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LIVE CHAT with Taiye Selasi

Live Chat with Taiye Selasi, GHANA MUST GO

(02/06/2013)

  

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3:41	Nora - EarlyWord Cover of Ghana Must Go; Chat Begins at 4 p.m., Eastern Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:41

3:46	Taiye Selasi:  Hello. Taiye here! Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:46 Taiye Selasi

3:47	Nora - EarlyWord:  Hey, Taiye! We'll be starting in a few minutes. Thanks for coming early. Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:47 Nora - EarlyWord

3:47	Taiye Selasi:  Of course. So much looking forward. Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:47 Taiye Selasi

3:49

Nora - EarlyWord:  While we're waiting to begin, I'm going to post some news and background on GHANA MUST GO. It has been getting some great pre-pub attention. In the UK, it was picked as a “Waterstone’s Eleven,” one of the most anticipated books of the year by that bookselling chain and Taiye was interviewed in the Telegraph. In the U.S., the book was picked by independent booksellers as an “Indie Next” pick for March. Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:49 Nora - EarlyWord

3:49	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:49

3:49	Nora - EarlyWord:  And, here's the quote: Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:49 Nora - EarlyWord

3:49	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:49

3:50	Nora - EarlyWord:  To help orient us to where many of the events in the book are set, here’s a map of the countries of West Africa: Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:50 Nora - EarlyWord

3:50	Nora - EarlyWord West African Countries Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:50

3:50	Nora - EarlyWord:  And one that shows the cities: Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:50 Nora - EarlyWord

3:50	Nora - EarlyWord Map Showing Accra and Lagos Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:50

3:51	Nora - EarlyWord:  The following are some of Taiye’s photos of Kokrobitey Beach in Ghana. a setting of some of the scenes in the book. Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:51 Nora - EarlyWord

3:51	Nora - EarlyWord Boat on Beach, Kokrobitey Beach, Ghana Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:51

3:51	Nora - EarlyWord Fishing Boats, Kokrobitey Beach, Ghana Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:51

3:51	Nora - EarlyWord Boat Launch, Kokrobitey Beach, Ghana Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:51

3:51	Nora - EarlyWord Fleet of Fishing Boats, Kokrobitey Beach, Ghana Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:51

3:52	Nora - EarlyWord:  And, here’s a shot of Taiye in Togo: Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:52 Nora - EarlyWord

3:52	Nora - EarlyWord Taiye in Lome, Togo, West Aftica Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:52

3:58

Nora - EarlyWord:  I'm seeing some people gathering; welcome everyone. We're almost ready to begin. You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and I’ll submit as many of them as I can to Taiye before the end of the chat. Don’t worry about typos – and please forgive any on our part. Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:58 Nora - EarlyWord

3:59	Nora - EarlyWord:  Taiye -- You’re in Rome right now and it’s pretty late there. Thanks for joining us and for sending us some photos of Rome today, so we can all envy your surroundings. Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:59 Nora - EarlyWord

3:59	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:59

3:59	Taiye Selasi:  my pleasure. Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:59 Taiye Selasi

3:59	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday February 6, 2013 3:59

4:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  Unfortunately, we’re going to have to end this chat around 4:45, ET, so we need to move quickly. Apologies in advance if we don’t follow rules of punctuation and please forgive typos! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord

4:00	Taiye Selasi:  its one of my favorite things to photograph, windows Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:00 Taiye Selasi

4:00

Nora - EarlyWord:  Taiye; we talked just before Christmas, when we recorded our podcast chat, which is now up on EarlyWord. Since then, advance attention has been building for GHANA MUST GO, as I noted above. Pretty amazing for a debut. Is it fun, or crazy-making? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord

4:00	Taiye Selasi:  a bit of both! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:00 Taiye Selasi

4:01	Taiye Selasi:  since i was four years old, i've wanted to publish a novel, and so to watch this dream coming true is a bit of a dream itself. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:01 Taiye Selasi

4:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  And, what's driving you crazy? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:01 Nora - EarlyWord

4:01	Taiye Selasi:  the waiting. i've always lacked a bit of patience. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:01 Taiye Selasi

4:02	Nora - EarlyWord:  Ha! Welcome to the book publishing time line! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:02 Nora - EarlyWord

4:02	Taiye Selasi:  just yesterday, i received the first hardcopy in the mail, a bit like seeing one's first child for the first time, i'd imagine. but there are still weeks to go until publication, and the waiting is a bit stressful. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:02 Taiye Selasi

4:02	Nora - EarlyWord:  Where does the book’s title come from? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:02 Nora - EarlyWord

