Here’s a tribute to Black History Month first published by Zocalo. It’s a mini account of my observations and experiences in Birmingham, my first time to visit the Civil Rights Museum, the 16th Street Baptist Church, and meeting the god of forge. On a Sunday, in that baptist church with its red cushioned chairs, I […]
About MKB
Mildred Kiconco Barya is a North Carolina-based writer, educator, and poet of East African descent. She teaches and lectures globally, and is the author of four full-length poetry collections, most recently "The Animals of My Earth School" released by Terrapin Books, 2023. Her prose, hybrids, and poems have appeared in Shenandoah, Joyland, The Cincinnati Review, Tin House, New England Review, and elsewhere. She’s now working on a collection of creative nonfiction, and her essay, “Being Here in This Body”, won the 2020 Linda Flowers Literary Award and was published in the North Carolina Literary Review. She serves on the boards of African Writers Trust, Story Parlor, and coordinates the Poetrio Reading events at Malaprop’s Independent Bookstore/Café. She blogs here: www.mildredbarya.com
Sorcery, kingdom business and the Epic of Sundiata
This month I’ve burrowed into old epics: Gilgamesh, Sundiata, Genji, Beowulf, the Iliad, the Odyssey and so on, to reacquaint myself and figure out how these ancient literatures are sustained in contemporary writing. I had forgotten how funny and serious at the same time they are. For me, they’re the quintessence of “serious play.” I […]
Bewilderment
Fanny Howe’s essay, “Bewilderment” is popular among writers. The word itself has a magical and mysterious charm.Visiting home after a long stay away, it has occurred to me that what I am seeing and experiencing is nothing short of bewilderment. It’s natural, I guess, to make comparisons, to remember how home, places and cities are […]
Amos Tutuola and “The Palm-Wine Drinkard” revisited
Recently I reread Amos Tutuola’s classic: The Palm-Wine Drinkard at the same time I was revisiting Cervantes’ Don Quixote, and was surprised to see how close, how similar the two books are. I mean, they’re both outrageous in their summations, conquests, tales of chivalry and trickery. In my opinion, they belong to the same genre […]
“Perhaps it just means that I still have a heart”
Book Review of The Secret History of Las Vegas Sometime in the summer I wanted to read books that delight, entertain and also instruct in a subtle way. Pede Hollist suggested Chris Abani, and I realized he had been on my list for many years but I never quite got to reading him. I started […]
Summer goal accomplished, novel ms revised
Such a delightful summer! It’s been both fun and productive. Had a goal to complete revising my novel manuscript under the working title: What Was Left Behind, and also to enjoy Colorado, get out a lot, commune with the mountains and woods. I’m happy to report that last night at exactly eleven minutes to 1am, […]
On “Donal Og” and How We Remember
Sharing with you my piece on the old Irish poem “Donal Og” and How We Remember, published by Zocalo. To access the piece, enter Zocalo site here. Enjoy
‘cannot read Edmond Jabès in a hammock
I tried The hammock being the latest development in my life. The latest delight. So I thought, I can now read everything while lying down in my hammock. I can enjoy the sunshine and cool breeze, I can enjoy the great Colorado outdoors and not miss catching up on my reading because I’ll be reading, […]
So the Path Does Not Die by Pede Hollist
I’ve had this book for a while sitting on my shelf and beckoning to be read. But I got sucked into all the reading and writing for my PhD program I hardly had any time left for books outside the class requirements. When summer started and I closed the first year, So the Path Does […]
Telling Tales: Audio version of “Bless the Broken Path”
Summertime Great for listening, reading, traveling, sharing, and Shannon Guillory a.k.a. “Ms.G” honors us with the audio version of my story, Bless the Broken Path, read in her most warm and delightful voice on KTOO 104.3, in Juneau, Alaska. To listen, here is the clip Thank you.
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MKB: Dear Nyakisa, Good news! "The Animals of My Earth...
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Nyakisa Beth: Will it be available in Uganda?...
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Wm Epes: Dr. Barya: Hope you are well. Enj...
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