17 September 2016

WEAPONS OF WORDS

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
§ WEAPONS OF WORDS : FAROUK ASVAT §
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
§ WEAPONS OF WORDS © Farouk Asvat 

     Authentic literature is the bloodbeat of contemporary society.  It transmits the pains and laughter of the writer's environment.  It alerts against violations of the Truth. 

     Literature does not develop in a void.  It is a transformation of the reality into an artform, utilizing the dialects of the time; getting its shape, direction and field of concern from the social, political and economic forces that interact in a particular society. 

     The creative writer is the conscience of the people, the interpreter of his society.  His writings must be a subjective-objective representation: an objective arrival at the facts, a subjective and honest re-creation of the passion and the pain.  His writings cannot be a mere reflection of the environment - an image as flat as the mirror he uses.  Instead, the artist must ‘experience’ the sweat and the soul of his people; he must burn in the fires of the conflicts, complexities and contradictions; in the iniquities, intensities and interactions; constantly waging war between Truth and what is served as truth in commercialized prepacks.  And from such baptism comes the burning image, the vital living representation of the times, the fiery sizzling brand on the brain. 

     The writer must be tuned to the reality: the subtle effects upon the psyche of the South African variety of oppression; the inventive manifestations of self-survival; the slang of the shebeen; the misery of the many, the mansions of the miserly few; the sorrows in the triumphs of the struggle; the joy of seeing one's beloved alive again in prison; the lament mingled with the tribute for the manchild confronting the weapons of barbarism. 

     Thus the writer must be committed to his situation: he must foster the unity of his people, the creative unity of the forces against oppression; and counteract the clan-forming techniques of the masters of evil and their servile monkey-marionettes. 

     And under the prevailing circumstances it is the writer's duty to serve an indictment against the racialism and atrocities perpetrated in the name of a warped sense of civilization.  His writings must be the alarmbell that awakens the somnambulant creatures from their smug inertia.  His writings must be the bongobeat that spurs the conscious mind towards constructive deeds.  And his writings, to be honest, cannot but serve as a bizarre catalogue of genocide for humanity and history. 

     And beside the varied manifestations of the present, the writer must be aware of his past: not as some romantic paradise he wishes to return to - for the times have changed - but as a living reality, knowing the heroes of mankind who had died so that others might live.  Furthermore, he must search for the wealth of his own culture: the oral ‘literature’ of myths and legends, songs and folktales, poems and proverbs. 

     But not only is the present and the past the writer's territory - the future too is his domain: to be aware of the directions of the paths to be taken; to make sure that the wishes of our people, our Azania, are not prostituted after independence to serve the gods of the businessmen; to help prevent and warn in time against imperialism being replaced by neocolonialism in all its varied manifestations. 

     But the writer, in spite of his involvement, cannot allow his commitment to impinge on his judgement or on his creative prowess.  The writer, using Truth and Justice as criteria, must also possess sufficient courage for honest self-analysis and even criticism of the very forces that act as catalysts of the desires of the people.  He must maintain perspective, sensitive to sideshows veering the struggle towards deadends, or towards the selfish interests of selfglory.  The writer must question; for questions are creative; and creativity leads to the development of the community.  Because once a nation has stopped questioning its own path, blindly following the highway doctrines - no matter what the philosophy - then the turbulent waters come to rest, accumulating stagnant filth, ceasing to flow like fresh murmuring streams mounting momentum towards the rainbow of our ideals. 

     The writer is the medium of the creative source, the fountain stemming from underground streams of loneliness, laughter and longing, into the rivers of everyday struggle, towards the vibrant oceans of Justice lashing against the stationary statues of suppression.  The writer articulates the emotions and needs of his people, using his powers of fantasy to re-create the breath of society - delving beyond the veneer of neonlights and glossy magazines to the subterranean powers that move people to act the way they do.  

     And men wielding usurped power fear even the printed letters - the weapons of words -: it disturbs their sleep, makes them hurriedly gulp another glass of oude meester, makes them buy another lock to keep the world out, locking themselves in.  No wonder the intensive actions against almost all our creative writers or their works. 

