Jazz and Palm Wine (Paperback)

Jazz, aliens, and witchcraft collide in this collection of short stories by renowned author Emmanuel Dongala. The influence of Kongo culture is tangible throughout, as customary beliefs clash with party conceptions of scientific and rational thought. In the first half of Jazz and Palm Wine, the characters emerge victorious from decades of colonial exploitation in the Congo only to confront the burdensome bureaucracy, oppressive legal systems, and corrupt governments of the post-colonial era. The ruling political party attempts to impose order and scientific thinking while the people struggles to deal with drought, infertility, and impossible regulations and policies; both sides mix witchcraft, diplomacy, and violence in their efforts to survive. The second half of the book is set in the United States during the turbulent civil rights struggles of the 1960s. In the title story, African and American leaders come together to save the world from extraterrestrials by serving vast quantities of palm wine and playing American jazz. The stories in Jazz and Palm Wine prompt conversations about identity, race, and co-existence, providing contextualization and a historical dimension that is often sorely lacking. Through these collisions and clashes, Dongala suggests a pathway to racial harmony, peaceful co-existence, and individual liberty through artistic creation.

General

Imprint:	Indiana University Press
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Global African Voices
Release date:	April 2017
Authors:	Emmanuel Dongala
Translators:	Dominic Thomas
Foreword by:	Dominic Thomas
Dimensions:	216 x 140 x 9mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	138
ISBN-13:	978-0-253-02669-9
Categories:	Books > Fiction > Special features > Short stories Promotions Books > Fiction > Promotions
LSN:	0-253-02669-5
Barcode:	9780253026699

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