Reader got his facts wrong on women’s creative workshop
Nigerian ambassador to Cote D'Ivoire Ifeoma Akabogu Chinwuba during a talk when she visited Nairobi over the Easter holiday for two literary events. The AMKA audience today is richer than it was ever before. Yes, it was primarily meant for women, but there are more men in the audience now. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- It’s rather suspicious that Mr Otienoh, a first time attendee at the forum that has been ongoing for over eight years, should, after only three hours at the workshop, blatantly sum it up as sexist and declare its women participants gagged.
- Had Oumah bothered to do a little research, he would have realised that the said article on virginity was in fact penned by a man and not by a female ‘victim’ as he wished the narrative would go.
- However, he must bear in mind that writing, too, is not for alarmists who like to throw literary tantrums by penning ‘juicy’ matters on topics barely researched on. I do agree with him that the forum needs more female representation.
When Mr Oumah Otienoh requested to join us for the April Amka writers’ workshop, I was quite happy to have him along, for I had read bits of his work before. However, as I read his article two Saturdays ago, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow or two as he recounted, albeit exaggeratedly, his experience at the workshop.
It’s rather suspicious that Mr Otienoh, a first time attendee at the forum that has been ongoing for over eight years, should, after only three hours at the workshop, blatantly sum it up as sexist and declare its women participants gagged.
I am inclined to say that if Otienoh had been less eager to take on the role of ‘defender of women,’ he would have written a more objective piece, for he has a point or two to share.
However, his choice to throw stones on the session moderators simply because they are male puts him firmly beside pitiable literary attention seekers who smell out offences where none are meant and then nurse the grievance for years.
I was quite saddened by the fact that Otienoh resorted to cheap exaggerations and ancient stereotypes about women.
Being a man at a women writers’ forum, I think Otienoh was reading with his eyes too close to the book to see the print distinctly.
I therefore feel compelled to set the record straight on some matters he raised.
First of all, the self-appointed crusader of female rights lies to the public when he says that only male contributors were dismayed by the use of the word ‘VIRGINITY’ in upper case.
How many competent editors, gender aside, would advise a writer to use upper case because the matter they are writing about is supposedly ‘sensitive’? Surely, if, as penmen, we dare to harness our thoughts in that direction, then certainly, we are better off sweeping the streets of Nairobi instead.
WELCOME CRITICISM
Had Oumah bothered to do a little research, he would have realised that the said article on virginity was in fact penned by a man and not by a female ‘victim’ as he wished the narrative would go.
He also would have found out that Amka didn’t start six years ago but has been around for longer and some of the ‘gagged’ women at the sessions have been mentored and gone on to be competent award-winning writers.
In his pieces, Otienoh likes to point out that writing is not for the faint-hearted.
However, he must bear in mind that writing, too, is not for alarmists who like to throw literary tantrums by penning ‘juicy’ matters on topics barely researched on.
I do agree with him that the forum needs more female representation.
The parties concerned had noticed this earlier in the year and there have been discussions with Goethe Institut representative Mr Eliphas Nyamogo, Amka founder Lydia Gaitirira and I on ways of increasing female attendance and incorporating the first crop of Amka beneficiaries as mentors to the new budding writers.
Even so, I would not wish for ‘kinder, ego-soothing’ critiques at Amka forums. Instead I wish that the female writers will develop tougher skins and welcome objective, albeit harsh, comments on their works.
I for example must credit the moderators, lecturer Dr Odhiambo and journalist Tony Mochama, for honest feedback that challenged me to move from writing love poems (evidenced by my poem in Fresh Paint volume one, to bolder, non-fiction pieces.
Why this guest wants to mourn louder than the bereaved I will never know but his letter was not only an insult to intellectualism, which always puts research before personal fantasies, but also a bad reputation for our teachers of English who we task with equipping our children with critical thinking skills.
And to insist on calling women ‘precious and sensitive’ in scholarly debates is not only patronising but also gives the impression that the only reason women’s works need to be discoursed is because they are men’s intellectual ‘small sisters’ who are not-too-clever and so their substandard works must be handled ‘sensitively’ because oh-they-have-been-through- so-so-much. As though men’s writings aren’t also influenced by life experiences. And as if book judging panels and reviewers consider gender when analysing books!
In the end, Oumah’s criticism isn’t a bad criticism. However, it has too great an air of personal vendetta to be accepted with conviction.
Being the literary critic he claims he is, Mr Oumah should, instead of throwing stones at an Institut that runs the only regular creative workshop in the country, invite his female acquaintances to the session.
