I just returned from a very full 3 weeks of road and air travel that took me to London, Uganda and Kenya. Yesterday as I was about to enter my apartment building in New York with my luggage, a neighbor who held the door open for me seemed relieved to see me. I recognized her but don’t know her personally. …
My ‘Americanah’ Story
My favorite Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is in New York to promote her latest novel, Americanah, which just came out in paperback. Last night she spoke to a packed house at the Tenement Museum (www.tenement.org), today she’ll be a guest on the Brian Lehrer show on WNYC and next week she’ll be at the Schomburg in Harlem. That …
My Irish Mini-Adventure
Several months ago, before I had any idea I’d have the opportunity to visit Northern Ireland, I went to see the film, Philomena. Though it is ultimately a tragic and sad story, I laughed a lot through it. There were many moments of humor, brought on usually by the culture and socioeconomic clashes between the British Oxbridge-educated journalist Martin Sixsmith …
Setting Sail on the RMS Queen Mary: New Beginnings
Just over 55 years ago, the RMS Queen Mary set sail from New York City heading toward Southampton, England. For two of its passengers in tourist class, it would alter the course of their lives, and impact others for generations to come. Gally Brown-Peterside, a Nigerian student (now deceased), was making his way to England to study law. Seven years …