Siwe: hi everyone. It's also like very weird saying hi because you're one of the most faithful subscribers that I've ever had.
Sam: So this is like self...this is self-actualization. This is what Maslow was talking about. This is the dream.
Siwe: You are?
Sam: Samkele Myeni. Siwe: People call you Sam though
Sam: Yes, they do. Siwe: Only your bae calls you by your... Both: full name
Siwe: Today we'll be talking mostly about poetry but like I don't
want to restrict you to that as well I think like when I was sending you the
questions so like hmm she has a passion to talk about a certain book that she
doesn't like and I think yeah again okay. Firstly we're going to have like a book
tag so kind of like questions about your book...not book ooo book. Sam: I receive. I catch it. Siwe: A book review on
Questions for Ada as well as Collective Amnesia by Koleka Putuma and then
Questions for Ada is by Ijeoma Umebinyuo. Sam: I also don't know how to say her name. Siwe: and yeah we'll just discuss books I guess
and we'll discuss them. Okay book tag your favorite poet who's your favourite poet?
Sam: I actually wrote these things down okay it's a tie between two people my
favorite new to me poet is Safia. Siwe: yeah Sam: Safia Elhillo, she's amazing
Siwe: yeah. Sam: but I think my favorite poet that I discovered like further back is Stacyann
Chin. Siwe: yeah yes yes yes Sam: Stacy. Stacy. Stacy. Siwe: and poem? Sam: my
favorite poem. Also wrote this down. This is so hard.
it's the rabbit catcher and the weird thing is it's not the style of poetry
I've been reading lately. Siwe: yeah. Sam: It's the rabbit catcher by why am I
forgetting this woman's name? okay. Siwe: okay, we'll find out the name and we'll put it somewhere here
Sam: It's about her really hectic relationship with her husband. He actually wrote a response poem about the same thing
Siwe: oh, okay. Sam: I know, white people gowishing. Siwe: It actually reminds me of...what's this. Lost in Translation and then... Sam: Her
Siwe: Sofia's Coppola's thingy responded with Her. And favourite
poetry book slash books as well. Sam: my favorite book...my favorite book is called Comfort Herself
Siwe: Is it one of those self-help books? It sounds like it. Okay. Sam: no. no. no. Siwe: I was gonna judge you. Sam: no
the character's name is Comfort. Siwe: oh okay. Sam: and it's about grief. Um, her mother passes away and it's also about
changing like a drastic life change cos her mother's English and the
father is Congolese and she lives in England and she moves to Congo because
her mom's passed away and... Siwe: So her father wasn't in England? Sam: Yes, her parents were separated
and and it was just so different because I read it as like a
child and it was so different from anything I'd read before you know you
read those like startup books and the cat sat on the mat type things. Siwe: yeah. Sam: and then I was like wow this is
a full-blown story and I remember I think I cried and it was the first time I felt something because of a book. Siwe: wait have you read it
like since then? Sam: no. Siwe: do you wanna read it? Sam: absolutely I need to find it it's by
Geraldine Kaye it's an old book so finding it would be a mission but I need
to find it because my aunt gave it to me and since then she's had a child and
when she gave me the book she told me to keep it so that I can give it to her
child so and it wasn't even my fault that I don't have the book anymore so I'm sorry but I will look for it.
Siwe: And least favorite book ah say it! Say it with your chest. Sam: Listen, things need to be qualified before people start hating me, you know. My least favorite book
that I've read lately is Period Pain. Siwe: by Kopano Matlwa. Sam: Yeah. Siwe: Why do you hate it
or why is it your least favorite book lets say? Sam: I can't believe I'm telling a
published person. A respected person this but the book felt lazy. It felt it
read lazily it felt like she was given a month and like paid leave.
Siwe: to write it. Sam: She was given a month and paid leave. Maybe two months and they were
like tackle every issue that you could possibly think of. Siwe: Xenophobia, period pains, rape, pregnancy, suicide. Sam: Oh yes. I was like everything. Everything just go for
it and and that was that was the book I was I felt myself really asking why the
characters weren't developed. Siwe: yeah. Sam: why things seemed random like in the plot so that's how
I felt and when I closed the book I was like...Siwe: finally. Sam: and also even that it
ended abruptly. Siwe: Yeah, it did and do you know what I am probably like spoiling it so if you guys haven't read Period Pain
don't like listen to this part but Iike...Sam: but read it so you know how we feel...Siwe: I know it's a real thing but I hate it when
there's that whole dilemma of someone being raped and there's a pregnancy like
it's always it's always like I feel like it's always used as a shock device you know
like it's just annoying for me to be honest I know that it happens but I've never read a book
that's made it I don't know written it well I guess. Sam: and I think another thing is
it kind of feels like the rape is not enough of a shock
Siwe: yeah. Sam: So now put in the child and also why is the child the real psychological
struggle post rape the rape is the struggle like that's what you have to
work through mentally afterwards that's that's when you're hurt and so yeah
Siwe: what's the most annoying thing about lending someone your book? Sam: when it come
back with them corners. Siwe: Wait, the corners like this? Sam: yeah and it's not even like these nicely folded ones where
the person was trying to remind themselves of things it's that the book itself
has been squashed. Siwe: oh. Sam: and so basically the whole book Siwe: it's just like weird Sam: has been squashed. Siwe: Oh
Sam: And then this part is like dirty and all of that. Siwe: Actually let me check if your book is fine.GOD. No, it's fine.
