Go, Went, Gone

by Jenny Erpenbeck

His own to-do list would look something like this: Schedule repairman for dishwasher Urologist appointment Meter reading The to-do list for Karon, on the other hand, would be more like this: Eradicate corruption, cronyism, and child labor in Ghana Or for Apollo: File lawsuit against the Areva Group (France) Install a new government in Niger that can’t be bribed or blackmailed by foreign investors Establish the independent Tuareg state Azawad (discuss with Yussuf) And for Rashid the list would read: Broker a reconciliation between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria Persuade Boko Haram to lay down their arms Finally Hermes, the illiterate with golden shoes, and Ali, the future nurse, would have to join forces to complete these two tasks: Prohibit the sale of weapons to Chad (from the U.S. and China) Prohibit U.S. and China drilling for oil in Chad and exporting it

Sins of the west