2007.10.20: October 20, 2007: Headlines: COS - Togo: Writing - Togo: COS - Benin: Atacora Press : Togo RPCV Kelly J. Morris writes "The Bight of Benin"

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Togo: Peace Corps Togo : Peace Corps Togo: Newest Stories: 2007.10.20: October 20, 2007: Headlines: COS - Togo: Writing - Togo: COS - Benin: Atacora Press : Togo RPCV Kelly J. Morris writes "The Bight of Benin"

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-25-189.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.25.189) on Sunday, November 11, 2007 - 9:42 am: Edit Post

Togo RPCV Kelly J. Morris writes "The Bight of Benin"

Togo RPCV Kelly J. Morris writes The Bight of Benin

"When people in the United States hear that I have lived and worked for many years in West Africa," Kelly says, "their frequent response is: ‘that must be .... interesting.'“ Indeed, the colorful quilt that is the peoples and cultures of West Africa is more than interesting; it defies succinct definition. These stories, however, will 'open a few windows' and allow the reader to peer into life in the region through the lives of the characters. The resourceful policeman, the apprentice truck driver, and the Water Witch are just a few of the colorful figures whose tales have been beckoning to be told for many years. Kelly claims that the stories emerged “gradually at first, and then with increasing insistence they made their way out of my head and on to paper."

Togo RPCV Kelly J. Morris writes "The Bight of Benin"

Life in West Africa portrayed in recently published The Bight of Benin: Short Fiction

WASHINGTON, DC, October 15, 2007 -- Kelly J. Morris (Togo 68-72, 74-79, & 82-87, PC/W 79-81, 95-01) takes the reader on a tour of four West African nations with the publication of The Bight of Benin: Short Fiction, available for purchase at Atacora Press (www.AtacoraPress.com) at Lulu.com. Sixteen short stories take place in the West African countries bordering the Bight (or Bay) of Benin: Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria and span the years from 1969 to the present.

In this collection of short fiction, Kelly J. Morris takes the reader on a tour of the African nations bordering The Bight of Benin: Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. We meet Inspector Toh-Jay, a crafty and resourceful policeman in a remote district; the Water Witch, a bald, skinny monk who claims he can find water with his divining rod; bank employees and Afro-American immigrants enduring Ghana's hard times; a field agent demoted to janitor who reflects upon his job; subsistence farmers struggling in the money economy; civil servants with secure jobs but enormous family responsibilities; small entrepreneurs trying to make a living and stay in business; Toma, the apprentice truck driver with ambitions for a better life; women and girls carving out new roles while trying to satisfy the expectations of their families and their society; devout practitioners of African religions as well as Christianity and Islam; true believers and charlatans; and many more.

"When people in the United States hear that I have lived and worked for many years in West Africa," Kelly says, "their frequent response is: ‘that must be .... interesting.'“ Indeed, the colorful quilt that is the peoples and cultures of West Africa is more than interesting; it defies succinct definition. These stories, however, will 'open a few windows' and allow the reader to peer into life in the region through the lives of the characters.

The resourceful policeman, the apprentice truck driver, and the Water Witch are just a few of the colorful figures whose tales have been beckoning to be told for many years. Kelly claims that the stories emerged “gradually at first, and then with increasing insistence they made their way out of my head and on to paper."

ORDER ONLINE AT: Atacora Press <http://www.AtacoraPress.com> REQUEST A REVIEW COPY: publisher@atacorapress.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kelly J. Morris is an independent consultant and writer with over 30 years of international development experience, including 19 years with Peace Corps and 10 years with the World Council of Credit Unions. He lived in West Africa for 14 years and traveled frequently to Africa when based in the United States. He graduated from Duke University and is a Certified Credit Union Executive.

ABOUT ATACORA PRESS Atacora Press presents books -- both fiction and non-fiction -- about Africa. Like the Atacora Mountain Chain that links Ghana, Togo, and Benin together, Atacora Press books embrace African peoples in both the underlying unity and the great diversity of their cultures, their history, and their languages.

ABOUT LULU Founded in 2002, Lulu.com is a premier online marketplace that provides a platform for people to create, buy, sell and control digital content on demand. See www.lulu.com for more information.

Order the book here.



Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: October, 2007; Peace Corps Togo; Directory of Togo RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Togo RPCVs; Writing - Togo; Peace Corps Benin; Directory of Benin RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Benin RPCVs





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Story Source: Atacora Press

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Togo; Writing - Togo; COS - Benin

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