New Dawes book published for african literature conference

As co-sponsors of the African Literature Association’s 30th annual conference, April 14-18, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Libraries released today a chapbook of African poetry and have created an exhibit on African writers. Three librarians will also participate in a panel discussion at the conference.

Kwame Dawes’ “Bruised Totems,” an original poetry chapbook, has been released by the Parallel Press, an imprint of the UW–Madison Libraries. The work combines images of African artwork with the poet’s interpretation of each object. Totems and masks provide much of the inspiration for Dawes’ poetry, which discusses themes of roots and origins, maternity and femininity, and the preservation of culture and artwork.

Part of the Bareiss Family Collection of African Art, the source for the images in the Dawes book, is on loan at the Elvehjem Museum of Art. The collection has approximately 800 pieces, more than 50 of which will be on display in an exhibit April 15-June 27. An introduction and reception to open the exhibit will be held Thursday, April 15, at the Elvehjem Museum.

Dawes, a native of Ghana who attended college in Jamaica, is an English professor at the University of South Carolina and heads the master of fine arts program in USC’s English department. Dawes is a Pushcart Prize winner has written numerous plays, nonfiction and fiction books and poetry collections with Caribbean and reggae themes.

Dawes will perform at the African Literature Association conference from 8-9:30 p.m. Thursday, April 15, at the Elvehjem Museum, and from 2:15-3:15 p.m. Friday, April 16, in Great Hall at the Memorial Union.

Three UW–Madison librarians are participating in a panel discussion called “The Africanist, the Library and Scholarly Communication,” Thursday, April 15, at 1:30 p.m. at the Pyle Center. Emilie Ngo-Nguidjol, Francophone studies bibliographer, is the chair of the panel and David Henige, African studies and anthropology bibliographer, and UW–Madison Libraries Director Ken Frazier will also participate.

Ngo-Nguidjol is also curator of an exhibit for the Memorial Library lobby in conjunction with the conference, titled “A Wealth of Literary Prizes: An Exhibit of African and Diaspora Writers.” The exhibit will run from April 16-June 4.

The African Literature Association conference, titled “Verbal Performance and Visual Cultures,” will look at the crossroads between verbal, visual and performing arts. The African Studies Program is hosting the conference, with substantial support from seventeen other departments and programs including African Languages and Literature and of French and Italian.

For more information about the ALA conference or to obtain a full conference schedule, contact conference coordinator Peter Quella at (608) 262-2493 or visit http://africa.wisc.edu/ala2004.