{"id":3779,"date":"2016-12-22T10:42:13","date_gmt":"2016-12-22T18:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alteritas.net\/GXL\/?p=3779"},"modified":"2016-12-27T17:38:02","modified_gmt":"2016-12-28T01:38:02","slug":"before-the-scapel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alteritas.net\/GXL\/?p=3779","title":{"rendered":"Before the Scalpel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Passing through
\nthe eye of a needle,
\nI’ve divested myself.<\/p>\n

Don’t wait. Use me.<\/p>\n

I’ve pared down.
\nI’ve cut my hair.
\nI’m clean in the night.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

As topical as topical can be, these lines have been re-purposed from the passage below by the Congolese poet Tchicaya U\u2019Tamsi, on whom I wrote my MA thesis in 1971. Thus began my life-long study of and fascination with the African literary intelligentzia.<\/i><\/p>\n

Ne tardez pas
\nje peux \u00eatre utile
\nJ\u2019ai d\u00e9j\u00e0 refait mes ongles
\nras\u00e9 ma t\u00eate
\nje suis propre devant la nuit<\/p>\n

(\u00c9pitom\u00e9, p 78)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Passing through the eye of a needle, I’ve divested myself. Don’t wait. Use me. I’ve pared down. I’ve cut my hair. I’m clean in the night. *** As topical as topical can be, these lines have been re-purposed from the passage below by the Congolese poet Tchicaya U\u2019Tamsi, on whom I wrote my MA thesis … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Before the Scalpel”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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