A Spirit of Dialogue
Subtitle: Incarnations of Ogbanje the Born-to-Die, in African American Literature
Edition: 1 edition
Publisher: Univ Tennessee Press; The University of Tennessee Press
Published: May 1, 2008
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 266
ISBN-13: 9781572336155
Subjects: Social Science / African-American Studies; American - General; Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General; Social Science; Ethnic Issues; Sociology
Description: "A groundbreaking study, A Spirit of Dialogue examines through extensive, interdisciplinary research, theory, and close reading the intricate reconstructions, extensions, and resonances of the West African myth of spirit children, the "Born-to-Die," in contemporary African American neo-slave narratives. Arguing that the myth, called "Ogbanje" in Igbo language and "abiku" in Yoruba, has had over thirty years of uncharted presence in African American literature, Okonkwo advances a compelling case absent in extant scholarship."--BOOK JACKET.