From: Self <NMASILEL>
To: KuneneM@umfolozi.ntech.ac.za
Subject: Reply
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 8:52:04
Dear Mazisi:
It was
incredible receiving your astonishing letter this Monday morning. I laughed and
laughed with incredible joy. You are the Master. You do not have to tell me
that you are Africa's greatest poet in the twentieth century, because I'm the
one who has been trying to convince you of this for the last twenty-five years,
as you were horribly tempted to go into politics as I begged you to remain with
literature and culture. In fact, in a Foreword to Ben Magubane's recently
published collection of essays, I do mention that you are ARGUABLY Africa's
greatest poet in the last century. The only thing I will esay to you is do not
underestimate the greatness of H. I. E. Dhlomo! I'm assembling his writings
together. How do you place yourself in relation to Benedict Bambata Vilakazi,
your Master
fifty years ago,
or S. E. K. Mqhayi or Solomon T. Plaatje? I know you are condescending towards
Thomas Mofolo, in many ways justifiably so, but nevertheless he was a great
writer. How about D. D. T. Jabavu or Z. K. Matthews? They were remarkable
intellectuals by any measure. Why had Vilakazi had a profound effect on you and
not R. R. R. Dhlomo? Is it because of generic difference? I have always been
puzzled by this. I really look forward to you Introduction to my Dhlomo
monograph. I'm really excited about you writing it. Please send it by
electronic mail or regular mail. Here is my address in case you have misplaced
it:
Ntongela Masilela
Pitzer College
1050 North Mills Avenue
Claremont
California 91711.
Please Mazisi do
not disappoint me!
I love your M.
A. thesis which you wrote for the University of Natal in the 1950s. It is
fascinating and brilliant, but as you yourself will
admit, it is not
half as good as my critical work (I love provoking you)!I have a photocopy of
your thesis, but unfortunately is not that legible. Mazisi, are you teaching at
Umfolozi Tekhnicom? Or what are you doing? Please send me your home and office
telephone numbers. By the way, I have photocopies of all your books published
recently in South Africa in Zulu. I made photocopies from interlibrary loan
books which I received from various parts of United States.
Greetings to
Mathabo.
Best regards.
Brotherly,
Ntongela.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Self <NMASILEL>
To: KuneneM@umfolozi.ntech.ac.za
Subject: Reply
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 22:49:14
Dear Mazisi:
You do impart extraordinary
lessons. Your communications are so
fundamental for
my intellectual orientation. It is a great joy reading
your great mind.
Mazisi are your
familiar with two major intellectuals who had profound influence on Benedict
Vilakazi: Josiah Mapumulo and A. H. Ngidi. In the 1920s and in the 1930s they
wrote fascinating articles in ILANGA LASE NATAL. I believe that though these
intellectuals are not known at the moment, when their influence on Vilakazi is
fully grasped, they will be rediscovered and appreciated. In fact, in a major
study of Jordan Kush Ngubane which I began in 1998 and abandoned after writing
20 pages, and will resume very soon, I hope to situate Mapumulo and Ngidi in
South African intellectual history. I'm very much intrigued and fascinated by
Ngubane! Did your paths ever cross during the Exile Period! What is your
opinion of him???????
Please Mazisi DO
NOT disappoint me, please do write an Introduction to my Dhlomo monograph.
My present
studies of Dhlomo, Vilakazi, Ngubane (the last two their
monographs being
presently constructed) are merely a PRELUDE or opening notes to a full
improvisational 'jazz' work I intend ro write on your work. That is a few years
ahead.
Mazisi could you
please find out for me as to when C. L. S. Nyembezi
passed away?
This is absolutely urgent!!!! I only know that Nyembezi was still alive in
1990.
Best regards.
Ntongela
Masilela.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Self <NMASILEL>
To: KuneneM@umfolozi.ntech.ac.za
Subject: Reply
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 20:58:27
Dear Mazisi:
I have no doubt
that another Mazisi Kunene will come in South Africa in another thousand years
or so. But you must remember that a star like Kunene is shaped, however
distantly, by a small planet like Masilela revolving around you. You must
remember that between 1974 to 1979, it was this planet which was holding you in
balance as you seemed wobbling directionless.
To serious
matters: Mazisi, I'm truly fascinated by what you say
concerning Ngubane,
Luthuli, the Dhlomo brothers and others. When I use to ask you about these
matters here in Los Angeles or in West Berlin, you were very reticent. I was
always puzzled. Is it because you did not take me seriously. I sometimes think
your reticence delayed me for many years. I hope my Dhlomo monograph shows how
serious I was. Other things I'm working on I think you are going to like.
I sincerely hope
C. L. S. Nyembezi gets better. My thoughts are with him. Please Mazisi, this is
very important and very urgent: when you visit him, could you please obtain
from him on my behalf a photograph of him in younger days as a young man. I
need this photograph for a Webpage I have constructed on him within my Website.
Mazisi, I need this urgently. The Website I intend to create on your work is
going to be magnificent.
Greetings to
Mathabo.
Please Mazisi do
not forget or delay in writing the Instroduction to the Dhlomo monograph.
Best regards.
Ntongela
Masilela.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Self <NMASILEL>
To: KuneneM@umfolozi.ntech.ac.za
Subject: Re: A short note
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 7:58:51
Dear Mazisi:
Unfortunately
both ANTHEM OF THE DECADES and EMPEROR SHAKA THE GREAT are out of print. ANTHEM
OF THE DECADES went out of print a few years back. This I know because I tried
several times to use the book for one of my classes. EMPEROR SHAKA THE GREAT
went out of print completely as of last
year. I had been
using the book for the last eight years in my class
called The
African and the Latin American Epic. My College last year
searched for
EMPEROR SHAKA THE GREAT from bookstores and warehouses throughout United
States, but with no success. This really unfortunate and tragic. Through demand
I'm hoping that Heinemann will reprint the book. Our Bookstore and myself
through telephone indicated to Heinemann that the book is absolutely vital and
necessary for the teaching of African Literature. In the meantime, I think you
should persuade a publisher in South Africa to issue new editions of both these
great epics. A slightly different question: will you publish both books in Zulu
since you are back home?????????
Best regards.
Brotherly,
Ntongela Masilela.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Self <NMASILEL>
To: KuneneM@umfolozi.ntech.ac.za
Subject: The Introduction
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 20:30:26
Dear Mazisi:
I sincerely hope
your silence in an indication that you are bust writing the Introduction.
I really miss
you Mazisi. Do you realize that we never had a picture of us together ever taken! Unless perhaps this
happened in the 1970s.
What are you
presently working on Mazisi?
Greetings to
Mathabo.
Best Regards.
Ntongela Masilela.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------