In an era of faddish theorizing,
hybridity and other preoccupations,
the discussion of memory and orality
within the context of African poetry is
intriguing. Where does orality end
and literacy begin? And where exactly
is that magical "in-between space" of
transition if orality has been
«A man does what he must — in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers, and pressures — and that is the basis of all human morality». Quote in Profiles in Courage (1956)
We are your children of the native quarters
which electricity never reaches men dying drunk
abandoned to the rhythm of death 's tom-toms.