WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?

Honestly, I really couldn’t tell you. If I had to pray from now to the next Christmas..hey I could give you something for Xmas. First offer will be a big hug and smile that you have been part of my life for this long. You have come to this blog when you are bored? or think I may have something to offer? Or as I fondly think, you wanted to encourage me to touch the stars and make one mine.

I did own one star, actually several stars, all those that have come to view this blog, nodded and even dropped a comment or two. We have met through dreams, mists of the sheer substance of creativity. I have through you opened my inner being to the light substance of the Muse and searched for the meaning of my existence. I have lived through months and moments of  happiness it will probably take a life time to define. I have met human beings who lit up in airy shades of happiness my corner of space and the universe. In long nights of hunger for the meaning of life, I have been touched by what you have favoured me with.

Gerry Huntman

Life was not for me riches in currency, but in the experiences and the flight of my soul to touch the outer span of your thoughts and soar to heights undreamed of through your thoughts. What should I offer you for Xmas? Let’s make twin flights back and through the meadows remember those who have shared this blog with me and who have touched you and I one way or the other. Center Stage really started this way

GERRY HUNTMAN AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER. January 7 2011
This week I am starting something new. Apart from my regular writings, I wish that we get to know ourselves a bit more. I would like to introduce guests. Authors, poets whose work I have admired. They bring to the human table their own very talents and have been a great influence one way or the other. Actually writing is a great influence one way or the other. My first offering this week is someone who I hold in very high esteem and feel he is very special.
The truth of a human soul shines through from the windows of his spirit and that is in the eyes. My people will tell you, the conversation is in the eye. I have the distinct pleasure therefore to invite you to read about Gerry HUNTMAN

I learned many things about writing over those years, the hard way. Perhaps the most useful and rewarding was joining a small virtual group of speculative fiction writers, which eventually became the nucleus of the International Fantasy Writers Guild, and which culminated in us forming a publishing company. It was then that I discovered that I also had the right temperament and skills to be an editor - and which I have honed since then.

Over the last few years I have grown as a writer, culminating in 2010 where I had 10 short stories accepted for publication, as well as my first published novel, GUARDIAN OF THE SKY REALMS.

ELIZABETH LANG

JAN 13 2011

Elixabeth Lang

The Empire by Elizabeth Lang
I would like first of all to congratulate Elizabeth for a very brilliant piece. I would like to thank her for giving heart stopping moments. She wove a story of love, naked abuse of power, real evil and outright hypocrites. I would like to thank her for using the novel “The Empire to lay bare our pretensions to civilization and ‘empire building.’ I have never felt so involved in a supposed fantasy as Elizabeth made me feel with the brilliant characterization of Adrian Stannis, Kali MIrren and the very awful Sester. Humanity has great potential for infinite good and absolute evil and in the portrayal of Adrian, the scientist who learned through love to discover his own humanity and almost die in the process of saving humanity, I had an urgent prayer that copies of this book be made available to all those ‘intelligence’ men. The tragedy might be they may not find themselves in time as Sester did. I could not drop the book even as my eyes went heavy, every page held me and tortured me with the hunger to know more so I kept turning the pages and forgot all else. Thank you Ms Lang. Congratulations, may your quill continually flow with creativity.

In talking about herself this very creative and exceptional author said:

I'm a Canadian, born in Hong Kong. I've been writing for about 3 years. The Empire is my first published novel, though it's not my first novel-length story. It is my first original one.

In my other life, I'm an IT professional, working mainly in a software development company specializing in insurance.

I've worked on various projects in many places and especially enjoy working overseas, most recently in Taiwan and India.

I find it fascinating learning about different cultures and perspectives in a work and social setting rather than just as a tourist. And, of course, I love sampling the foods of the various regions. 
2. You write science fiction, and have now published a very brilliant piece: “The Empire” how do you feel?

Thanks, Biola. I can't lie...it feels great! I hadn't considered publishing The Empire but I had thought of being published eventually, so this was a great opportunity. I really must thank my publishers, IFWG Publishing for taking a chance on The Empire.

JACK EASON

Sunday, March 6, 2011

CENTER STAGE        

ONET’S TALE: My Review

 Onet’s tale is a chilling warning of what real evil could be. I never was into sci-fi and definitely this one held me by my short hairs. It grabbed from the first page and refused to let go until the very last. I found the interesting twist at the end more frightening. For I felt Onet was the absolute evil itself. I would not deign to classify it as even near human. I found the way women were portrayed a bit of a hard chew, which being female I guess is understandable. I would like to congratulate Jack for this brilliant work and can only say, in obedience to his statement from the beginning, mankind sows seeds in words, actions and in thoughts and the consequences of such sowing lies at their feet. I would sincerely hope the world will be spared the thoughts of the Khaz.

Jack Eason

 I ‘met’ Jack Eason on one of the social networking sites, specifically FACEBOOK. He had a contained presence even then and has this brusque vinegar and lime gentleman courtesy towards me. I took a risk, I decided I liked him which may have annoyed him but he was (and still is) unfailingly encouraging and supportive as I submitted my book and waited for the publishers to take a decision. He remained always encouraging and had a deep sense of what I may be going though. His book came out and I was awed but for all I know it was Greek. I read it and yes, that is my review you just read. I have retained my respect for Jack since then knowing full well we are cut from different bands of light. It is thus my pleasure to bring Jack Eason to Center Stage. Please enjoy the interview.
1.Tell me a bit of what you thought of in your younger days as you gazed at the stars?
Like most people from my generation, I grew up as the space race was in its infancy. I still remember the reports when Sputnik was heard beeping for the first time. We all thought it was a wonderful technological achievement at the time. As for my literary preference for science fiction novels and short stories Biola, my imagination was fired by authors like Arthur C Clark. I must admit that it was several years before I got bitten by the astronomical bug. But when I did I spent many happy nights looking up towards the stars, wondering if we were the only sentient beings in the entire universe.

