Literary Fiction by People of Color discussion
This topic is about
We Need New Names
book discussions
>
Discussion: We Need New Names
I read We Need New Names a couple of months ago and will be interested in everyone's comments as we have read/discussed 3 books recently that are tales of African immigration to the US. I enjoyed each of the books and thought that each had not only a different perspective but each appealed to me differently.
I have read several books based in Zimbabwe.Two of the "classic" authors that I read several years ago are:
Tsitsi Dangaremba - Nervous Conditions
Yvonne Vera.
More current authors that I have read based in Zimbabwe are:
An Elegy for Easterly: Stories by Petina Gappah - This book was a 5 star read for me. I am not usually a fan of short story collections but am really glad that that I read this one. I still recommend this book today.
The Boy Next Door by Irene Sabatini
Zenzela: A Letter to My Daughter by J. Nozipo Maraire
The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu
Sabatini's "The Boy Next Door " was discussed by this group 5/2010 and can still be accessed in the discussions folder. I'm interested in seeing how that book about Zimbabwe compares to this one.
On to my third chapter and I had no idea that this book was going to be this funny. The Easter Sunday scene had me LMAO (up until that shot to the solar plexus when the narrators pregnant friend speaks up, of course). I would almost consider this a comic novel if not for the regular intruding intervals of the horrifying realities of poverty.
I'm almost finished with the book and I'm enjoying it. Apparently I didn't read enough about it before because I had no idea it was short stories. William I would agree with you, it is quite funny and at certain parts I found myself bursting out laughing but then being somberly reminded that there were many things not to laugh about. But then also remembering that children see the world in so many different ways and unlike adults sometimes they are able to still see the beauty and joy in small things.
I read this one and will be chiming in. I really enjoyed it (The first half more than the second half), and like others have mentioned, the humor was LOL funny in several parts. I admire the Bulawayo's skill in writing from a child's point of view.
I'm finished with the book and this is my first foray into Zimbabwe. I've never read a book that was situated there and I most admit other than knowing where the country is, I don't know much about it, other than what I've seen on the news.
Mod
http://lareviewofbooks.org/interview/...
Full discussion begins tomorrow....
I just downloaded this one, looking forward to the discussion. This will be my first book by this author and my first book set in Zimbabwe.
Columbus wrote: "From the most recent (today) issue of the Los Angeles Review of Books. Here's an interview with NoViolet Bulawayo discussing We Need New Names:http://lareviewofbooks.org/interview/......"
Thanks for posting that. Very interesting.
"I watched my niece move from Zimbabwe to Kalamazoo, Michigan, when she was around five. I was jealous at how fast she adapted. She only spoke our language for a few days before she switched to English, understandably because she had cousins her age, and in a short while she was sounding like them. Her being a child with no strong ties to our Zimbabwean culture meant she simply sneezed Zimbabwe out and inhaled America and kept it moving."
I love her way with words!
Mod
So, for those still reading and for those who have not had a chance to start the book yet (include myself in this category), we'll open the floor to those who have started or completed the book to discuss anything you like up to the mid section. A community forum to ask any question you like or comment as you please.
I'd like to ask first of all. How do you feel about this book title? I'm certain it has clear relevance to the story but just as a name to sell to the public does it work? It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue for me and I wonder if that will work against it in marketing. Maybe those who are well into the book can give us some clarity.
Columbus wrote: "I'd like to ask first of all. How do you feel about this book title? I'm certain it has clear relevance to the story but just as a name to sell to the public does it work? "I actually really like the name. I had seen it before it was brought up here, and it really intrigued me and stuck in my mind. I wanted to know Who needs new names? why they needed new names? How would they get them? etc.
When I started reading and read the children's names .... I thought that yes, some of you definitely need new names "Bastard?!" I am very interested in why they named their children that way, and would love to read anyones insight into it.
Londa wrote: "Columbus wrote: "I'd like to ask first of all. How do you feel about this book title? I'm certain it has clear relevance to the story but just as a name to sell to the public does it work? "I act..."
