Having touched vast topics with her novels that drew extensively on the Biafran war in Nigeria during the late 1960 and non-fiction articles. In a new feature on The NewYorker, Larissa MacFarquhar profiles Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and takes us on an extensive journey of her life so far, referencing quotes from her books in an article titled: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Comes to Terms With Global Fame.
One part of the article talks about her rise from being an up and coming writer to an established Bestselling author of Half of A Yellow Sun. Chimamanda is admired as a Nigerian who has become an international celebrity, bringing the world to her country and a sense that as a Nigerian, anything is possible.
But, because she is so visible, everything she does or says is scrutinized. Once asked where she went instead to find the best African fiction, she said: “My mailbox,” where she received her workshop students’ stories. This was met with a lot of backlashes, especially from Nigerian Twitter. One user wrote: “It doesn’t take much brain juice to realize from her interviews that Ms CNA’s ego can sink an island. So the best African fiction is in Chimamanda Adichie’s inbox?” Another said, “I hail thee, queen-god mother. Go f–k yourself, Chimamanda.”
About being famous, Chimamanda said: “Ta-Nehisi Coates said to me once that what hurt him the most, becoming successful, was how much it was black intellectuals who seemed to be out for him, and I know what that’s like.
“I told him that there’s a circle of Nigerians who are resentful of my international success, and it’s very hurtful because I want my people to wish me well.”
On being in a feminist marriage, The author said: “One of the perils of a feminist marriage is that the man actually wants to be there. He is so present and he does every damn thing! And the child adores him. I swear to God, sometimes I look at her and say, I carried you for nine months, my breasts went down because of you, my belly is slack because of you, and now Papa comes home and you run off and ignore me. Really?”
Click here to read the full interview
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