happiness like water by chinelo okparanta

That being said, there are examples of people who do what this group is attempting to do. So that’s the thing about the novel-it is sort of pointing out all the ways in which we might have good intentions, but all the ways in which we might go about it in the wrong way.

And he leaves, he’s going to find a different sort of solution, who knows what it’ll be. The glimmer of hope by the end is that even Harry leaves the group. And the irony is that they do that, but the whole philosophy behind their group is just so flawed that it becomes almost comical, but also more tragic than comical, because you can see that they are actually trying to do better, but they are just going about it in all the wrong ways. Can you talk a little bit about this group?Ĭhinelo Okparanta: One of the things I love about this group is this idea of holding up a mirror to themselves-the idea that we must look ourselves in the mirror to be able to do better than we are. For instance, we see he’s going to group meetings called the Transracial Anon, basically trying to confront his whiteness. Mitzi Rapkin: One of the ways in which the satire goes all the way is the groups that Harry Sylvester Bird, your white main character, joins and the desires he has. Subscribe and download the episode, wherever you get your podcasts! In this episode, Mitzi talks to Chinelo Okparanta about her new novel, Harry Sylvester Bird.

Hosted by Mitzi Rapkin, First Draft celebrates creative writing and the individuals who are dedicated to bringing their carefully chosen words to print as well as the impact writers have on the world we live in. First Draft: A Dialogue of Writing is a weekly show featuring in-depth interviews with fiction, nonfiction, essay writers, and poets, highlighting the voices of writers as they discuss their work, their craft, and the literary arts.

Happiness like water by chinelo okparanta