Yes, I found the title intriguing but also hard to remember because of it almost being a question, and not knowing the context. I thought perhaps it might be a critique on word origins (like "we need new names for things"), but now that I see it from a child's perspective it is interesting because it becomes a simple request, and yet the deeper analysis re: the power of names and who gets to do the naming is there, too.
Londa wrote: "I love her way with words! "
Me, too. I highlighted these two:
"our guavas are right at the front, as if they heard we were coming and ran out to meet us"
"The woman's twisted mouth finishes chewing, and swallows. I swallow with her, my throat tingling."
That last demonstrates what I like best so far about Ms. Bulawayo's writing: she is able to convey so much about the situation with so few words.
When I first heard the name of the book, it sort of threw me off and I didn't like it. But it made me want to read it to understand the meaning behind the title. I took it to mean so many things, from their actual names needing to be new, but also the names that we give to those who leave a country and come to a new country needs to be new, and they way we describe things needs new names. There is a particular power of who gets to name and Bulawayo gets that across.
I finished this book maybe a week ago and it was kind of a disappointment to me... I guess Adichie is a hard act to follow. I was just so enamored of Americanah and this one didn't work as well for me. I generally don't really like short stories, and this seemed to be short stories (despite the "a novel" on the front of the book). In my review I said I thought it might have been a literary device--calling a collection of short stories a novel to parallel the disjunct nature of lives before and after immigration/unrest/upheaval.I am really looking forward to the discussion here though. Maybe you guys will help me look at it with new eyes. I was expecting to like it and I'm open to approaching it from different angles. I would actually be really pleased if I was missing something.
I for one liked the title. It grabbed my attention and lodged in my memory and I thought it was kind of a cute title. Like others, I wondered who needed new names and why.
Paige wrote: "I finished this book maybe a week ago and it was kind of a disappointment to me... I guess Adichie is a hard act to follow. I was just so enamored of Americanah and this one didn't work as well for..."I will have to agree with you that Adichie is a very hard act to follow. I actually read We Need New Names before Americanah. I thought both We Need New Names and Ghana Must Go were good solid debut books and have been recommending them and then I read Americanah!
I actually liked the title - We Need New Names.It stood out for me and made it easy for me to remember.
For me the title - says this is a book about identity and the names we have and possible triggers/events in life that may require us to need new names.
Many of us have different names for different people/situations in our lives so the title made sense to me.
Michael wrote: "Londa wrote: "Columbus wrote: "I'd like to ask first of all. How do you feel about this book title? I'm certain it has clear relevance to the story but just as a name to sell to the public does it ..."I too enjoyed her writing and her way with words to draw me into the story.
I'm about half-way into the book. At first I thought the title was about reclaiming our African identity, since the story takes place during the uprising of the guerrilla war in Zimbabwe. But it turns out there is a chapter entitled "We Need New Names." (view spoiler)Some have commented that they didn't expect the novel to be short stories. I would call them episodes that do make up a novel. Even though there is no continuous flow from one chapter to the next, there is character development as the children experience new things.
I thought this book at a YA (Young Adult) tone/feel to it. I am not a big fan of YA so I had to adjust my reading expectations. I would recommend this book to teenagers more so than adults.I thought Bulawayo did a very good job with Darling’s voice – she is aware and observant yet still retains some of her childhood innocence and naivety.
It broke my heart when we are introduced to Chipo and how she was the fastest runner until she got pregnant and stopped speaking when her stomach started showing.
As mentioned the wording implies Chipo was fast but still could not run away from being impregnated and with this act she lost her innocence and this her voice to let herself be heard as she becomes another statistics.
And like all children discussing what happened and about giving birth is based on pieces of information that they have overhead or told by others trying to get a whole true picture on what is going to happen.
I could also relate this to the political situation they were living under - rules were changing and adults had to try to piece together the information they had to make sense on what was happening to them and how they were going to survive.
Sarah wrote: "I'm about half-way into the book. At first I thought the title was about reclaiming our African identity, since the story takes place during the uprising of the guerrilla war in Zimbabwe. But it ..."I see we had the same thoughts on Chipo :)
I also enjoyed how Darling introduces us to Budapest. Mentioning it not like Paradise where she lives - it like being in a different country - a nice country where the people are not like us but nothing to show that they are real people living there - no odors, no sounds, no cooking smells - just nothing.