     There are none innocent.  Not even the deaf and blind can deny knowledge of the existence of these rife iniquities.  And who can remain silent?  Those who have lost the potential to be outraged by such brutalities have lost the right to call themselves civilized human beings.  "The man dies who remains silent in the face of tyranny."  Thus, the writer cannot but stir the muddy waters; he cannot but propagate the upheaval of this reign that violates all concepts of humanity.  And if the pen is to be a weapon in our struggle, if it is to stab like a dagger, shoot like a gun, if it is to stimulate dull consciences into reawakening, then the novelist, the poet, the dramatist, cannot but be an authentic revolutionary. 

     La Luta Continua! 

© farouk asvat

     "The man dies who remains silent in the face of tyranny."
          [] Wole Soyinka ("The Man Died")
_______________________________________________________________________    
WEAPONS OF WORDS 
contents:

WEAPONS OF WORDS 
Weapons of Words
Creativity and Development In Literature:
     a critical look at black south african literature in the context of third world and world fiction
The Sad Splendour of Latin American Literature
Modern Arab Literature: a clash of cultures
Jorge Luis Borges: the forking paths of the labyrinths
The Power of Words (an interview)
Black South African Writing: a critical appraisal
I Say

THE JOYS OF LITERATURE 
100 Best Books of Fiction
100 Best Books of 20th Century Fiction
10 Best Books of Fiction
10 Best Books of Short Fiction
Best First Lines of Fiction
100 Best Books of Non-Fiction
50 Best Books of 20th Century Non-Fiction
10 Best Books of Non-Fiction
Senior High School Reading List
Junior High School Reading List
Primary School Reading ListClassics Illustrated
_______________________________________________________________________    
[§] Books by Farouk Asvat:

Sadness In The House Of Love (novel)
The Gathering Of The Storm (novel)
I Dream In Long Sentences (poetry)
The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry)
A Celebration Of Flames (poetry)
The Time Of Our Lives (poetry)
This Masquerade (short stories)
Bra Frooks … (poetry)*
The Paanies Are Coming (short stories)*
In The House Of Love (novel)*
Weapons Of Words (comparative literature & literary criticism)

¨ all my books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle
_______________________________________________________________________    
[] please check out my blogs @:


[] please join me on:

_______________________________________________________________________     
composed: 17 April 1976 [johannesburg, south africa under apartheid]

[] Acknowledgements:

Weapons Of Words was previously published in:
     Wietie 1 (Sable Press, p16, 1980);
     University Students' Bursary Committee (University of the Witwatersrand, p9, 1981);
     Vuka (Crescent Publications, p17, 1981);
     Weapons of Words (kindle, 2016);
     Weapons of Words (amazon paperback, p11, 2016)
_______________________________________________________________________    
© farouk asvat.  All rights reserved.
Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or transmitted in any form or any means whatsoever, mechanical or electronic, including recording, printing, photocopying, or via any computerised means or media, including the internet.  This publication shall also not be stored in a retrieval system.  And the writing shall not be sold, lent, hired, resold or circulated in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published,
without the prior permission of the author in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly & nonprofit purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10, 000 ren men bi or US$ 1,500.
_______________________________________________________________________    
[] weapons of words:
amazon (2016) #: isbn-10: 1537557912
                         #: isbn-13: 978-1537557915
kindle (2016): asin #: B01LZTTRDU
_______________________________________________________________________    
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: in paperback @ $15 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
#love #literature #fiction #novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books #classics
#faroukasvat #weapons #of #words #comparative #literature #literary #criticism
#weapons #of #words #weapons #of #words


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


17 April 2016

THE GATHERING OF THE STORM

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
§ THE GATHERING OF THE STORM : FAROUK ASVAT §
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
                           the latest novel by farouk asvat  

     "If the way to create
       is the way to kill,
       I have hoarded enough blood
       in my throat
       for all the hyenas to suck from."  
          [] Shiv K Kumar  