4:02	Taiye Selasi:  the muses, i suspect. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:02 Taiye Selasi

4:03	Taiye Selasi:  when i first began writing the novel in copenhagen, microsoft word asked me to save the document, as per usual. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:03 Taiye Selasi

4:03	Taiye Selasi:  the first thing that came to mind was ghana go home, an alternative to the expression used often in nigeria. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:03 Taiye Selasi

4:04	Taiye Selasi:  when i arrived in ghana a few months later, my mum -- to whom the book is dedicated -- suggested ghana must go instead. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:04 Taiye Selasi

4:04	[Comment From Your NameYour Name: ]  Hello Taiye and Nora. I'm happy to be joining you to talk about this amazing book. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:04 Your Name

4:04	Taiye Selasi:  she liked the alliteration, and ive never met an alliterated phrase i didn't love. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:04 Taiye Selasi

4:04	Nora - EarlyWord:  Where does that phrase come from? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:04 Nora - EarlyWord

4:05	[Comment From CathereineCathereine: ]  Oops. Forgot to add my name! Glad to be joining both of you and the others logging in. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:05 Cathereine

4:06	Nora - EarlyWord:  Where does the phrase, GHANA MUST GO come from? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:06 Nora - EarlyWord

4:06

Taiye Selasi:  in 1983 the nigerian government summarily deported over 2 million ghanaians from the country. nigerians were growing ansty about ghanaians' increasing commercial power, and it was a convenient way to distract from existing domestic political troubles. as the ghanaian population left, they packed their things in cheap plastic bags, and were taunted as they went: ghana must go, ghana go home. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:06 Taiye Selasi

4:06	[Comment From Your NameYour Name: ]  Hello, I am Corinne and I am very happy to join the conversation Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:06 Your Name

4:07	Nora - EarlyWord:  So, it's fraught with many painful memories. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:07 Nora - EarlyWord

4:07	Taiye Selasi:  as often happens with derogatory phrases, this one was adopted by ghanaians themselves, and is used cheerfully in ghana -- and by luis vuitton. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:07 Taiye Selasi

4:07	Nora - EarlyWord:  When I googled it, I found the Vuitton bags... Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:07 Nora - EarlyWord

4:07	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:07

4:08	Taiye Selasi:  amazing, no? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:08 Taiye Selasi

4:08	Nora - EarlyWord Ghana Must Go on the Runway Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:08

4:08	[Comment From CorinneCorinne: ]  Did you feel that Kweku Sai and Fola had to flee from their own situations like the Ghanaians? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:08 Corinne

4:09	Taiye Selasi:  well, ghanaians were forced from nigeria, their adopted country, and in many ways, kweku and fola were forced from their adopted countries as well. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:09 Taiye Selasi

4:09	[Comment From BethMills2BethMills2: ]  I've been talking about the book with the 2(!) librarians from Ghana on our staff and one of them filled me in on that background. They both want to read the book. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:09 BethMills2

4:09	Taiye Selasi:  beth, i'm thrilled! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:09 Taiye Selasi

4:10	Nora - EarlyWord:  Interesting, Beth -- you're in New Jersey, right? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:10 Nora - EarlyWord

4:10	Taiye Selasi:  to be honest, one of the common anxieties of so-called afropolitan writers is that our work reach african readers as well. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:10 Taiye Selasi

4:10	Nora - EarlyWord:  You coined the term Afropolitan – explain what that means Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:10 Nora - EarlyWord

4:10	[Comment From BethMills2BethMills2: ]  New Rochelle, NY Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:10 BethMills2

4:10	Nora - EarlyWord:  I knew that! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:10 Nora - EarlyWord

4:11	Taiye Selasi:  in 2005 i wrote an article arguing that there was a new generation of africans, children of african professionals in the main, who were redefining their relationship to and their expecations of the continent. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:11 Taiye Selasi

4:11	Nora - EarlyWord:  Here's a link... Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:11 Nora - EarlyWord

4:11	Nora - EarlyWord:  Afropolitans -- LIP magazine Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:11 Nora - EarlyWord

4:12	[Comment From CorinneCorinne: ]  I thought Kweku had a better relationship with his wife so why did he just leave. I know he was ashamed, but still. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:12 Corinne

4:12	Taiye Selasi:  corinne, it's a wonderful question. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:12 Taiye Selasi

4:12	Taiye Selasi:  kweku leaves out of shame, but i think it's important to note that he RETURNS -- to find fola gone. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:12 Taiye Selasi

4:12	Taiye Selasi:  at the very end fola notes that she left him, too. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:12 Taiye Selasi

