My friend Ronald Gottesman says...that the cause of all our trouble is the belief in an essential, pure identity: religious, ethnic, historical, ideological. Chris Abani More Quotes by Chris Abani More Quotes From Chris Abani What I've come to learn is that the world is never saved in grand messianic gestures, but in the simple accumulation of gentle, soft, almost invisible acts of compassion. Chris Abani compassion simple world You know, you can steel your heart against any kind of trouble, any kind of horror. But the simple act of kindness from a complete stranger will unstitch you. Chris Abani simple kindness heart What we know about who we are comes from stories. It's the agents of our imagination who really shape who we are. Chris Abani agents imagination stories Narrative is a very feeble weapon in the face of human darkness and yet it's all we have. That we have to hang the transformation and survival of our species on the journey and transformation of one singular person so far outside of what we expect they can do. Chris Abani survival journey darkness The privilege of being a writer is that you have this opportunity to slow down and to consider things. Chris Abani privilege down-and opportunity People think that writing is writing, but actually writing is editing. Otherwise, you're just taking notes Chris Abani editing writing thinking What I've come to learn is that the world is never saved in grand messianic gestures, but in the simple accumulation of gentle, soft, almost invisible acts of compassion, everyday acts of compassion. In South Africa they have a phrase called ubuntu. Ubuntu comes out of a philosophy that says, the only way for me to be human is for you to reflect my humanity back at me. Chris Abani compassion simple philosophy Unlike other books or TV shows or sometimes life, my narrative worlds are stripped of implicit moral centers. There is only what you bring. That makes the characters risky in every way and the narrative, a journey of change for the reader. But I make the journey as fun as I can. Chris Abani fun character book Fiction and poetry are my first loves, but the really beautiful lyrical essay can do so much that other forms cannot. Chris Abani first-love beautiful fiction In this time of the Internet and nonfiction, to be on an actual bookshelf in an actual bookstore is exciting in itself. Chris Abani nonfiction bookstores internet Fiction is more dangerous than nonfiction because it can seduce better. I think we all know this, know that deeper truths can be approached in fiction than in fact. There are risks for the reader, because after reading certain books you find you have changed irreversibly. There are risks for writers: in China, now, and Ethiopia and other countries right now, writers face real persecution. Chris Abani real country book If there was no risk, it wouldn't be art. It wouldn't be worth making. There is risk even in a fairy tale. Fiction is closest to pure narrative, and pure narrative is simply the logic we try to impose on an ever-changing reality. Chris Abani risk reality art That women are mysterious and unknowable is something every young man grows up believing. Men, on the other hand, never think of themselves as mysterious or confusing, and we are often at a loss as to why women want to figure us out. Chris Abani growing-up loss believe Sometimes we say we want an end to hate or racism or sexism. But we all participate in keeping these structures alive. If everyone decided to relinquish the past what would happen to people who feel that there hasn't been proper atonement made to them? And what happens to the person who feels that the constant atonement is their identity? Chris Abani hate people past Men do communicate, often very directly, but women sometimes cannot accept how simple what we have to say is. We seldom play games--we aren't that sophisticated. Chris Abani simple play men Fire and Water are archetypes, the split sides of consciousness; one aware, the other, not. The two parts of us that desire synthesis, yet resist it: the self and the shadow. But they are also the element of chance, of the random roll of dice. Chris Abani self fire two You can count on Scandinavian literature for a certain kind of darkness, a modern mythic style. Chris Abani style literature darkness Before you speak, my friend, remember, a spiritual man contain his anger. Angry words are like slap in de face. Chris Abani anger spiritual men Literature is an aspect of story and story is all that exists to make sense of reality. War is a story. Now you begin to see how powerful story is because it informs our worldview and our every action, our every justification is a story. So how can story not be truly transformative? I've seen it happen in real ways, not in sentimental ways or in the jargon of New Age liberal ideology. Chris Abani powerful real war Nigerians are everywhere. There's an old joke, particularly about the Ibos, that when you finally land on Mars, you're going to find a Nigerian there who has a shop that is selling Coca-Cola--who took a speculative trip 20 years ago and has been waiting for everyone else to arrive. Chris Abani land waiting years
