A Fallen Citadel and Other Poems

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“These hard-hitting poems suggest that for Dr. Abala, the only hope for Kenya’s future resides in an honest, unflinching artistic rendering of the daily nightmare that has usurped the place of a glorious dream of African independence that the Mau Mau once gave the world. [….] Of course, art cannot change reality; but, sometimes it can change the souls of people who have this power and responsibility.” JAMES N. UPTON, PHD, EMERITUS FACULTY, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY “In A Fallen Citadel and Other Poems, Imali J. Abala reminds us that poetry can still do what it has always done: offer hope, insight, and consolation where there often seems to be none. ” JEREMY GLAZIER, MFAASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH, OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY AFallen Citadel and Other Poems is a powerful collection of over forty prose poems. The poems cover an array of issues ranging from the crisis that ensued after the 2007-2008 elections in Kenya to other social issues: loss of identity, poverty, hopelessness, and AIDs. These poems are powerful, vivid, full of imagery, and delightful. Some begin tragically, but end with hope; they begin with an everyday event, but end with a philosophical question about the meaning of life; and others are not only disturbing, but also thought provoking. Abala’s poetic maneuvers in this collection are bound to delight and fascinate any reader. IMALI J. ABALA is a Professor in the Department of English at Ohio Dominican University. She is the author of three novels: The Dilemma of Jahenda the Teenage Mother (2010), The Disinherited (2007) and Move on, Trufosa (2006). Langaa Research & Publishing Common Initiative Group P.O. Box 902 Mankon Bamenda North West Region Cameroon ...