| JAM:
We open the book and are faced immediately with a vivid image of
a catastrophic earthquake. There is devastation everywhere. Where
does this image come from? Did you have a particular place or happening
in mind here?
VT: Prior to the writing of the
book, I lived in Mexico City for several months. It was around 1986,
right after the big earthquake that destroyed part of the city.
You could still see the ruins of many buildings and there were constant
references to the earthquake in the news. Later on, when I started
to work on the novel, l needed an image which could express the
type of devastation that can shake the foundations of a country,
a people. The Mexican earthquake came to my mind. I used it as a
metaphor of colonization and the traumatizing effects it had
on African societies as a whole. It destroyed the fabric of African
life. Already before that, the Atlantic Slave Trade had turned the
world upside down for Africans. The novel starts with people trying
to salvage what they could after a major earthquake. This for me
is an allegory for the years of independence (1960s) in Africa
because for a short while everybody thought that there was an opportunity
to turn the tide of history. But this did not happen. African leaders
were not able or willing to shake off neo-colonialism. Hence, for
the majority of the people, hope for a better future was crushed.
In some instances dictatorial governments were established. The
BlindPeople stand for an elite blind to inequality.
JAM: Chapter 2 opens with the image of
a palace, with a king and royalty... filth is everywhere. I feel
the neo-colonial in this image! Is it a reference to some of the
“palaces” you find in some African countries under corrupt
regimes? Isn’t there also something of the Palace of Versailles’
Hall of Mirrors?
VT: Absolutely. You are right
to bring out the neo-colonial in this image of the palace. The rot
and dirt are of course as much physical as they are mental. It is
a state of affairs that is unacceptable and no amount of gold and
riches can erase this. The squandering of money and the corruption
that characterize the way so many heads of states rule our countries
is mind-blowing. It seems like we are living in another age. The
Versailles Hall of Mirrors? Yes, too many of our rulers behaved
like absolute kings from centuries ago. Ahmadou Kourouma captured
this craziness in his novels and Sony Labou Tansi dealt with this
as well, but with a lot of derision.
JAM: For Akissi, the king’s daughter
and for her mother, is blindness a code for something else? Their
blindness strikes me as not being a debilitating disability. Both
women are seers, no? Where does their power to see and to act come
from?
VT: Yes, you are right. Akissi’s
blindness is not a debilitating one. But don’t forget that
she is living in the Palace which has been custom made for the BlindPeople.
In their own environment, blindness is never an issue. But through
love, Akissi becomes suddenly aware of her disability and is so
dissatisfied that she seeks Karim for answers. Akissi’s uneasiness
and inner questioning come from her rebellious mother who did not
accept the status quo. But this alone is not sufficient for the
two women to “see”. By falling in love and associating
herself with Karim, Akissi not only breaks a taboo but also initiates
new possibilities. She is a strong woman in the sense that she is
not afraid to seek the truth. The power to see comes from within,
from the realization that injustice is unacceptable. It also comes
from the desire to go towards other people. It comes from a sense
of community.
JAM: Karim ... I could picture him right
away ... Beautiful ... Tall, dark, handsome, a sensual kind of man,
with revolutionary politics... I pictured Kwame Ture ... Stockley
Carmichael! Did you have a particular person in mind, or a character
which resonates beyond any one national space?
VT: I wanted him to be a real
person, somebody likeable and attractive and definitively approachable.
I did not want him to be a stereotype but a man of flesh and blood.
He has his strong points and his weak ones, like everybody else.
What interested me was to show his passionate nature because without
passion you can’t achieve anything. He gives himself entirely.
Even though he knows by the end of the story that he has failed
to achieve what he wanted to do, he is ready to die for his beliefs.
It is his unshakeable faith in the future that travels through the
crowd outside the gates of the Palace. It is the fuel of change.
When you think of revolutionaries like Kwame Ture, Stockley Carmichael,
Patrice Lumumba and even Che Guevara, for example, you see that
there is something radiant in their personalities. They have an
aura that pulls people towards them and this aura can also be charged
with sexual energy.