The scene in Budapest where the children go to steal gauvas from the neighborhoods trees is both hilarious and heartbreaking. First the children canvas the streets with military precision. Knowing exactly where they left last and which neighborhood has yet to be fleeced. Then when the young lady returned from London asks for a picture and they do their best to comply then she actually throws her half eaten pizza away without bothering to ask if anyone wants a piece what was high comedy suddenly turns into an indictment of the blind eye cast on the poverty in front of us. Which rather than try to ameliorate we take smiling pictures of.
William wrote: "The scene in Budapest where the children go to steal gauvas from the neighborhoods trees is both hilarious and heartbreaking. First the children canvas the streets with military precision. Knowing ..."The way the author described that scene I could actually visualize everything - and by Darling's reaction the author described how scarce food is without actually stating it that way.
Columbus wrote: "We're going to start the first half of the book up to page 165 for those with a paper copy, and for those with e-readers the mid-section would be the chapter headed "The Wedding."So, for those s..."
Based on the first page alone where we are introduced to characters like Bastard, (as well as his little sister Fraction) and Godknows, the title makes complete sense, because don't these kids need new names? :-)
I've just finished the book and really loved it. The structure (which I did see as a novel in short stories) worked for me. Before I finished the book, I thought the title was effective in the way it evoked the collective nature of the narration. Darling's voice is a strong one and she becomes more of an individual, more independent as the book progresses, but in the beginning who she is is constituted through the relationships among her group of friends. After I finished (no spoiler here), the notion of 'needing new names' seemed to point to the need to rethink one's identity in the face of a changing political and cultural landscape.
Anyway, a long post. I've been a member of this group for a while but this is my first chance to participate in a discussion.
The hunger, the conditions in which the children were living, and the lack of hope for the adults in 'Paradise' made this book hard to take in some ways. But what was really interesting in the first half was how Darling's group of friends and the games they made up meant more to her than anything else.
Finished the book yesterday and yes, I didn't walk away whistling a happy tune. However, I liked it all in all, even if I did prefer our last selection style wise. but there was quite a bit packed into it. It certainly makes an interesting contrast to The Boy Next Door for that matter.
also just finished yesterday and had some slightly mixed feelings about the writing, but overall moved - in some ways - as much by what was said as what wasn't. particularly staying with my was Chipo's comments to Darling on the phone towards the end of the book. (don't want to give much away).notions of/questions about who suffers, how and what suffering is come through clearly. I love fiction that makes us think, that teaches us - sometimes teaching us what we thought we knew but maybe haven't known as well or understood as clearly as we should.
glad for having read this
Janet said, "particularly staying with my was Chipo's comments to Darling on the phone towards the end of the book. (don't want to give much away)."That was one of my favorite parts of the book.
I think this is one of my favorite books in a while, style-wise. I just love the little vignettes, and I love that (six chapters so far) they are in chronological order! (Some of you may have noticed my predilection for chronology...) The Twelve Tribes of Hattie was one of my favorites, too, but I'm relieved not to be jumping from character to character and decade to decade in We Need New Names.The phrasing continues to draw me in. Some more highlighted lines:
"The bed is shuffling like a train taking them somewhere important that needs to be reached fast."
"It's light rain, the kind that just licks you."
"I try to push it away and push it away but the dream keeps coming and coming like bees, like rain, like the graves at Heavenway."
Finally, the storytelling reminds me of The Diary of a Young Girl, because of the blend of innocence and wisdom in the main character's voice, and because we as readers have a knowledge about the context that is unavailable to the protagonist. Just as with Anne Frank, I feel a growing sense of dread at the same time that I feel a longing to revert back to the innocence and matter-of-fact resilience that Darling embodies as a child.
Mod
Thanks for pointing those phrases out, Michael. Sometimes I'm reading so fast I neglect to soak in some of the beautiful prose. They work best, sometimes, as just a standalone. You and Sarah have a knack for doing that!