4:13	[Comment From Melanie HollesMelanie Holles: ]  I haven't finished the book yet, but I'm curious why you chose to alternate chapter narrators? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:13 Melanie Holles

4:13	Taiye Selasi:  it didn't feel like a choice, melanie, to be honest. it just sort of happened that way. but i can say, it was so difficult i doubt i'll ever do it again ;) Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:13 Taiye Selasi

4:14	Nora - EarlyWord:  Fola is Nigerian and her husband Kweku is Ghanian – does that say something in advance about their relationship? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:14 Nora - EarlyWord

4:14	Taiye Selasi:  perhaps for nigerians and ghanaians, who believe that there are fundamental differences between the two, but no, not for me. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:14 Taiye Selasi

4:14	Taiye Selasi:  i believe so much more strongly in human narrative, in personality, than i do in national identity. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:14 Taiye Selasi

4:15

Nora - EarlyWord:  Here's one of the questions we received in advance from a participant: As I was reading the novel I came across a number of passages that were so rhythmic that I felt as if I was reading poetry. Was this effect intended, or something that just evolved? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:15 Nora - EarlyWord

4:15	Taiye Selasi:  again, it's hard to know exactly where one's writing style comes from. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:15 Taiye Selasi

4:16	Taiye Selasi:  i've heard all my life that my prose tends to favor poetry, and i completely accept this. it's truly just the way the words come out, if you will. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:16 Taiye Selasi

4:16	Taiye Selasi:  i once read that the best prose is that which most appropriates poetry, and i think i've taken it to heart. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:16 Taiye Selasi

4:16

Nora - EarlyWord:  Here's another advance question: At one point in the book, you include some graphic sexual details [Note: we’re trying to avoid spoilers here for those of you who may not have finished it yet. Those who have, know what we’re talking about]. Why did you choose to do that? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:16 Nora - EarlyWord

4:17	Taiye Selasi:  writing to me never feels like a choice: it happens, it flows, it comes, and i try my best to keep up with it. i can remember writing that scene, crying the whole time, but not feeling completely in control of what was coming forth. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:17 Taiye Selasi

4:18	Taiye Selasi:  months later, i asked my editor whether it was too much, and she said: no, it is true, it is honest. that is your only obligation: to tell the truth. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:18 Taiye Selasi

4:18	Nora - EarlyWord:  Your photos are beautiful. I understand you’re at work on a photographic project? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:18 Nora - EarlyWord

4:18	Taiye Selasi:  i am! my goal is to photograph 20somethings in every african country, all 54. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:18 Taiye Selasi

4:19	Taiye Selasi:  i started last summer with a meager 5 countries, and intend to continue over the next 3 years. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:19 Taiye Selasi

4:19	Nora - EarlyWord:  How did that come about and where can we see the photos? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:19 Nora - EarlyWord

4:20	Taiye Selasi:  i was googling images of african families, looking for an appropriate image for the swedish cover, when i realized that images of young people in africa are incredibly rare in the united states. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:20 Taiye Selasi

4:21	Taiye Selasi:  i decided to rectify this in my own small way, by creating a collective portrait of africa's youth, and so its future. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:21 Taiye Selasi

4:21	Nora - EarlyWord:  Here's a couple of your photos of African children: Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:21 Nora - EarlyWord

4:21	Nora - EarlyWord Girl, Ghana Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:21

4:21	Taiye Selasi:  the photos will be displayed on a dedicated website beginning in 2014! i'm so incredibly excited. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:21 Taiye Selasi

4:21	Nora - EarlyWord Young Student, Ghana Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:21

4:23	Nora - EarlyWord:  Your book opened my eyes to a world of hyphenated Africans; one that I hadn't been award of. Well-educated, worldly, and well-traveled. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:23 Nora - EarlyWord

4:23	Taiye Selasi:  i'm happy! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:23 Taiye Selasi

4:23	[Comment From CatherineCatherine: ]  Beautiful photos...and a fascinating project! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:23 Catherine

4:23	Taiye Selasi:  thank you. it's thrilling to have such a huge effort on my hands. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:23 Taiye Selasi

4:24	[Comment From CorinneCorinne: ]  I see the theme of injustice running through your book. Kweku being fired for his failed surgery, the scene where Kehinde and Taiwo are accused of sex is that part of your message to the reader? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:24 Corinne

4:25

Taiye Selasi:  corinne, another wonderful question. i truly don't believe that i have a message -- one message, a coherent message -- to deliver. my goal in writing this novel was merely to render the humanity, the frailty, the beauty of this family as faithfully as possible. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:25 Taiye Selasi

