I knew I didn't want to come out in the 'New Yorker'; it just felt wrong. It needed an African conversation. Binyavanga Wainaina More Quotes by Binyavanga Wainaina More Quotes From Binyavanga Wainaina I have learned that I, we, are a dollar-a-day people (which is terrible, they say, because a cow in Japan is worth $9 a day). This means that a Japanese cow would be a middle class Kenyan... a $9-a-day cow from Japan could very well head a humanitarian NGO in Kenya. Massages are very cheap in Nairobi, so the cow would be comfortable. Binyavanga Wainaina japan class mean Everywhere I go, I see young people: Confident, forward looking. I have seen them in Lagos, in Rwanda, in the suburbs of London. Binyavanga Wainaina london young people Every human being has a bit of gangster in him. Binyavanga Wainaina bits gangsters humans All people have dignity. Theres nobody who was born without a soul and a spirit. Binyavanga Wainaina soul spirit people International correspondents with their long dictaphones, and dirty jeans, and five hundred words before whiskey, are slouched over the red velvet chairs, in the VIP section in the front, looking for the Story: the Most Macheteing Deathest, Most Treasury Corruptest, Most Entrail-Eating Civil Warest, Most Crocodile-Grinning Dictatorest, MOst Heart-Wrenching and Genociding Pulitzerest, Most Black Big-Eyed Oxfam Child Starvingest, Most Wild African Savages Having AIDS-Ridden Sexest with Genetically Mutilatedest Girls...The Most Authentic Real Black Africanest story they can find. Binyavanga Wainaina girl real children I’m extremely optimistic about rapid transformation and change of things in Africa in general. Binyavanga Wainaina rapids transformation optimistic I like the idea of readers feeling a familiarity, whether its with Africa or childhood. Binyavanga Wainaina childhood feelings ideas It is a pink and blue feeling, as sharp as clear sky; a slight breeze, and the edges of Lake Nakuru would rise like the ruffle at the edge of a skirt; and I am pockmarked with whole-body pinpricks of potentiality. A stretch of my body would surely stretch as far as the sky. The whole universe poised, and I am the agent of any movement. Binyavanga Wainaina lakes sky blue I believe in, and will to the best of my ability fight for, equal rights and freedom of opinion for everyone, regardless of colour, religion, nationality, orientation - you know the rest. Binyavanga Wainaina fighting rights believe I love playing with words and texture. Binyavanga Wainaina texture People reach an age... where somebody elses platform is no longer yours. Binyavanga Wainaina platforms age people Africa is to be pitied, worshipped or dominated Binyavanga Wainaina There is no country in the world with the diversity, confidence and talent and black pride like Nigeria. Binyavanga Wainaina diversity pride country I, Binyavanga Wainaina, quite honestly swear I have known I am a homosexual since I was five. Binyavanga Wainaina homosexual honestly swear We are a mixed up people. We have mixed up ways of naming, too... When my father's brothers and sisters first went to colonial schools, they had to produce a surname. They also had to show they were good Christians by adopting a western name. They adopted my grandfather's name as surname. Wainaina. Binyavanga Wainaina name good father people There's no point for me in being a writer and having all these blocked places where I feel I can't think freely and imagine freely. There just really is no point. Binyavanga Wainaina feel being think me The time we are living in is the greatest opportunity to be queer, and it is almost the most dangerous time because everything is up for grabs. Binyavanga Wainaina everything dangerous opportunity time Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel prize. Binyavanga Wainaina picture your never book In kindergarten, we had this Irish Catholic headmistress called Sister Leonie, and I remember she would tell us, say, to put the crayons in the box. I remember thinking, 'Why is everyone finding this so easy? Why should the crayons be in the box?' Binyavanga Wainaina sister easy remember thinking It's like I was always not quite sure even how to move in space somehow; I would watch people and then copy them. I found it really hard to walk straight. My brother was always on at me for walking off the pavement. I guess I always expected people to bring me back into line. Binyavanga Wainaina walk me brother people
