Understanding ourselves and the world we live in.
Billy Osogo I ponder endlessly on writing. As an art, there's so much to it that even those we look up to as its masters seem to be just scratching the surface. I recently came across an excerpt by Kenyan writer Bivanyanga Wainana. In his book, One Day I Will Write About this Place he... Continue Reading →
Billy Osogo Last week, I wrote on the plight of South Africa. South Africa is still in my scope of focus. For good reason. Just three days ago, the world marked Mandela Day. A day named in honor of the South African-born, larger-than-life, global peace icon, Nelson Madiba Mandela. He is many things to many... Continue Reading →
For most non-Africans, South Africa is Africa and Africa is South Africa. Make no doubt about it, that's as ignorant as it gets. Nonetheless, the ubiquity of this thought speaks to the prominece of Africa's most industrialized nation. Home of Nelson Mandela. Yet, if the events of recent days are anything to go by, Mandela... Continue Reading →
Billy Osogo In my post last week I quoted Mario Vargas Llosa and made a clarion call to all writers. This week, I am maintaining Llosa as my source of inspiration and calling on all readers. In his amazing book Letters to a Young Novelist Llosa writes: "Read constantly, because it is impossible to acquire... Continue Reading →
I find writing to be an immensely rewarding investment of time. Whether it's writing poems like my friend Ellen or plays like my friend Jack Canfora. Whether it's journaling, writing short stories or full length novels. I came across an excerpt that struck a chord. It's by Nobel Prize Winner Mario Vargas Llosa. In his... Continue Reading →
Billy Osogo Last Sunday was Father's Day. A day when we stop to celebrate and appreciate the father figures in our lives. Whether biological, a guardian or someone who simply performs that function. You get the picture. I spent sometime reflecting about my Dad. Due to the nature of his profession, he wasn't around much... Continue Reading →
I enjoyed reading my buddy AP2's post on The Pursuit of Unhappiness. In case you missed it, you should definitely check it out. It was nostalgic for me. I reminded me of one of my favorite teachers in high school. This one teacher taught Maths and Physics. Nothing exceptionally remarkable there. I know. The thing... Continue Reading →
Billy Osogo The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life as we knew it heretofore. It affected every facet of day-to-day life. Essentially, it forced us to adapt to new ways of living. Who thought there'd come a time when you couldn't morphologically tell the difference between a doctor and a clown because they were both wearing surgical... Continue Reading →
Billy Osogo I love creating art as much I love consuming it. There’s something surreal about participating in the process of creation. To see the end product come from almost nothing. A blank page. A blank canvass. Plain clay. A blank sheet of music. Tabula rasa. Here are a few good words to help in... Continue Reading →
Billy Osogo A year ago, George Floyd (yes, say his name) was brutally murdered in broad daylight, by a law enforcement officer. His death was yet another addition to the long list of black people who have suffered the same fate. However, akin to Rosa Parks’ arrest or Dr. King’s assassination, it was unique in... Continue Reading →
Billy Osogo : Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles delivered one of the most beautiful pieces of art when they wrote Ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese word that put simply translates to: "The happiness of always being busy." The authors write on a broad spectrum of Japanese life. One of the things that's stuck with me... Continue Reading →
Billy Osogo Njia panda is the Swahili word for crossroad. Every now and then we find ourselves at a njia panda. Two opportunities arise. Too good to lose. Yet a choice must be made. Sleepless nights kick in. Pulling out of hair begins. Mental paralysis makes itself at home. The simple truth is that there’s... Continue Reading →
Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso was a man ahead of his milieu. He spoke bluntly and decisively. Even though a bullet cut his life short, his words, like his legacy, have outlived even his detractors. In an interview with a Swiss Journalist, Sankara said: "You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of... Continue Reading →
Billy Osogo I conscientiously followed the trial of the ex-officer responsible for George Floyd’s death. For 9 minutes and 29 seconds he pocketed as his knee snuffed the life out of a helpless, unarmed, handcuffed George Floyd. 331 days later his actions caught up with him. He was found guilty of all charges. Speaking after... Continue Reading →
Books offer different things to different people. For some, books offer an escape. For some they offer a different vantage point. For others, entertainment. For others, peace. For some like me, all of the above, and then some! I enjoy hearing people's perspectives. Books allow me to do that easily, at my pleasure. From time... Continue Reading →
IMAGE: CIFEJ.com I spend considerable amounts of time around my nieces and nephew. Partly because they are home with my folks. Partly because COVID-19 has restricted my movements. Partly because they are the most adorable beings I have come across. They are nine (eldest niece) and twenty months (twins) respectively. Bar sickness, once they are... Continue Reading →
IMAGE: DREAMSTIME. COM I love literature! I am deliberate about being diverse in my reading. I try to read as much literature from as wide a geographical pool as I can. One of the things I have discovered is that literature from different parts of the world have certain distinguishing features. For African literature, the... Continue Reading →
Billy Osogo The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly changed life as we knew it heretofore. With severe restrictions on movement imposed by most governments, there's only so much one can do. Part of what I have had more time to do during this pandemic is to read widely. There's something exclusively inimitable about the written word.... Continue Reading →
By Billy Osogo "Educate, Empathize and Empower all!" That was the comment by my friend SnapDragon X on my previous piece. A brilliant choice of words, if I do so say myself! As I mentioned heretofore, the subject of racism is one that we must continue to have genuine conversations on. Educating yourself, allows you... Continue Reading →
IMAGE: OXYGEN.IE (*Sniff*Sniff*) Do you smell that? Imagine living in a world where the size of your nose determined the quality of your life. A large nose would guarantee you access to good schools, quality healthcare, higher wages and everything in between. Conversely having a small nose would automatically disenfranchise you from everything that people... Continue Reading →
