He left behind a large number of unpublished literary works. Marecheras poetry was published posthumously under the title cemetery of mind 1992. Dambudzo marechera was a zimbabwean novelist and poet. Charles william dambudzo marechera was born on june 4. Yet despite marecheras occasionally outrageous behaviour and the complicated internal universe. It is an ideal cosmos coexisting with this crude one. Cemetery of mind 1992, a powerful collection of his poetry.
A reading of dambudzo mar,echera a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in english in the university of canterbury by creon upton cemetery of mind. Dambudzo marechera, a zimbabwean who died at the young age of 35 in 187, is also the author of the award winning novel, house of hunger. I have had so much of this sympathising from my school days at the mission school and uni back home when those hypocrites felt they were doing us a favour by civilising our cursed lot. Books, images, historic newspapers, maps, archives and more. However, many people feel that marecheras real talent was as a writer of poetry. Cemetery of mind is the first comprehensive collection of his poems, compiled with notes by his biographer, flora veitwild. I am almost paranoid when it comes to racism masquerading as colour blindness. I had a rather grim upbringing in the ghetto and have ever since. Dambudzo marechera download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Cemetery of mind collected poems of dambudzo marechera. Cemetery of mind collected poems of dambudzo marechera paperback author. According to information gathered from a series of audio interviews conducted in marecheras flat at 8 sloane court, harare, zimbabwe, by alle lansu in february 1986.
This is of course a truism of all art, but its significance to marechera is exemplary in that the very knowledge of the. Marechera is both, and cemetery of mind revels in shamanistic disorder. Ranging between existentialist meditations on violence and surrealist love sonnets, his poems pay silent respects to such greats as t. Cemetery of mind african writers library 9780865437333. Dambudzo marechera his life and work in his own words. Marecheras unconventional life immensely enriched his poetry. Charles william dambudzo marechera, zimbabwean author. The volume contains more than 140 poems, many of which were retrieved after his death and were previously dambudzo marechera is usually remembered as a novelist. Ship this item this item is available online through marketplace sellers. Although perhaps best known as a novelist, many people consider that marecheras real talent was as a poet. Marechera s poetry was published posthumously under the title cemetery of mind 1992. Eliot to allen ginsberg and christopher okigbo, and confirm his proclivity for perceptive social critique, intense selfexploration, and verbal daring.
My mind refused to cuff and kick bolted down manholes to licksick laughs out of the mess masquerading under my name the candle of darkness was at midnight pitch only black cindersparks where i used to holler curses at the dark ghosts of historys bicycle race not sneaking out of her life not holding out on her a revolution spinning backwards. Mindblast, or, the definitive buddy by dambudzo marechera. This is the first comprehensive collection of his poetry and contains more than 140 poems, many of which were retrieved after his death. The black insider, cemetery of mind, and scrapiron blues comprise many of his poems and short stories that were published after his death. Winner of the guardian fiction prize, 1979 and first published in 1978, the house of hunger is a selection of interconnected short stories that tell of zimbabwe in chaos. Cemetery of mind, dambudzo marechera is usually remembered as a novelist however, many people feel that marechera s real talent was as a writer of poetry cemetery of mind is the first comprehensive collection of his poems, compiled with notes by his biographer, flora veit wild the volume contains than 140 poems, many of which were retrieved after his. The poems sparkle with marechera s unique wit, always quickened by his uncanny ability to use language to subvert all conventional cultural and political pieties. Tragically full of anarchy and selfdestruction, marecheras life and literature displayed the conflict between western and african culture in the wake of colonialism. Postcolonial narcissism, cryptopolitics, and hypnocritique.