4:25	Nora - EarlyWord:  I was fascinated by the relationship of the twins -- twins seem exotic in the U.S. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:25 Nora - EarlyWord

4:25	Taiye Selasi:  i know! being a twin is so important to me, and to yoruba (nigeria) culture. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:25 Taiye Selasi

4:26	[Comment From CorinneCorinne: ]  I can say you did deliver your message with success. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:26 Corinne

4:26	[Comment From CorinneCorinne: ]  The other feeling I got while reading is that your want the readers to know that the Africian academics are climbing the charts and surpassing the asian population. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:26 Corinne

4:26	Taiye Selasi:  may i ask, corinne, what you felt the message was Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:26 Taiye Selasi

4:27	Nora - EarlyWord:  Big question. We'll let Corinne formulate her response and take another question. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:27 Nora - EarlyWord

4:27	[Comment From LilyLily: ]  How much time have you spent in Ghana? Did you ever live there? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:27 Lily

4:27	Taiye Selasi:  i haven't, no. i go every year, at least one time a year, and my mum has lived there for 11 years. so it feels like one of many homes. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:27 Taiye Selasi

4:28	Taiye Selasi:  since 2008, i've been bouncing around between new york, accra, and new delhi, settling finally in rome in 2012. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:28 Taiye Selasi

4:28	Nora - EarlyWord:  Your book made me think about love; what we're willing to forgive, what we can't and what we wish we had forgiven. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:28 Nora - EarlyWord

4:28	[Comment From CorinneCorinne: ]  I felt that the message was to get rid of the stero-type of a poor uneducated country and to show your readers that this is the new population in Africia Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:28 Corinne

4:29	Taiye Selasi:  wonderful, corinne. thank you. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:29 Taiye Selasi

4:29	Nora - EarlyWord:  Do you think that Afropolians will have an impact on their home countries? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:29 Nora - EarlyWord

4:30	Taiye Selasi:  absolutely! many of them -- us -- live in their home countries to begin with. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:30 Taiye Selasi

4:30	Taiye Selasi:  and the rest of us, scattered around the world, are always thinking about how to effect some sort of meaningful change vis-a-vis our continent. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:30 Taiye Selasi

4:30	[Comment From CatherineCatherine: ]  I fell in love with your characters, Taiye. I could feel the messiness of family life and relationships, as well as the hope and despair each experienced. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:30 Catherine

4:30	[Comment From SusanSusan: ]  I absolutely loved your work. It was the character development that fascinated me Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:30 Susan

4:30	[Comment From SusanSusan: ]  Did the characters arrive whole to you? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:30 Susan

4:31	Taiye Selasi:  i'm so happy to hear that, susan and catherine. stories, characters, worlds, narratives always arrive that way: entire, whole. the struggle is not what happens or to whom, but how and with what music, on what timing. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:31 Taiye Selasi

4:31

[Comment From AnneAnne: ]  I just want to thank you for this wonderful novel. Loved the lyrical writing, the multiple narrators and getting into their heads, each of the character's journeys. I was talking to the characters as I read the book - telling them just say that, just do that, or no don't do that. Just amazing! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:31 Anne

4:32	Taiye Selasi:  anne, trust me, i was doing the same thing :) Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:32 Taiye Selasi

4:32	Taiye Selasi:  but these characters had minds of their own. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:32 Taiye Selasi

4:32	Nora - EarlyWord:  Taiye, Toni Morrison is a mentor; what have you learned from her? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:32 Nora - EarlyWord

4:33

Taiye Selasi:  so much! but the thing i remember most has nothing to do with writing. i asked her once whether she believed that we all have a soulmate, whether there's someone out there for all of us. do you have one true love? she answered: no, i think you have seven. but you have to travel. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:33 Taiye Selasi

4:33	Taiye Selasi:  and so i have traveled :) Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:33 Taiye Selasi

4:34	Nora - EarlyWord:  I felt that Olu and Ling's relationship was less fraught then the other characters -- but theirs was a relatively young one. I kept wondering where they might end up. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:34 Nora - EarlyWord

4:34	Taiye Selasi:  oh, i wouldnt call their relationship young, they've been together for over 14 years. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:34 Taiye Selasi

4:35	Taiye Selasi:  but they fit. they work. they are in love. it happens :) Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:35 Taiye Selasi

4:36	Nora - EarlyWord:  Interestingly, they both have difficult relationships with their fathers. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:36 Nora - EarlyWord

4:36	Taiye Selasi:  they do. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:36 Taiye Selasi

