Peggy Appiah, British-Ghanaian folklorist and philanthropist, has passed away. She had been a tireless collector of Asante folktales (Anansesɛm) and published the largest collection of Akan proverbs (mmɛbusɛm) to date. Her father, Sir Stafford Cripps, was the British Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1947-1950. Her husband, Joe Appiah, was deeply involved in the Ghanaian independence [...]

Anyone out there know — or know someone who knows — how to read ‘滇’ in Cantonese? I know that in Mandarin it’s diān. Apple’s Chinese Text Converter indicates that 婊 should be the traditional version, but I’ve no way, at the moment, of verifying that, and on-line dictionaries don’t give the same definition. 滇紅茶 [...]

I love TS Eliot. ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock‘ is one of my favourite English-language poems… perhaps my very favourite. (Those who think they know me won’t be surprised. Those who do might be.) But I don’t fully get The Waste Land. I’ve read the poem a couple dozen times, and my current [...]

I remember the way. When I get there, I’ll have to speak like I’m drunk. You have to use the right words in the right order. I’m the drunk man, showing up to fuck her. I have to remember to be obnoxious. There’s a script to be followed…