The Wire
My days are spent reading Letters to a Young Poet and an early draft of Teju Cole's next book as well as watching series one of The Wire. After reading the hype around the HBO series and listening to friends rave about it, and not having access to it via DSTV in Nigeria, it was time to dig deep and buy the first few series when last in London. It is both fresh and excellent in its attention to detail and avoidance of media cliches and stereotypes. Sometimes, a bit like the commentary to American sports (basketball and American football specifically), it is hard to understand the stream of dialogue, but that is I guess part of the aesthetic and part of the voice-music of Baltimore.
Slowly, we are emerging back to normality after the break-in. The fact that I wasn't at home when it happened insulates me from the visceral pre-reflective association that those that experienced it still have. At times during the last few days, I have been brimful of anger, taking it out on the beaten-up-Honda/Toyota taxi drivers of Abuja who have no knowledge of fast and slow lanes. Then, yesterday, a big man, no doubt a master-thief, overtook me in his Range Rover (the windows were blacked out, of course) and then curved into my path. I had to slow to walking space before he sped off, only for a Peugeot full of police to slow to a park ahead of us and start waving guns and shouting. A lot of money must have been stolen, for the big man to spread the brutality of his power along the streets of Abuja in this way.
By the way, there is a nice write-up by Jumoke Verissimo on Teju Cole on page 44 of today's Guardian, for those in the motherland..
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4 comments:
"The Wire" is my absolutely favorite television series.
Fifth and final season has just screened and as I do not get HBO, I am looking forward to release of DVD pack in August (I think).
The fourth series, detailing the crumbling public school system in Baltimore and effect of drug culture on the same was probably the best and most moving.
Series creator David Simon did a great job casting relative unknowns with some great writing to give a truly realistic picture of the effects of the slowly crumbling infrastructure in inner city America (effects of the drug trade, the ports, city politics, the school system and the print media).
On life after the break in, I hope you aren't blaming yourself for not "being there".
I know we tend to try and brush these events off as they happen far too often but good to address it in some way (as you are doing) so as to be less "brimful of anger"..
Keep talking about it (particularly to the Mrs. and anyone else who may have been directly affected) and you KNOW tons of people in the blogosphere are praying for you and yours as well as anyone else in Naija affected by "home visits".
Aluta continua
Ah...'The Wire'. The best series there's ever been on tv. The best part is going back and watching an episode again, and picking up stuff you didn't the first time.
Remember, pay attention to every little detail, cause even the most obscure thing will be related to something else in season 2, 3, 4 and 5.
And oh, seeing as it was my one obsession on TV, i'd be more than happy to help you figure out any slangs or expressions you don't get...
I am addicted to the wire. That was where I first laid eyes on the love of my life...Ssshhhh he does not know, but I am working on being the next Mrs Idris Elba...
And if you think the first season is hot, wait until you get to the very end...just too much
You chould also try Battlestar Gallactica
Hey Ms. Catwalk // Took the words out of my keyboard there with your reference to BSG.
The current revamped version continues to impress me and would convert (I believe) even the most indifferent TV viewer.
Ladies usually do not like sci-fi (no offense meant here, truly) but I think the solid characters, excellent story line and parallel with many of today's "troubles" in the writing makes this compulsive viewing.
Aluta
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