Okay, I took a break from this book for a few days, but meanwhile I found this quite detailed article in the Los Angeles Review of Books from November, 2011: LARB ArticleIt is technically a review of two books about Zimbabwe by white authors (The Fear: Robert Mugabe and the Martyrdom of Zimbabwe and We Are All Zimbabweans Now); but it also provides an overview and some analysis of Zimbabwe's/Rhodesia's history over the past 50 years. As someone who knows really nothing of Zimbabwean history, I found it very educational. Also, the article mentions what I think might be an important collection of oral histories from Zimbabweans, Hope Deferred: Narratives of Zimbabwean Lives, which is now on my to-read list.
Can anyone tell me if it is clear what part of history Darling is living? I am able to read a little between the lines in We Need New Names about the destruction of homes and the refugees setting up in "Paradise", how some are saying it is no different than before when whites were in charge, and then the hope of new elections. But I don't know historically what the destruction of the homes is about, and whether it is located in a specific time period, or ongoing. Not sure if it is critical to the reading of the book, but I would very much like to fill in the gaps of my education if possible.
Mod
This review in the Guardian sets the book in "Zimbabwe's 'lost decade' (2000-2010).""
Thanks, Janet. I'm on page 110 and I was wondering the same thing. With the mention of AIDS and some pop culture reference, I knew it was rather present day. I know a former co-worker who became extremely frustrated with Zimbabwe government due to the extreme fraud and vote tampering between '05 & '09. I vaguely recall her getting highly agitated with Mugabe and afraid her family would have to move out of the country due to food rationing and such. Anyone vividly recall this? Anything to add?
Janet wrote: "Michael,This review in the Guardian sets the book in "Zimbabwe's 'lost decade' (2000-2010).""
Thank you, Janet! I hadn't seen that article yet. As I read it, I thought it was interesting that she lived in Zimbabwe from 1981 - 1999, but was in America during the "lost decade" writing about events from a distance. I saw a picture she had taken in Zimbabwe of her father (last year?) on her blog, and it is more poignant now to realize that was the first time she had returned to Zimbabwe in 13 years.
So the context of We Need New Names seems to be this paragraph from the LARB article I cited:
In response to the land invasions, the subsequent collapse of the country's currency and foreign reserves, hyperinflation, 80 percent unemployment, mass emigration (mostly across the border to South Africa), and the evisceration of the once robust health and education infrastructure, the [Movement for Democratic Change] mounted a serious electoral challenge to Mugabe and ZANU-PF in 2002, 2005, and most recently in 2008. Unfortunately, the emergence of a genuine two-party system in Zimbabwe has been met with unremitting political violence and terror directed at the MDC, its supporters, and its courageous leader, trade unionist Morgan Tsvangirai.
As I think about how desperate I am to understand "why" Darling's communities are being displaced, I am realizing two things: 1) it must be even more terrifying to the children who have no way of understanding what is going on, and 2) it doesn't really matter "why" things are happening to those being displaced. As Darling says, she used to have a "real" house and "real" things. Now she doesn't. That is what is relevant to her.
Mod
This review in the Guardian sets the book in "Zimbabwe's 'lost decade' (2000-2010).""
Thank you, Janet! I hadn't seen that article yet. As I read it, I thought it was int..."
Wow, that's very interesting. I recall my friend discussing with her sister whether to leave Zimbabwe for South Africa due to food shortage (particularly bread if my memory holds). I think this was around 2006-2008. I really felt for her because it so affected her here in the states.