4:36	Taiye Selasi:  they have so much in common. they are friends to each other, they are journeymates. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:36 Taiye Selasi

4:36	Taiye Selasi:  in many ways, their relationship reminds me of mine with my twin. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:36 Taiye Selasi

4:37	Nora - EarlyWord:  I always imagine that this will be the question that authors most hate -- are you working on another book? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:37 Nora - EarlyWord

4:37	Taiye Selasi:  i am! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:37 Taiye Selasi

4:37	Nora - EarlyWord:  Spill! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:37 Nora - EarlyWord

4:37	Taiye Selasi:  it's set in rome, and it's another narrative that arrived whole, years ago. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:37 Taiye Selasi

4:37	Nora - EarlyWord:  Also with a complex family? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:37 Nora - EarlyWord

4:37	Taiye Selasi:  is there any other kind? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:37 Taiye Selasi

4:37	[Comment From CorinneCorinne: ]  How about Sadie and Philae's relationship. Bulimia caused by the media in Sadie. Could you comment. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:37 Corinne

4:38	Taiye Selasi:  certainly. i think sadie's relationship with food is very much influenced by sadie's relationship with her mother. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:38 Taiye Selasi

4:38	Taiye Selasi:  but there are, of course, the pressures of being a young woman in american society. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:38 Taiye Selasi

4:39	Taiye Selasi:  and i do believe that our society promotes the pursuit of a physical aesthetic that can be incredibly damaging to young girls, especially fragile ones. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:39 Taiye Selasi

4:40	[Comment From CorinneCorinne: ]  All so true. Fola clings too much. That will cause a cry for control. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:40 Corinne

4:40	[Comment From CorinneCorinne: ]  You have a model style to you, therefore, do you have the pressures of eating? Great style and beauty. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:40 Corinne

4:41	Taiye Selasi:  thank you, corinne! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:41 Taiye Selasi

4:41	Taiye Selasi:  in prep school and college, i suffered deeply for the ways in which i did not approximate the north american ideal of beauty. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:41 Taiye Selasi

4:41	Taiye Selasi:  i have to say, living in italy has helped so much: this culture enjoys such a different relationship to women, beauty, and food. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:41 Taiye Selasi

4:43	Nora - EarlyWord:  Ugh! I hate that the North American ideal affected even you -- there are so many kinds of beauty. The world is richer for that. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:43 Nora - EarlyWord

4:43	Taiye Selasi:  nora, i could not agree more. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:43 Taiye Selasi

4:43	Taiye Selasi:  and i hope that if i ever have a daughter, i'll be able to share this with her, this sense of self. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:43 Taiye Selasi

4:43	Nora - EarlyWord:  OK, I am dying to post the photo of you in the Alexander McQueen jacket. Will you kill me? Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:43 Nora - EarlyWord

4:43	Taiye Selasi:  i will not. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:43 Taiye Selasi

4:44	Taiye Selasi:  but only because it's such an exquisite work of art. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:44 Taiye Selasi

4:44	Nora - EarlyWord:  Oh, no! I had decided not to use it, so I didn't save it. But folks can find it in the Telegraph interview! Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord

4:44	[Comment From CorinneCorinne: ]  We really need to address this problem of thin and the young girls who are affected by what they see in the mirror. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:44 Corinne

4:44	Taiye Selasi:  corinne, we do. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:44 Taiye Selasi

4:44	Taiye Selasi:  it's a public health crisis that goes often ignored. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:44 Taiye Selasi

4:45	Nora - EarlyWord:  Taiye has to go -- am going to post just one more question... Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:45 Nora - EarlyWord

4:45	[Comment From SusanSusan: ]  I am going back to your comment on poetry. I thought throughout the work but particularly in the death scene that your work was poetical Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:45 Susan

4:45	Taiye Selasi:  susan, sometimes i think i might be a poet in love with narrative that cannot be confined to poetry -- leaving me in the curious position of having to render entire stories through metered prose. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:45 Taiye Selasi

4:46	Nora - EarlyWord:  Thanks, Taiye and to all the First Flights members for joining us. We hope you’ll enjoy recommending GHANA MUST GO when it is published on March 5. This chat is now available in the archive; tell your colleagues to check it out. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:46 Nora - EarlyWord

4:46	Nora - EarlyWord Cover of Ghana Must Go; Chat Begins at 4 p.m., Eastern Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:46

4:47	Taiye Selasi:  thank you so, so much to all of you for participating. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:47 Taiye Selasi

4:47	Nora - EarlyWord:  Goodbye, everyone. This has been fun. Wednesday February 6, 2013 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord

 

 

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