make choir, had a great Scripture Union meeting or was upset with a friend it all made its way into my diary pages. I used to write to “Ferry” which was a nickname I gave to my best friend, Faith, who passed away when we were both 12. Writing that diary was a way of communicating with her but, in many ways, it also played a huge part in developing my love of expressing thought on paper.

The turning point in my writing career came in 1997 when I decided to send my short story “Still Waters” to Drum Magazine while attending university. It was at this time that I gathered the confidence to have my stories scrutinized by professional editors. My moment came when Drum Magazine agreed to publish the story I had sent them.

How would you describe your writing?

I write stories with a real-life theme in the context of families, love and spirituality. My desire is for my writing to inspire more than entertain; meaning that my pieces will always carry messages that can lead readers to improve their lives or, at least, get them talking about topics that would otherwise be overlooked because of the demands of everyday life. I believe that I am exploring important issues, issues that affect regular people. I would say my writing is inspirational writing.

Who is your target audience?

My books are for mature teens and adults. They are books that can be enjoyed by people from different cultures and backgrounds.

Which authors influenced you most?

I am quite a broad reader and have been influenced by authors such as Colleen McCullough, Khaled Hoseini, Francine Rivers, Francis Ray, Nicolas Sparks, Jhumpa Lahiri and many others.

These authors are all so different but they all have great storytelling abilities that grab the reader’s attention. Additionally, they are all adept at delving deep into the human spirit and share that with the world.

One author I can speak of with passion is Francine Rivers. After I discovered one of her books at a local library five years ago, I went on to read her published set of books and it helped me re-focus my own writing. Her book, Atonement Child was the first Christian novel I had read and it touched me and showed me that Christian fiction existed and it can compete at the highest of levels. I knew that my writing would never be the same as I discovered that I could write Christian Fiction that is enjoyable and that will still carry God’s powerful message of love.

How have your personal experiences influenced your writing?

My writing is not based on my experiences and the characters I create are fictional. However, there are certain themes that may be closely related to my own life. For example, when I deal with women and self-esteem in my books, I base that on some of the experiences from my own life. I think, mostly, I write what I enjoy reading about: drama, deep emotions and surprises.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

My primary concern is reaching the reader in a profound way. I measure my successes against how people relate to the characters I create.

To me it is not enough for a reader to just enjoy the story, the reader must also immerse themselves in the book and see how my characters’ experiences are similar to their own life experiences and what they can learn from them.

I guess I want people to enjoy the book and if they have more questions than answers at the end I need to do more.

I deal with this by spending many months researching, conducting interviews and revising my manuscripts to match real-life scenarios. The process tends to take very long but I think it’s worth it in the end, to have a life-changing story.

What are the biggest challenges that you face?

My challenge is the discipline to write regularly. The demands of family, work and writing requires organization. So, I set my goals for each week or month and do whatever it takes to pursue and achieve them.

I tend to work consistently when I have deadlines drawn for me by my publisher.

In the coming year I will schedule one hour every single day for planning, research and writing to enable me to reach set weekly goals.

How many books have you written so far?

I have had two published novels available right now in bookstores around the world and I am working on a third manuscript.

I also have several short stories that have been published in mainstream magazines such as Jive, Drum, Parade in the USA, South Africa and Zimbabwe respectively.

My novels were both published in 2010 by a publisher based in the USA.

The first novel to be released was Show Me The Sun, a story about love found and lost, wading through darkness to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

The second book is That Which Has Horns, is story about Priscilla, a young woman who tries to understand where she fits in the new Zimbabwe. After watching her mother and many women struggle to survive in difficult marriages, complicated by cultural bonds, Priscilla has decided that she will control her own destiny, making decisions that will affect the course of all who know her. One thing she had not counted on was the power of love.

Which aspects of the work did you find most difficult?

I enjoy the creating part, the early stages when a story is forming in my mind and it’s fresh and exciting. The part when I am constructing characters and forming the plot is exhilarating for me. I feel like I get to know these people and I keep adding to their personalities as the weeks go by. I like to spend time developing their likes and dislikes, their quirks and state of mind. It’s easier to write a story when I know the characters very well, like I would recognize them in the street if they walked by me.

I really find revising difficult. With both books I had to cut out abut 30,000 words and this was very challenging for me. After you remove a particular event you have to make sure that you don’t refer to it in the next chapters. And it’s also hard to remove sections that you enjoyed or worked hard on.

What will your next book be about?

My next book is almost done. I have finished most of the first draft and now the real work has began. This book is called Chasing the Wind and it’s about a young woman who comes to America from Zimbabwe to chase her dreams only to have them shattered in the most dramatic way.

This book is one I am most excited about because it’s about the character’s relationship with God and as I am writing it my prayer is that I am growing stronger as a Christian and that the message in the book speaks to me first and transforms my life even as I know that God will work in the readers’ lives too when it’s finished. This book is one that I now know that I can let God breathe through it and use me to send His message of love.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

Getting my books released in the same year was my most significant achievement. It was wonderful and I wouldn’t have dreamt it and I know God used 2010 to make all these dreams come true.

Related article:

Reading 2010: Miriam Shumba (Zimbabwe/USA) [Interview], Wealth of Ideas, January 9, 2011

Possibly related books:

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