Sam: Oh, this is such a fragile book so. Siwe: yeah. Sam: it's really easy to mess up. Siwe: but I feel
like you need to cover it as well. Sam: yeah like what must I do? Siwe: like get those plastic sticky covers
Sam: I should and the thing is I like giving this book out so it will fray. Siwe: yeah. Sam: I
really do like giving people a chance. Siwe: this is such a beautiful book. I'm gonna go get myself a copy Sam: definitely
Siwe: also like why can't people just like you can find a bookmark you can make
anything a bookmark. Paper you always have slips...
not always have slips or you have paper somewhere. yeah okay. Can you please give us a review of Collective Amnesia by Koleka Putuma. Sam: I enjoyed this
Siwe: Okay, firstly. She got it signed.
Sam: and I'd like I I had everybody had like two seconds you know with the Queen and
I was like I was like I will talk to her like I could see people like, "hmmm hi, what's your name and thank you. Bye" and I was like nah. What?
I probably... and the funny thing is I have seen her again then since during Fest and I probably
should have taken it like a little bit easy because I happen to see her again
Siwe: yeah. Sam: and so there's no need to be extra the first time but I got there and I was like listen I love this book and
I've been getting all my friends to read it and it's so I got it as a gift
and I think what I really enjoy is giving someone the book and then them
being like so much clicked for me. Siwe: yeah Sam: like so yeah that that was my long story and
that's why she wrote the message she wrote she was like "thank you for sharing this
gift with me" so okay, it feels more personal. So yeah, that was cute. I really really enjoyed it and I enjoyed that I could relate to it
because we're in the age of Tumblr poets. I always feel like I'm always pissing on Tumblr poets. American Tumblr poets and I don't understand the things
they write about like yeah and most of the poems we're reading lately about
relationships and people being emotionally distant in relationships and
it's not a feeling that I can relate to because I'm not that person so I just
find it hard but I really enjoyed it I enjoyed all those reflections on our
childhood Siwe: yeah Sam: I could relate I could see myself and my cousins eating from
the pot you know in the middle of the kitchen I could see it and I could feel
it and I could remember um what that was like for me and that's what I enjoyed
and it it's so relevant because she writes about student protests and being
queer and hiding that shit from your family
and coming from a religious background and I can relate to all of it and she
also writes about like she's a young person so she's writing about breaking
into like the working world and like sometimes you send your money home and sometimes you don't
and those you know those struggles and I really enjoyed that I could relate and I saw myself in the book. Siwe: Even
with the relatability thing. I related as well but to some extent obviously our narratives the
author or speakers narratives will could be like different and I was like it's
also not her responsibility for her for me to relate to it so much but I really
did enjoy there was like this other poem I think No Easter for Queers No Easter Sunday
for Queers and then there's like the pastors like
preaching and everything and she was like horny and hungry and bored is like yes like you
can imagine being at a church on Sunday and church services are so long Sam: and you missed breakfast because maybe you're running late Siwe: maybe running
late from a double life as well Sam: Hectic. It's actually funny cos when I was at home during Easter
this year, the pastor was preaching about how people
will be sitting in the service but they minds would be wandering. Was he...He was at-ing me. He was at-ing me and I was thinking sexual thoughts
Siwe: at church. Sam: At church and I was like he is at-ing me. He might as well look right at me
Siwe: Sam. Sam: Give me the mic and ask for my commentary so...Siwe: I'm sorry, pastor
Sam: what do you say because that's me. Church is a performance, guys. We go for our families. We go because it's a "family" thing.
Siwe: Yeah...hmm okay, not really. Sam: For some of us.
No yeah so that's that's the thing but I also what I like is that she is
young and to some extent still like under her parents thumb in a way so even the
going to church and subjecting yourself to all that it's like it's out of
deference for your family and it shows that she's not completely independent
Siwe: yeah. Sam: yet well at the time what she's writing about so... Siwe: and it's for me I
struggled it's like is there a distinction between Koleka the poet the actual
person and the speaker as well I always struggle with that in most poems as well
Sam: right? Siwe: like who is the speaker exactly? Is it a creation or character?
when you write your poems, who's the speaker? Sam: I mean Siwe: She's a poet. A really great one. Sam: that comment from uSandi is hard won
yeah I think we make assumptions. I assume it's her. Siwe: Okay. Sam: Um I think the way I distinguish it is depending on
the speaker they're written in so like first person third person are they telling me about someone
or yeah. Siwe: and I think even in this poem because sometimes she scratches out
they to us to I and I'm like oh okay yeah and can I ask then outside Koleka
do you know any of the have you read any other South African poet? Sam: South African poet. I can't
think of one on the spot but I read I used to read a lot of South African poems when
I was in school Siwe: yeah. Sam: but it was like these male poets like whose things I can't
remember now. Siwe: I remember a poem about Johannesburg. Apartheid poems but they were good. Sam: and they were old Siwe: but I enjoyed them yeah I just came to a
realization the other day that my school's curriculum wasn't that bad. Sam: yeah. I mean it could be
improved but it wasn't that bad. Sam: But yeah South African and I'm like even thinking like a young South African female poets
Siwe: No, in this industry. No. Sam: So tough.
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