Immersed in West African ritual: a Brooklyn club samples the cuisine of Senegal to enrich its reading of a Senegalese novelist.Dear Aissatou: I have received your letter. By way of reply, I am beginning this diary, my prop in my distress. After reading these opening lines translated from its original French from Mariama Ba's poignant Senegalese novel So Long A later (Heinemann, June 1989), Jeannette Harunah felt an emotional connection. A selection of her monthly reading group, the Ebony Book Club, the novel is in the form of correspondence between Senegalese school-teacher Ramatoulaye and her old friend Aissatou written during the mourning period following the death of Ramatoulaye's husband, Modou Fall. "Reading the book brought back powerful memories," says Harunah, whose ex-husband came from Ghana in West Africa West Africa A region of western Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Guinea. It was largely controlled by colonial powers until the 20th century. West African adj. & n. . "I knew this was going to be interesting reading because I could reflect on my past experience of being married to a West African West Africa A region of western Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Guinea. It was largely controlled by colonial powers until the 20th century. West African adj. & n. man." Dressing The Part Harunah arrived at her book club meeting wearing a headdress headdress, head covering or decoration, protective or ceremonial, which has been an important part of costume since ancient times. Its style is governed in general by climate, available materials, religion or superstition, and the dictates of fashion. and traditional African attire. "I wanted the members to get a sense of the culture through a hands-on approach," says Harunah. Harunah also presented the group with the outfit her sou wore during his African naming ceremony A naming ceremony is the event at which an infant is given a name or names. They can occur anywhere from mere days after birth to several months afterwards. Some of these ceremonies have religious or cultural siginifcance. almost 25 years ago. During this "outdooring" ceremony, Harunah's son was introduced to the world and given the name Ants, which means leader. "The outfits were beautiful," says dub co-founder Phyllis Ceruti. "Jeannette looked regal in her vibrant, flowing caftan caf·tan or kaf·tan n. 1. A full-length garment with elbow-length or long sleeves, worn chiefly in eastern Mediterranean countries. 2. ." Harunah turned to Keur N' Deye, a Senegalese restaurant in Brooklyn, to cater a traditional West African meal of Tiebou Dieun, which is a combination of fish and rice with vegetables, and Yassa Guinaar, a lemon chicken Lemon chicken (Traditional Chinese: ) is a common dish from many different countries. In American Chinese cuisine it usually consists of pieces of chicken meat that are sautéed or deep-fried and coated with a lemon-flavored dish with rice and vegetables. The women compared their meal to the one depicted in this passage where mourners gather following Modou Fall's death: The smell of the 'lakh' [Senegalese food prepared from roughly kneaded millet millet, common name for several species of grasses cultivated mainly for cereals in the Eastern Hemisphere and for forage and hay in North America. The principal varieties are the foxtail, pearl, and barnyard millets and the proso millet, called also broomcorn millet flour, which is cooked in water and eaten with curds curd n. 1. The part of milk that coagulates when the milk sours or is treated with enzymes. Curd is used to make cheese. 2. A coagulated liquid that resembles milk curd. intr. & tr.v. ] cooling in the calabashes pervades the air. Also passed around are large bowls of red or white rice, cooked here or in neighboring houses. Iced fruit juices, water and curds are served in plastic cups. "Food is such an integral part of our book dub experience," says Ceruti. "It was wonderful sampling cuisine from another culture." To provide information on West African funerals, Harunah wrote a letter to her ex-husband and read this typed response to her impressed group members: Dear Jeannette: Funerals play such a big part in Ghanaian life because it is our way of paying our last respects to our loved ones. There is a feeling that is considered shameful if you do not give a father, brother, mother or sister a good burial. This is the one occasion where you are supposed to put on a lavish show as a mark of great respect for the deceased. This "extra care" for the dead makes funerals very expensive. There's much more attention given to providing an elaborate funeral than an elaborate wedding. Most ethnic groups make big efforts at funerals, but Ashanti funerals are the most elaborate and expensive. Ashanti funerals are normally held on Saturdays when most people do not go to work and last for three days. It is a social event where people go to find potential mates. Young ladies go to meet future husbands and vice verso ver·so n. pl. ver·sos 1. A left-hand page of a book or the reverse side of a leaf, as opposed to the recto. 2. The back of a coin or medal. . Mourners adorn themselves in black and red adinkra cloths. Adinkra means "saying good-bye to one another...." The funeral begins with the viewing of the deceased by friends and relatives early in the morning, before sunrise. As day breaks, drumming, dancing and heavy drinking begins. Mourners begin to stream in with donations to the family of the deceased to defray de·fray tr.v. de·frayed, de·fray·ing, de·frays To undertake the payment of (costs or expenses); pay. [French défrayer, from Old French desfrayer : des-, the cost of the funeral. As each person makes a donation, his or her name is announced. Offerings to the spirits of the ancestors are made; women and young girls perform dances that are live and sometimes erotic in nature. The women also perform the traditional handkerchief dances. The celebration continues through Sunday when the crowd begins to thin out. There are usually smaller crowds at the burials than there are at the viewing." "Jeannette did a wonderful job of immersing our group in the culture of this book," says Ceruti. Harunah's reply is simple. "I wanted the group to have a total cultural experience. I wanted to bring this book to life." GROUP PROFILE The Club: Ebony Book Club Location: Brooklyn, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Book Preferences: Serious fiction, literary fiction, classics, biographies, mysteries and social commentary How Often They Meet: The 3rd Saturday of each month Last Book Read: So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba, Heinemann (reprint edition), $10.96, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 0-435-90555-4 Group Reaction: Extremely favorable Next Book: A Raisin in the Sun A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The story is based upon Hansberry's own experiences growing up in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood. by Lorraine Hansberry, Vintage Books $5.95, ISBN 0-679-75533-0 How They Choose Books: Club founders choose two books per year: remaining selections are chosen quarterly by group members. Pat Houser is a contributing editor at BIBK If you'd like to have your book dub mentioned, e-mail her at pathouser@aol.com. |
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