Merry Xmas and Season's Greetings to all. I do have stars in my eyes.

CENTER STAGE WITH SEHINDE AROGBOFA

He is Nigerian of the mould of the Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and as radical as they come. A chief in his own right , tall, spare with a piercing turn of language, my guest on Center Stage today… Chief Sehinde Arogbofa.

SEHINDE AROGBOFA

Chief Arogbofa started having his books published 37 years ago while still in school. Today he has15 books to his credit and was for a time the state chapter chairman of the Association of Nigeria Authors. (ANA). When I met him, I had asked him to review my debut collection of poems titled CHANTS IN MY DREAMS. He looked at me and gave a wry grin asking why I wanted to launch myself into the public with a book of poems. He said, "books rarely make the grade as pleasure reading and you are thinking of poetry". I laughed then, shrugged and said I might as well start from the deep end of the pool. He reviewed the book to a crowd of 5 who had come for the launching. He watched me keenly trying to guage my reaction to the non existent crowd as the 5 were all family. I think he adopted me thereafter and faithfully attended all other book presentations I have done since then. The attendance got better and I think he approved of me too.

I am thus not reviewing a particular book of Arogbofa, (I would need to review all 17 books published to date) but having a chat with him about the Nigerian Literary scene. It is an interesting conversation, please read.

1. You have been a published author for some 37 years now, please tell me what it has been like and your experience

Well Biola, I have enjoyed myself a lot. I started writing because I wanted to leave something behind for posterity. I have received some level of satisfaction through that.

2. Early Nigerian writers have tended to become activist of some sort or the other, why is that?

Interesting! Well you could say a lot of us started out being members of the literary and debating clubs in secondary schools. Naturally I started writing about the things around me, commenting about the society and as a teacher of young persons, which was a natural profession for most of us, I guess becoming at some level an activist was a foregone thing. It came with the territory. Speaking for myself, but for my teaching profession I probably would have been as radical as the late activist Gani Fawehinmi.

3. The Nigerian literary scene is rather lethargic in the sense that creative authors have an uphill task getting recognition why?

Well, up to some point, you are correct Biola, but the problem is deeper than that. Generally very few Nigerians read for pleasure and reading is restricted to the academia. People read to pass examinations, the lecturers publish in order to sell to the students or make money or get promotions.

4. Some years ago you were the State chairman of the association of Nigeria Authors ANA, what really does ANA do for its members?

ANA provides a forum for authors to meet, exchange ideas, fellowship and discuss current trends In writing. It has a yearly conference that affords its members to also celebrated excellence. The body tries to network with similar bodies of West African authors to enhance its activities.

5. Authors today have embraced self publishing in order to get their work noticed, what do you think?

I do not really like self publishing as there are too many disadvantages. One, there is no real editing done and the author is the editor, review person and marketer. The author has no real knowledge of market forces and is subjective about the reception of the book. Most authors do not have much of a choice than to be self published. The Nigerian experience of traditional publishers leaves a lot to be desired. Most traditional publishers here are arrogant, discriminatory and they tend to check if you have a political clout that will ensure sales. 
You also find that these traditional publishers do not give the author enough publicity relying solely on the social standing of the author to push sales. This can be very depressing for an upcoming author. Writers here do not get decent publicity at all so there is little appreciation of the creative potentials that abound in this country. Chinua Achebe became very popular and celebrated because of the publicity he got outside the country.

6. Internationally, there are different genres of writing with fantasy, horror, sci-fi commenting with old traditional genres of writing, would we be able to see a Nigerian J.K Rowling?.

Why ever not? We had D.O. Fagunwa who wrote about the forest of a thousand demons. How many Nigerians have read about him? Or his books? As I mentioned earlier, it is about appreciation, and proper publicity. D.O. Fagunwa is in some way our own Shakespeare. I mean his town has become a tourist attraction because people want to visit the forest of a thousand demons.

7. Give advice to young and upcoming authors

Practice makes perfect we say, you must always write, write and write. You should also understand what you write. I remember I wrote in one of my books about witches and witchcraft. A friend called me after reading it and wondered if I am a witch. I laughed and took that as a compliment because it meant I had made the book believable. That is the beauty of creativity.

8. Could a writer in Nigeria make writing a ful time profession?

Heck no! He will be hungry for a long time. In this country, writing can at best be a serious hobby. You should have some financial background. Have a job, have a business and you will derive some satisfaction from your hobby thereafter.

9. I see that you have written almost exclusively drama plays.

Yes. Biola I am actually more of a playwright than an author, I read your books as prose and doff my hat to your expertise but seriously I do not write prose. You could say I am lazy. Besides I think plays serve me better as vehicles to comment on the society I live in.

10. Are any of your books listed on amazon.com or some such?

(smiles) I think I will ask my publishers if they have done that, but I come from the old line, we just wait for royalty which has gone through all types of deductions.

Thank you for coming on Center Stage.