Children of A Retired God

by Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0976835436
• ISBN13: 9780976835431
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: Iroko Productions
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

How to Write a Column

How to Write a Column A Review of Children of A Retired God by Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo By Chiazoka Agudosi First he stalked MEE. Now he stalks Maureen Dowd, figuratively. In the Children of A Retired God, Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo finally confesses. Like MEE and Maureen, Okonkwo does not just write, he entertains. Splashed on several pages were his attempts at being cute with words, just like Maureen Dowd does on her column in the New York Times. Sometimes he succeeds and sometimes he fails. When he succeeds, he will make you scream, whoa! When he fails, he makes you curse the dictionary. But the good thing is that he succeeds most of the time. Those who will read Children of A Retired God in search of the children or their retired God will not see them. But those who will read it in search of their essence will see them. Children of a Retired God is divided into six parts. The first part, Floating Memories, mostly autobiographical, gives a glimpse of who Okonkwo is. It is a delightful meal for anyone who wishes to understand the transfiguration of an African exile. From the personal, Okonkwo presents a global picture of the humanity of us all. The divided soul of an exile, his pain and nostalgic yearnings, all drip to the edges of each page. The second part, The President Lied, gives readers the best of Okonkwo. Here, he is creative, funny and provocative. Pieces like Idi Amin Storms Hell, Julius Nyerere Chats with Angel Gabriel, An interview with Lord Lugard are materials that separate him from many other columnists. He delivers the same commentary everyone aspires to in a refreshing manner. His is a type of writing that leaves a sweet taste in the mouth of the reader, days and days after. Again, in what seems like an attempt to bring the African experience closer to the African American experience, Okonkwo in Temporary Interruptions wakes up the likes of Marcus Garvey, Sojourner Truth, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King jr. to highlight the lessons in their experiences and the parallels in their struggles with the struggles of Black people across the world. In an unconscious way, Okonkwo pays tribute to prominent African Americans whose contributions made it possible for Africans in exile to enjoy a reasonable life in America. In Melancholy Mood, Okonkwo examines life in exile which those of us in exile know is not always pretty. He brings up social issues that confront those who choose exile over home. Some of the issues are so new to the exiles that nothing in their lives had prepared them for it. Some good examples of these issues that confront an African exile who came from a conservative society are things like gay rights, women's rights, religious freedom and children's right. They have practical implications to an African trying to raise a child abroad. Here, Okonkwo gives Africans hoping to emigrate a glimpse of some untold challenges of the immigrant's life. In section five, On the Contrary, Okonkwo focuses on his home country, Nigeria. H