A review of Dul Johnson's Melancholia.

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Melancholia.

A play by Dul Johnson.

Sevhage, 73pp,2014.

Dul Johnson started writing plays in 1976, with radio plays for Rima radio, Sokoto.  He wrote many television plays for NTA in the 80s and 90s. He writes across the genres and has published two collections of short stories, Shadows and Ashes (1998) and Why women who make it to heaven (2003) and a novel Deeper into the night (SEVHAGE, 2014).

 Melancholia was first performed as a class production workshop by 200 level students of the department of theatre and cultural studies, Nassarawa state university, on March 6^th, 2014.

In the play Mumude a presidential aspirant of the progressive front party wants to be the next president and invested one hundred and sixty billion in his campaign. He said to his uncle Dangiwa‘‘I’ve borrowed a lot of money from the banks and from friends; my political  associates. I’ve also sold off, or should I say, mortgaged ten of my buildings in the state and five in the Federal Capital, which I hope to get back on becoming the president.

The play was written in two acts and the author used both situational and verbal irony in the two acts. In Act one, the author used realism to highlight the play and at the end of the act he withholds information that is important to move the play forward.

In Act two, the author used psychological realism and at the end we are asked a good question, who is the African Politician? This book can be acted on by Literature students in secondary schools because it’s funny and educative.  I recommend this book to everyone especially the aspiring politician.

                                                            

Planning A Library For Government Schools With Low budget.

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There is a need to improve the reading culture in Nigeria. Reading is beneficial because it can open the mind of children and improve critical thinking.

Reading helps children to excel and improve their class work and it also makes better leaders.

Thirteen steps to make a small school library in schools with low budget.

-The teacher can make a school project called titled ‘making a class library.’

- Make a list of the class  and ask them to tell about the books they will like to read, e.g. books about sport, friendship, family, folktales, animals etc.

- Look for book titles suitable for the class age range.

- Contact a local bookshop and ask the bookshop for help with books suitable for children or research on the Internet.

- Make another list equal to the number of children in the classroom and ask each child to pick a book they like.

 -Send a note to the parents explaining about your school project and asking to buy the book selected by the student.

- Write the name of each child on his book.

- Children should read the books they have bought and submit the books to their teachers after they are done.

- Build a small shelf in a corner of the classroom or convert a desk into a book safe.

- Appoint a class library prefect and keep a notebook to keep track of the books borrowed by students.

- Children are encouraged to borrow books from the library.

- At the end of the term, they can each write a book report on the books they bought and a book article on any other book they liked.

- The project can take 10 marks in English comprehension.    

 The benefit of this exercise includes, teaching children how to be involved in community projects, teaching love and sharing, giving children access to more books, and improving reading culture in government schools.

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This is how to stay Married, A review of the domestication of Munachi.

  the domestication of Munachi

    by Ifesinachi O. Okpagu
     Parresia  Books,2015. 

Ifesinachi O. Okpagu published her first novella when she was fourteen, she is now a Lagos based marketing communications executive. She has published some short stories in sentinel Nigeria, femrite anthology and saraba magazine.

 The book has themes of marriage,domestic abuse, spinsterhood and is a psychological slice of life. The author has a great sense of humour and this book should be read by every  woman. 

 Marriage is an important aspect of African culture, growing up as a girl the best day of your life was your wedding day. Single women are serenaded with talks of marriage, everyone gives advice on getting married even the woman who closes herself in the bathroom and cry every morning.  She has only one comfort- she is a respectable married woman.

‘‘A woman without a husband is a failure,’’ said Elizabeth. Elizabeth was content to be a stranger to her husband, and a respectable wife to the society. When she caught her husband cheating on her with the house-help, she did what any respectable married African woman will do. she swept everything under the carpet because she had married out of desperation. This is how to stay married and have a respectable corner in the society.

Weeks turn into years and it was Adanna's turn, the future husband brought beautiful gifts home and Elizabeth persuaded her daughter to get married.  When she came back home with bruises on her face, she pretended not to see because a daughter does not return from her husband home. This is how to stay married and remain a respectable woman in the eyes of society.

When Munachi ran away from home on the day of her traditional marriage without the ceremony. the story took us on a journey to the domestication of Munachi with the re-discovery of self worth  and realization that the only way to stay married is to start with a happy marriage.