I found this article from Samantha Power written in '03 'How To Kill A Country' from The Atlantic magazine:
http://m.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
I have not taken the time yet to read the article posted above (very important to note that it was written 10 years ago.) but I think that I would not be out of place to post some personal experiences I've had regarding the country of Zimbabwe. While I have never visited the country, I did work as an Agricultural Economist before retiring in 2012. I worked with the governments of both South Africa and Mozambique which border Zimbabwe on the south and east respectively. I'm not trying to defend Mugabe's government but some of the greatest criticism he got is from his redistribution of farmland concentrated in the hands of a few white families to the indigent native farm hands and that this redistribution caused agricultural production to fall to the point of domestic famine. While Zim did import food for a time (South Africa and other neighboring countries had plenty), by 2012 Zimbabwe was a net exporter of food and the promised apocalypse from letting uneducated indigent farmers a part of the countries bounty never happened. And I will never forget the sight of three of the latest models of Mercedes Benz SUV's come into the parking lot of a Zulu homeland "reservation", disgorge about 15 White passengers dripping in gold and diamond jewelry. Since I stood out like a sore thumb they asked where I was from. I asked the same and was told they were ranchers from Zimbabwe..perhaps they were the only ones left..but I can assure you that not all whites and wealth have been driven out of Zimbabwe. My point being that before one blindly blames one man or "crazy Africans" for a countries' down fall, consider white (wealth) flight, monopoly land concentration, white/black corruption, etc, etc..While a very entertaining volume..the book is a chronicle of on young girls experiences not an examination of the Zimbabwean geo/political/economic situation.
I was wondering if any discussants had formed any opinions about the role of religion in both We Need..and Americanah..Seems to me that in these two books (and in personal experience) many Africans that are not Muslim are either deeply religious, fundamental or non/atheist. Darling is openly derisive of Christianity and Ifemelu is noncommittal at best. Darlings ability to see the sham healings and conversions in the pompous preachers church were hilarious but seemed to reflect the authors and many Africans feelings that Christianity has been used to oppress rather than "save" them.
Mod
What's your opinion on the kids: Chipo; Forgiveness; Godknows; Bastard etc...,,
Any thoughts on William's question about religion in this book and Americanah? I was very surprised to learn that the Pentecostal religion has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 15 years in Zimbabwe, Ghana and some other African countries (I grew up Pentecostal). Every African person I've met recently were Catholics and extremely conservative. Needless to say, we've had some very interesting conversations regarding sexuality and other subjects.
The Pentecostals have been growing by leaps and bounds in Latin America as well for some time now. They've been giving the Catholics fits in competition. As for the kids, except for Darling, they really weren't all that developed as individuals. You certainly feel for them, the lack of an educational system, the lack of a stable environment, etc. The horror of them trying to give the one girl an abortion was rather disturbing.
I thought the transport of Darling from Zimbabwe to the US was quite a jolt. a bit like two different books, vaguely connected through Darling who herself seemed quite different in the two worlds as well. The plot didn't make a lot of sense to me, some street kid getting a tourist a tourist visa. seemed rather unlikely at best. the US scenes were certainly not without interest and the story line of Zimbabwean exiles had some poignant moments, but I just didn't feel the transition really worked.
Columbus wrote: "The entire book is now ready to be discussed. No Spoiler Alert needed.What's your opinion on the kids: Chipo; Forgiveness; Godknows; Bastard etc...,,
Any thoughts on William's question about rel..."
I thought the kids were very realistic, each with their own personalities and quirks. I loved watching how familiar they were with each other as they interacted, how they each were trying to assert their identity/dreams/maturity.
As to the religious representation, I did notice Prophet Revelations Bitchington Mborro was using his religious power to take advantage of Darling's family re: a miracle cure for her father. Although on the positive side they were praying for the vote/change so it appeared the church was involved in the get out the vote effort, too. Hard to know if this is representative but of course good and bad exists in churches everywhere.
I'm finding this book terribly depressing, despite the beauty of the writing and much of the vitality depicted. I am glad there is a "second half" although I guess it's not clear if it will be less depressing even so.
P.S. Is "Bitchington" an actual name? My urban dictionary says bitchington is "a person of weakness and or possessing no qualities of manliness", so is this an intentional parody?
Michael wrote: P.S. Is "Bitchington" an actual name? My urban dictionary says bitchington is "a person of weakness and or possessing no qualities of manliness", so is this an intentional parody? "I wondered about most of the children's names, Godknows, Bastard, Forgiveness.
It struck me how they were able to internalize the worst situations by turning them into games. The funeral game was the most heart-wrenching.
George wrote: "I thought the transport of Darling from Zimbabwe to the US was quite a jolt. a bit like two different books, vaguely connected through Darling who herself seemed quite different in the two worlds as well."Because it was mentioned so many times that Aunt Fostalina was going to let Darling come to live with her in Destroyedmichigen, I expected it. Darling adjusted quickly as children do. But she was always doing an internal check with herself to not react as someone from "home."
