Reviewing global Internet access, the e*sequitrist found the South Pacific island nation of Niue (satellite), where access, at 1,000 people, is 62.6 percent of the population, primarily because of 100 percent coverage of schoolchildren by the eco-efficient One Laptop per Child program (a good, green, job creating idea for Americans, too). The e*sequitrist also found Niue’s native son, John Pule, an author/poet/artist in the left brain / right brain complexi-noeia mold of Derek Walcott (and the e*sequitrist).

Pule’s wit and wonder most recall the Yoruban Amos Tutuola (My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, etc.).  Pule’s The Shark that Ate the Sun (1992), starts with two fine stories – one about a smart woman (below), and another about an ant (linked below) – with a punch line. Here is a Pule page: http://www.nzepc.auckland.ac.nz/authors/pule/index.asp; there are others.

Compared to these stories of longing, loss, seas and sugar, electronic constructs pale. Start here:

Old women of the village were making a fuss over me, and fed me with timala softened in their mouths. Near the shed an oven was burning away, men and boys busy with copra. Down on the coast, Mataginifale was wading in the sea up to her thighs. She had berries in a cloth tied to her waist. A shark called out from beyond the reef. – I see you have the red berries on you, the shark called out, can we share them? Mataginifale laughed back and sang out. – What, sharks don’t eat berries, only birds and people, but never have I known sea fish to have a liking for berries.

The shark protested in a friendly, restrained way. – Come on, I love berries, they drift above the waves. Mataginifale gave in, and shared her berries with the shark. After a while they established a friendship. The shark got more bold and asked Mataginifale if she would like to visit his king. – What, screamed Mata, did you not know we live on land not in the sea? The shark gave his solemn promise to look after her and when the meeting with the King was over the King personally would bring her home. Mata went away and thought about it. In her dreams the birds of the forest were screaming dontgodontgodontgodontgodontgo.

continue >

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Enhance your mind
As always, you are invited to rede the original e*sequiturs at http://www.esequiturs.com.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at 14:44 and is filed under Books / Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.