• Onitsha Market Literature

    From the collection of Kurt Thometz, author/editor of ‘Life Turns Man Up and Down: Highlife, Useful Advice and Mad English’ (New York: Pantheon Books, 2001), an anthology of Onitsha Market Literature. An indigenous Nigerian publishing phenomenon that was all the rage from World War II until the late 1960s, on the cusp between orality and [...]

This book is intended to help the readers who have been asking me to give them advice in order to be free from some troubles of this world.

Since the people can not tell the truth and since Money, lack of sense, enemies and bad friends kill a man, it is wise to know how to live and know yourself.

Many people have been asking to know why some people are rich while others are poor.

If you want to get money and know how to save it, buy a copy of this book. It will help you.

From No Money, Much Expenses, Enemies and Bad Friends Kill A Man (The Way to Avoid Poverty) by
R. Okonkwo. Onitsha: J.C. Brothers Bookshop, New Era Printers, [1965?].

Essays

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On the Origin & Importance of Small & Fugitive Pieces

The Black World Today Harlem, New York I’ve recently read, with great interest, that the African American Literature section of the Borders Books store at the Stonecrest mall in Lithonia, Ga, is suffering a pestilence of “pornography for black women.” The earnest author, most recently of A Love Story, Nick Chiles reports to the New York Times: [...]

Dangerous Man

Dangerous Man vs. Princess

Dangerous Man: A Report of Mr. Vagabond’s Saying and Activities, Who Broadcast to the Whole World That There Was No God, That It Was the Devil That Created The Earth, and Who Eventually Died an Active Preacher of God. A.K.A. Dangerous Man Vs. Princess. By The Master of Life (Money Master): Okenwa Olisah Onitsha: New [...]

Emmanuel Obieachina, KT, Tess Onwueme. African Literature Association, 28th Annual Conference. U of Calif., San Diego, Ca. 2002.

On Life Turns Man Up & Down

High Life, Useful Advice & Mad English by Kurt Thometz NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT but fools do not know.  What was up is down.  September 11th, 2001, was also the publication date of Life Turns Man Up and Down, a selection from Eastern Nigeria’s Onitsha Market literature.  That morning, my intention was to walk over [...]