I visited Nigeria in late October as a guest of the 2016 Lagos International Poetry Festival. I’d just moved from Chicago to New York a week earlier than intended, so I could apply for a visa in person. At the …
Arts & Photography
A Way of Seeing: Immaculata Abba
The other day I was reminded that I have been drawn to images even before I was 6 years old. I asked my mother for a camera when she asked what I wanted for my 6th birthday gift. She got …
Before the “Busy” Goddess Arrived
Days before the event that climaxes Osun-Osogbo Festival 2016, popularly called Arugba day, I visited the town that yearly hosts thousands of spectators, tourists and Osun worshippers. The late Susan Wenger had rescued the Osun Grove from desecrators thereby protecting …
To Hold a City Together
Behind the tall walls, a man is holding a megaphone to his mouth and wearing his voice out with passion. You can hear him from the middle of the road, saying words like “Jesus,” “Restoration,” “Healing,” “Hope.” There are other …