The Gathering Of The Storm is a continuation of Siddique's odyssey in Sadness In The House Of Love.  The volume consists of three novellas: Before The Deluge, set amidst the growing violence and humidity of a subtropical coastal city; The Victim, portrays the increasing racist violence in a coastal small town; and An Affair With The Sky's The Limit, is Siddique's continuing quest for love and freedom in an oppressive society. 

contents:  
Before The Deluge
     Siddique
     Shrimati
     Kali
     The Paanies Are Coming
The Victim
An Affair With The Sky's The Limit

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
§ THE PAANIES ARE COMING : FAROUK ASVAT §
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
                           the latest stories by farouk asvat  

Although the stories in The Paanies Are Coming are written in English,
these are the original versions:
with some of the original words, phrases and dialogue
in cape town slang / skollie lingo / kaapse praatjies /
kombuis afrikaans / durbanite / zulu / & local patois. 

The complete English versions of the following stories:
     The Paanies Are Coming
     The Victim
     An Affair With The Sky's The Limit
are published as a collection titled:
     The Gathering Of The Storm. 

     Kaaperi was previously unpublished, either in English or slang. 

contents: 
The Paanies Are Coming
     Siddique
     Shrimati
     Kali
     The Paanies Are Coming
The Victim
Kaaperi
An Affair With The Sky's The Limit

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: paperback @ $15 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL The Gathering Of The Storm by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: paperback @ $10 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the anthology I Dream In Long Sentences by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: paperback @ $10 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the anthology The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: paperback @ $10 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the anthology A Celebration Of Flames by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: paperback @ $10 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the anthology The Time Of Our Lives by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: paperback @ $10 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the anthology Bra Frooks … by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: paperback @ $7.50 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the SHORT STORIES The Paanies Are Coming by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: paperback @ $10 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the collection of literary ESSAYS Weapons of Words by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: paperback @ $10 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

© farouk asvat.  All rights reserved.

Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or transmitted in any form or any means whatsoever, mechanical or electronic, including recording, printing, photocopying, or via any computerised means or media, including the internet.  This publication shall also not be stored in a retrieval system.  And the writing shall not be sold, lent, hired, resold or circulated in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published,
without the prior permission of the author in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly & nonprofit purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10, 000 ren men bi or US$ 1,500.

farouk asvat can be contacted at: farouk.asvat@gmail.com

[] please check out my blogs @:





books by farouk asvat: www.faroukasvat-books.blogspot.com

[] also link up on:






amazon kindle author @ www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat

_________________________________________________________
[] the gathering of the storm:
amazon (2016): isbn-10 # 1532762445
                              isbn-13 # 978-1532762444
kindle (2016):    asin # ASIN: B01EDTBQ4M
_________________________________________________________
[] the paanies are coming:
amazon (2017): isbn-10 # 1545237239
                              isbn-13 # 978-1545237236
kindle (2017):    asin # B06ZYGFLFG
(amazon title id: 7076567)
_________________________________________________________
#love #literature #fiction #novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books
#faroukasvat #weapons of words #classics #magical realism
#the gathering of the storm #the paanies are coming


          www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat 


17 September 2015

I DREAM IN LONG SENTENCES

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
§ I DREAM IN LONG SENTENCES : FAROUK ASVAT §
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
                                        https://www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat  
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

''This is a very good poem indeed.  If not great.   At long last real poetry!
 The very titles of this man's books fascinate me.  
 I very greatly admire what I've seen of your work. '' 
    ● John Martin ''true poetry'', on Linkedin
     on ''Wanting To Be A Sufi'' & ''I Dream In Long Sentences''  

"A Celebration Of Flames is a powerful, impassioned call. The sanity and courage of this collection arises from the poet's unique experiential perceptions of his milieu, making him one of the few who can write about these traumatic times with such lucidity and lyricism. The strength of Farouk Asvat's poetry lies in the way he intertwines the complex elements of social and political conflicts with intense personal relationships. The wide tonal range extends from sensual and delicate insights into the nature of passion to the satiric and humorous use of slang."
     ● Winner of the Vita Award for his anthology "A Celebration Of Flames

"The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: ... like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time,
 and like vintage art the voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless."
     ● Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog

"The Time of Our Lives reveals a writer who enjoys words:
 he has a sense of rhythm close to TS Eliot and an eye for the modern image."
     Brian Rose, Rand Daily Mail

"Currently reading a book of incredible poems by @faroukasvat called ''The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs'.  
 The title poem brought me to tears."
     ● Léonicka; DynamicAfrica; et al on twitter

"Like hesitating snowflakes ... his words are fascinating in their capricious wilfulness ... like unexpected strokes of a whip."
     Susanne Baackmann, University Of Albuquerque , USA

"The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: ... like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time, and like vintage art the voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless."
    Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog

"His love poetry soars with an intense sensitivity, it celebrates lyrically the joys of a most exquisite sensuousness."
    Marcia Leveson, University Of The Witwatersrand

"Farouk Asvat … writes about love and suffering, about individualism, snobbishness, pretence and pride, about human and environmental beauty and about opposing oppression, and who deploys metaphysical, lyrical and colloquial language, slang and standard diction, all with equal strength and ease." 
     ● Cosmo Pieterse, Culture In Another South Africa
_________________________________________________________________________________ 
contents

MY HEART IS SOAKED IN SORROW
My Heart Is Soaked In Sorrow
Often I Have Thought Of You
The Love That Had Found Them

THE AUTUMNAL SOUNDS OF THE VIOLA
Mount Pinatubo
The Autumnal Sounds Of The Viola
the vase
blue poetry
duende
art
mirrors

BIRDS!
Birds!
Birds Of A Feather
Birds: at the zoo lake

AMERICAN CHOICES
American Choices
Directions To The Embarcadero
Plaza Cataluña, Barcelona
European Spires
Zimbabwe

OH MOTHER!
Beyond the Beyond
Let The Last Dance Last
An Application To Visit God
An Application To Go On The Pilgrimage
Oh Mother!

NO GOD CAME HERE TO ROCK 'N' ROLL
No God Came Here to Rock 'n' Roll
There Must Be A God Out There
The Rope Came Afterwards
I Have To Kill Myself

WHOEVER BROUGHT ME HERE
WILL HAVE TO TAKE ME HOME
Pain Is Full Of Life
You Know How
You Know How # 2
On Wanting To Be A Sufi

THE ZIONIST WALL
Critics
Another Form Of Oppression
Stuffed Brains
Rocks!
The Zionist Wall

I DREAM IN LONG SENTENCES
All That I Held In My Blood
I Did Not Want You
Although
Coast To Coast: new year's poem
What Does It Matter Now
It Wasn't That You Loved Me
O Marléne! a free-wheeling song for bob dylan
I Dream In Long Sentences
________________________________________________________________________________    
[§] Books by Farouk Asvat:

Sadness In The House Of Love (novel)
The Gathering Of The Storm (novel)
I Dream In Long Sentences (poetry)
The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry)
A Celebration Of Flames (poetry)
The Time Of Our Lives (poetry)
This Masquerade (short stories)
Bra Frooks … (poetry)*
The Paanies Are Coming (short stories)*
In The House Of Love (novel)*
Weapons Of Words (literary criticism)

all my books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle
________________________________________________________________________________    
[] please check out my blogs @:


[] please join me on:

________________________________________________________________________________    
© farouk asvat.  All rights reserved.
Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or transmitted in any form or any means whatsoever, mechanical or electronic, including recording, printing, photocopying, or via any computerised means or media, including the internet.  This publication shall also not be stored in a retrieval system.  And the writing shall not be sold, lent, hired, resold or circulated in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published,
without the prior permission of the author in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly & nonprofit purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10, 000 ren men bi or US$ 1,500.
________________________________________________________________________________    
[] I dream in long sentences:
amazon (2015): isbn-10 # 1517164532
                           isbn-13 # 978 1517164539
kindle (2015):    asin # ASIN: B015HHGV1W
________________________________________________________________________________    
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: in paperback @ $15 & kindle @ only $5
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

#love #literature #fiction #novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books #classics
#faroukasvat #weapons #of #words #comparative #literature #literary #criticism
#farouk #asvat #i #dream #in #long #sentences


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]