Achebe’s Last Employer, Brown University, Mourns; Plans Memorial On Late Writer’s Life
Brown University, where foremost
novelist, Prof Chinua Achebe, worked until his death last night, says it
would organize a memorial in honour of one of its most valuable faculty
member in history.
A statement from the university described the late literary icon’s passing as an event as global significance.
Prof
Achebe joined Brown in September 2009 and was its David and Marianna
Fisher University Professor and professor of Africana Studies until his
death.
And a thick layer of grief has enveloped the university with faculty members terribly devastated by news of his death.
In
tribute, Brown University President, Christina Paxson said, ““The
colloquia he organized at Brown attracted a grand array of guests and
effectively demonstrated how the humanities can build understanding by
drawing from and encouraging a variety of perspectives. We were honored
to have him among us.”
Corey Walker,
associate professor and chair of the Department of Africana studies,
said Prof Achebe was a gift to the world and that his death was a pasing
of a great life.
Walker said, “He
was more than just a colleague, faculty member, and teacher at Brown. He
was a gift to the world. We are very privileged to have had him with us
for the last four years and even more so for allowing us to get close
to him and his family.
“At a time
like this we could draw many words of wisdom and comfort from the deep
wells of various African cultures and traditions to honor him. The most
fitting is the simple and elegant phrase, “A great tree has fallen.”
“Indeed,
the passing of Chinua Achebe is an event of global significance. The
entire faculty and staff in the Department of Africana Studies share in
the celebration of the great life that is Chinua Achebe.”
In a moving tribute, Anani Dzidzienyo, associate professor of Africana studies and Portuguese and Brazilian studies said:
“Part
of his impact was that he was always a part of Africana studies. His
presence in the department affirmed our intellectual mission and
strengthened our commitment and dedication to Africana studies. Indeed,
his presence was powerful. When he was first appointed, a friend told me
we had captured history and planted it in Churchill House.
“He
brought the whole history of contemporary African writing to Brown from
the time when he wrote Things Fall Apart to the present. His name
symbolizes the themes and issues that characterize African societies and
cultures. His presence at Brown is something we could not have imagined
before it happened. He was an inspiration to us and our students. As a
student remarked, “It is incredible that he is here with us.”
“In
the spirit of Ghanian proverbs, and by implication African proverbs, I
leave these words for contemplation: “The path crosses the river and the
river crosses the path. Which came first, the path or the river?”
“May you travel well, Professor Achebe.”
Read full statement from Brown University below:
——————————————————————————————————————————-
Chinua Achebe: Writer, critic, social historian
PROVIDENCE,
R.I. [Brown University] — Brown University learned this morning of the
death of Chinua Achebe in Boston Thursday evening, March 21, 2013.
Achebe,
the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and professor of
Africana studies, joined the Brown faculty in September 2009.
Best
known for his novels and essays which critique postcolonial Nigerian
politics and society as well as the impact of the West on Africa, Achebe
was widely acknowledged as “godfather” to a generation of African
writers. His first novel, Things Fall Apart, is the most widely read
work of African fiction, having sold more than 12 million copies in
English alone. It has been translated into 50 languages.
Among
his activities at Brown was the annual Achebe Colloquium on Africa, an
international gathering of scholars, policymakers, elected officials,
writers, and others with a shared interest in current-day African
affairs.
“The colloquia he organized
at Brown attracted a grand array of guests and effectively demonstrated
how the humanities can build understanding by drawing from and
encouraging a variety of perspectives,” said Brown University President
Christina H. Paxson. “We were honored to have him among us.”
From Corey D.B. Walker, associate professor and chair of the Department of Africana studies:
He
was more than just a colleague, faculty member, and teacher at Brown.
He was a gift to the world. We are very privileged to have had him with
us for the last four years and even more so for allowing us to get close
to him and his family.
At a time
like this we could draw many words of wisdom and comfort from the deep
wells of various African cultures and traditions to honor him. The most
fitting is the simple and elegant phrase, “A great tree has fallen.”
Indeed,
the passing of Chinua Achebe is an event of global significance. The
entire faculty and staff in the Department of Africana Studies share in
the celebration of the great life that is Chinua Achebe.
From Anani Dzidzienyo, associate professor of Africana studies and Portuguese and Brazilian studies:
Part
of his impact was that he was always a part of Africana studies. His
presence in the department affirmed our intellectual mission and
strengthened our commitment and dedication to Africana studies. Indeed,
his presence was powerful. When he was first appointed, a friend told me
we had captured history and planted it in Churchill House.
He
brought the whole history of contemporary African writing to Brown from
the time when he wrote Things Fall Apart to the present. His name
symbolizes the themes and issues that characterize African societies and
cultures. His presence at Brown is something we could not have imagined
before it happened. He was an inspiration to us and our students. As a
student remarked, “It is incredible that he is here with us.”
In
the spirit of Ghanian proverbs, and by implication African proverbs, I
leave these words for contemplation: “The path crosses the river and the
river crosses the path. Which came first, the path or the river?”
May you travel well, Professor Achebe.
During his time at Brown, Achebe convened four colloquia:
- The 2012 Achebe Colloquium focused on the security situation throughout northern, central, and eastern Africa; ethno-religious insurgency and regime change in West Africa; and peace-building efforts taking place in southern Africa.
- The 2011 Achebe Colloquium explored the Arab Spring and the crisis in Darfur.
- The 2010 Achebe Colloquium focused on three African nations — Rwanda, Congo, and Nigeria — and the crucial issues impacting those countries, the continent, and the world.
- The inaugural 2009 Achebe Colloquium addressed the problems and prospects of the 2010 Nigerian elections.
The University will plan an appropriate memorial in celebration of Achebe’s life and work.
Darlene Trew Crist
Director, News and Communications
Brown University
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