Sarah wrote: "George wrote: "I thought the transport of Darling from Zimbabwe to the US was quite a jolt. a bit like two different books, vaguely connected through Darling who herself seemed quite different in t..."I only knew it was going to happen because of the reviews/discussion, otherwise, I would have figured it was just one of the lingering hopes in their lives. Even knowing it, I found my heart stirring with a sudden nervous hope when I got to the chapter "destroyedmichygen".
I'm just starting the section in America now, and I think it really works because you are so used to her life in Zimbabwe that the jolt you have as a reader corresponds to the jolt she has by being uprooted. Beverly noted we have read other Africa-to-U.S. books recently (Ghana Must Go, Americanah), and I felt more emotionally affected in this one because we spend so much time getting to know her life in Zimbabwe first, and because she is so young and has no say-so it feels more bewildering.
I notice I have some mixed feelings about her "escape", after all, because as Mother of Bones says, will (Zimbabwe) just go to ruin?
well, Aunt Fostalina can invite Darling to the US, but she has no ability to sponsor her on a tourist visa. Darling still has to qualify somehow, usually through her parents qualifications. in any case, yes there were enough hints it would go this way, just didn't make sense to me, given her situation. I have a fair amount of familiarity with visa world. anyway, Darling is clearly very bright, if mostly lacking in formal education while in Zimbabwe. anyway, she goes to the US and lives there more or less illegally and can't return to Zimbabwe or exile herself in turn from the US. that's quite real enough for millions here and a very familiar situation for me.
anyway, the two story lines are quite good individually, but they don't link up well at all for me.
We Need New Names has been nominated (one of 5 fiction books) for Guardian First Book Award - the winner will be announced in November.http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013...
Mod
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013...-..."
Thanks, Beverly. Were you at all familiar with any of the other books? It's phenomenal the awards and accolades these young, female writers of the African diaspora have received in the last year. What's even more amazing is there are several others just bubbling under and waiting to be discovered.
Ex: Happiness, Like Water by Chinelo Okparanta
I have mixed feelings about the way the 2 parts (by which I mean the events set in Zimbabwe vs. the ones in Detroit) work together. I do see what folks are saying about how different they seem from each other. I suspect the author intended for the book to shift formally when Darling moved to the U.S., that is, for the writing itself to echo the world Darling now inhabits, which is strange and cold compared to the closeness of small-town life in Zimbabwe. She may not have been entirely successful in that, given how many readers find the shift so abrupt, but it mostly worked for me. The pace was very different in the 2 parts. But I also think they mirrored each other in interesting ways.
e.g., the way the children saw everything as a kind of theater. They were always observers, sometimes participants, but mostly audience for the events going on around them.
The scene in Detroit, when Darling and her 2 new friends watch porn, mirrors this. But it's a broken version of the community she experienced in Zimbabwe. The friendships are thin. What they are watching is not something in their own community that they're trying to understand.
What did not work for me was the abruptness of the ending. Nothing led up to the final phone call.
Literary Fiction by People of Color
Books mentioned in this topic
Happiness, Like Water (other topics)Ghana Must Go (other topics)
Americanah (other topics)
We Need New Names (other topics)
We Need New Names (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Chinelo Okparanta (other topics)NoViolet Bulawayo (other topics)
Bulawayo, who won the prestigious Caine Prize (often called the African Booker) in 2011 is currently a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University.
Bio:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NoViolet...
Website:
http://novioletbulawayo.com/
NPR review:
NPR review/excerpt audio and text:
http://www.npr.org/2013/06/06/1869506...
The Guardian review:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013...
Schedule:
August 1-7
Getting acquainted with author, Zimbabwe etc...
August 8-18:
Discuss the first half of the book to page 165 (The Wedding)
August 19-31
Discuss the entire book.
Has anyone finished the book yet? Has anyone started the book? Anyone currently reading?
Has anyone read Bulawayo's prize winning short story, Hitting Budapest? Attended a reading or book signing? Read any other novels based in Zimbabwe or visited there?
Let's begin!