Marecheras first novel, house of hunger 1978, won the 1979 guardian fiction award. When marechera was thirteen his father, isaac, who was a trucker, died after being struck by a passing military car. Zimbabwe writer dambudzo marechera letter to white girlfriend samantha dear samantha i think by now you have heard what happened when those hypocrites in administration chased me from their white university giving me an option between being sectioned or expelled. Marecheras health deteriorated, and he soon died of aids. I chose the latter, a decision which shocked them out of their warped. Like his stories, his poems show the influence of modernist writers from arthur rimbaud and t. This accident influenced had a profound impact on marechera. However, many people feel that marechera s real talent was as a writer of poetry. When marechera s poetry heals, it does so violently in the same sense that a surgeon is violent. Cemetery of mind, 1992 dambudzo marechera was born in vengere township ghetto, near rusape, into a troubled family. Cemetery of mind demands serious attention and reveals, through the sharpest of the poets voice, the real world inside us all. Dambudzo marechera is usually remembered as a novelist. Although perhaps best known as a novelist, many people consider that marechera s real talent was as a poet.
A collection of poems by the celebrated zimbabwean novelist, by dambudzo marechera. One night he suggests that we drive to the uz university of zimbabwe campus, a couple of miles north of the city centre. Marechera s unconventional life immensely enriched his poetry. Scrapiron blues prose narrative, drama, short stories, childrens stories, novella, novel fragment, and poem, edited by veitwild, baobab books harare, zimbabwe, 1994. Despite his brief writing career and untimely death at age thirtyfive, dambudzo marechera, the zimbabwean poet and novelist, remains an important figure in african literature and literary studies in general. Published posthumously, cemetery of mind easily brings to mind christopher okigbos labyrinths 1971 in many ways.
Mar 02, 2012 i will include them later in cemetery of mind see marechera, a writers diary in cemetery of mind 1011 traces of a burgeoning love for life. Dambudzo marechera, cemetery of mind, which of you bastards is death. Just like any other muscular body, the brain needs physical activity to keep it strong and healthy, so the phrase using it or losing it is perfect when it comes to your mind. Dambudzo marechera was an important zimbabwean novelist, short story writer, poet and playwright during the late 1970s and 1980s. Dambudzo marechera, 4 june 195218 august 1987 improves brain quality. Cemetery of mind by dambudzo marechera 9780865437333. Scrapiron blues prose narrative, drama, short stories, children s stories, novella, novel fragment, and poem, edited by veitwild, baobab books harare, zimbabwe, 1994.
Cemetery of mind by dambudzo marechera fantastic fiction. Dambudzo marechera poet zimbabwe poetry international. Cemetery of mind, dambudzo marechera is usually remembered as a novelist however, many people feel that marechera s real talent was as a writer of poetry cemetery of mind is the first comprehensive collection of his poems, compiled with notes by his biographer, flora veit wild the volume contains than 140 poems, many of which were retrieved after his death and were previously unpubldambudzo. It was followed by four other novels, black sunlight 1980, the black insider 1990 and mindblast 1884. Customers who viewed this item also viewed these digital items. Marechera s health deteriorated, and he soon died of aids. Marecheras poetry, written over the course of his life, has been collected in cemetery of mind 1992. His poetry, collected together in cemetery of mind, was published posthumously in 1992. Dambudzo marechera, a zimbabwean who died at the young age of 35 in 1987, is also the author of the award winning novel, house of hunger. Intelligence, anger, accelerated life, recklessness. His short career produced a book of stories, two novels, a book of plays, prose, and poetry, and a collection of poetry. October 5, 2018 that moment that moment too soon breaks when all or nothing is in balance.
I do not pigeonhole it by race or language or nation. Buy cemetery of mind african writers library book online at. Collected poems of dambudzo marechera, edited by veitwild, baobab books harare, zimbabwe, 1992. Dambudzo marechera to musa zimunya and wilson katiyo in austin, the house of hunger dambudzo marechera is as wellknown for his eccentric autobiography as he is for his prodigious writing talent. After his departure from oxford, he lived and wrote in london. Dambudzo marechera s stories are psychologically, rather than politically, motivated as his depictions of living in exile and outsiderhood show. Dambudzo marechera 111 followers a black man who has suffered all the stupid brutalities of the white oppression in rhodesia, his rage explodes, not in political rhetoric, but in a fusion of lyricism, wit, obscenity.