Broadens the space for a discussion of reading based in some degree of theorizing that has already occurred within the community of African-American critics and scholars. Argues that those engaged in reader-oriented approaches to literature need to intervene in the canonical debates and the critical practices of noncanonical literatures through…

Discusses three "touchstone" young adult books by contemporary Nigerian writers--Jide Oguntoye's TOO COLD FOR COMFORT, Buchi Emecheta's THE BRIDE PRICE, and Agbo Areo's DIRECTOR! (MM)

Offers a new perspective on the novel, "No Longer at Ease," and comments on its sub-themes: the clash of two civilizations, the antipathy between youth and old age, human fallibility, social and moral decadence. In contrast with his earlier novel, Achebe writes topical satire for educated Africans. (LHW)

Contends that "disillusionment novels" are characterized by a circumscribed vision of the world which itself is a function of limits set upon the authors by the historical situation of their position in society. Analyzes two Nigerian classic examples of the genre, Chinua Achebe's "A Man of the People" and Wole Soyinka's…

Finds the commentaries of U.S. critics on the works of Chinua Achebe and other African writers ethnocentric, misinformed, and devoid of cogent analysis. Advocates a microscopic sociocultural contextualization of the works, emphasizing the nuances, history, and specifications of the African milieu. Discusses Achebe's special place in reading lists…

Adds to the growing dialogue on diaspora literature in relation to women's writings. Examines Anglophone West African, African-American, and Caribbean women writers for hidden and not so hidden commonalities in their works. (RS)

Discusses the reasons for Black women novelists not allying themselves with White feminists and the differences between the two groups' perspectives. Introduces the term "womanism" to express a philosophy that celebrates Black roots and the ideals of Black life while giving a balanced presentation of Black womandom. (SA)

Reviews three folktales and a children's novella, "Chike and the River," by the Nigerian author and compares them to his adult short stories. Observes that, aside from differences in scale or degree, the style of his children's stories is basically the same as that of his adult works. (FMW)

Discusses books for Nigerian children that deal with the common dilemma of whether to send a village child to boarding school to receive a Western education. Shows which books have stereotypical characterizations and which deal with more natural settings, characters, and issues. (SKC)

Examines the novels of two African writers to determine the nature of the black African women's experience. Attempts to determine how this experience can be analyzed in depth and breadth by progressing through four feminist perspectives: (1) personal, (2) social, (3) multicultural, and (4) spiritual/philosophical. (Author/SA)

Notes that Nigerian children's literature, long neglected, is beginning to receive its due scholarly attention. Summarizes its characteristics and cites popular examples. (FL)

Reports on a computerized statistical study of discourse bias and the specificity of female writing against male writing. Examines the characters in 20 novels written by male and female Francophone African authors. Finds a number of significant differences that characterize the make-up of novels by the two sexes. (CFR)

Compares characterization in Western and African novels. Observes that the characters in African novels are principally mediums for exposing the sociopolitical situation. (FMW)

This issue of "Kansas English" contains three articles on the topic "English Literature Outside Traditional Rubrics." The first article, by Nancy S. Prichard, discusses the importance of the new literatures in the education of children and young adults. New literatures are defined as the writings of minority group members in the United States and…

Examination of examples of "Nigerian English" in novels by two prominent Nigerian authors reveals such linguistic behavior as translating directly from Nigerian languages, stressing least effort and economy of expression, incorporating sociocultural logic and imperatives of the Nigerian environment, and displaying "hypercorrected…