In a recent post, I mentioned my short story being published in Agbowó’s LIMITS issue. A few days ago I got a review for the story. It’s the best review I’ve ever had in my life, for any of my work.
This is the review below ;
Hello Erhu Kome Yellow.
Good morning. I hope this message meets you well.
It’s so wonderful to share this small space with another Urhobo person who writes pure gorgeousness.
I am happy to have read ‘Made of Water’ on Agbowo.
I so love it. I truly do.
At first I was like how does she intend to fit the eco struggles in the devastated Niger Delta Region into her narrative ( because that’s a very stubborn topic)? Where did she forget Akpo and his gun? Where has she taken us to with all this oyinbo names? And then it hit me, hit me hard. Your experimental style. I straightened up at that realization, brightened my laptop screen and began to clap. clap. clap.
I so love how you were able to perfectly blend divergent phenomena and people in an antithetical way. For example, the embattled world of home and that of ‘the shiny abroad’; the arguably phantasmic Akpo versus the real Risette; Their simultaneously ‘being’ and not ‘being’ (which, in fact, reminds me of a poem by Rumi – Divers clothes on the beach. I should send it to you); The two mothers who are separated from their children, and how the finality of prison/detention on each end drills down the reader’s emotion.
I cried @ “Take care of your mama/ Take care of your mama that is all.”
That part made me look inward, think deeply about all the ways I have not been good to my loving mother.
Thank you for writing that ingenious story. My respect 🙌
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If I could frame this I would. For now I’m gonna share it so everyone can see. If you haven’t read the issue, you can find it here. It’s easy and free to download
ErhuKome 