On being an African writer, or not

In the preceding year, [Olufemi Terry] had had several encounters with readers of his story who had confronted him with certain expectations on matters of craft that were presented in the vocabulary of social responsibility. Terry felt that the encounters confirmed my sense that there are a great many pitfalls that a so-labeled African writer must avoid. Among these: a preoccupation with authenticity – with subjective realness, with being African – rather than with imaginativeness or breaking new ground; retreading well-worn terrain; and attempting to redress negative news out of the continent by writing stories of upliftment. Yes. It must...