JAM: Akissi, on the other hand, I had a
difficult time grasping, at first ... well, even to the end. But,
there are women like Akissi, right? Who is this woman?
VT: I guess we are not used to
portraying women as revolutionaries. But what is a revolutionary?
For me it is someone who rises above his or her circumstances and
changes the status quo. You have to understand where Akissi is coming
from. As you rightly pointed out, she is the king’s daughter.
Now, how do you overcome this and get rid of your shackles –
yes, shackles? That’s where the image of the blindness comes
from. For me, the problem with our continent resides principally
in its blind elite. The bourgeoisie could have been a factor for
progress but in fact were rapacious and blind and have failed the
majority of the people. If only they had looked at the long term,
a lot of innovations and reforms would have happened because, it
is obvious that economic and political stability is good for everybody
and the precondition for development.
But our elites are often far more interested in
accumulating wealth and holding on to power at all costs than in
doing what is often common sense. They have a short term vision
that leaves little room for improvement. The consequence is that
the only way of achieving change is often a violent one: military
coups, rebellions and uprisings. Akissi has to dissociate herself
from her class, her upbringing, and that is already a big step.
She goes in search of another reality, a new truth. It would have
been easy for me as a writer to “temper” Akissi’s
character. I could have made her this woman of steel capable of
overcoming everything. But a character dictates his or her own credibility.
I realized early on that she was limited in her political action
because she is too attached to life to accept the violence and death
that can come with revolution. However, the birth of the twins is
a sign of hope, the assumption that a new generation will be born
that will carry their parents’ struggle forward.
JAM: What about the sexual attraction between
Akissi and Karim? It seems at times that sexuality
is all encompassing.
VT: Physical love serves here
as a symbol of total commitment For example, it is only by being
intimate with Akissi that Karim becomes aware of the distressing
emptiness in her eyes. So here and there he decides to free her
from her blindness because he now feels that she is part of him.
It would be a betrayal to leave her in that state. The love story
is the driving force of the novel. It is through the coming together
of Karim and Akissi that we realize that there is no intrinsic obstacle
that prevents people of different class, gender, or ethnicity from
coming together. Love has a redeeming power. I am referring here
to a multi-dimensional type of love which paves the way for progress
and tolerance.
JAM: To go back to Akissi’s mother,
what happens to her?
VT: Akissi’s mother wanted
to share power or rather she disagreed with the king on major issues.
She tried to oppose him and bring about change. Ato IV felt challenged.
Therefore, he chose to “get rid of her”. We don’t
know if she was killed or if she was just sent away. But judging
by the mystery that surrounds her one can expect the worst.
JAM: What about Karim’s mother? Where
does her power come from? She is portrayed as a
very, very strong woman.
VT: Yes, indeed, she is strong.
She is the bearer of tradition. Her power comes from the land, her
culture and her community. She is also highly spiritual having been
initiated into the ancestral religion. In matriarchy, power runs
through women. Akissi’s gift of life at the end of the story
continues this. The birth of the twins may herald a new generation
capable of doing better than their predecessors.
JAM: Talking of a better future, what hope
is there for our cities? The city represented in
The Blind Kingdom could be any city, any Black
community where police brutality and violence take
place. Pollution fills the air, and Akissi leaves in search of a
better life “in the North.” However,
birds do manage to survive – what does
their survival signal to you as a writer?
VT: I am appalled at the state of our cities, of the environment
in which we live. You can have luxury residences next to shanty
towns. Look at Cape Town in South Africa, for example. It is such
a beautiful place! Yet as you arrive, and from the airport, you
are immediately faced by Khayelitsha, the biggest slum in the whole
country. And what about Ajegunle in Lagos? Thousands of rickety
shacks vying for space. It is the same in Kenya with the Kibera
and Mathare slums which are virtual “no go areas” in
the heart of Nairobi. Abidjan’s informal settlements come
to my mind, of course. Or Mexico City for that matter, with its
slums which must have one of the highest levels of pollution in
the world. I am also thinking of many Black neighborhoods in the
US. Poverty has no borders. The examples are limitless. The image
of birds (as opposed to bats) is one of hope. Hope that cities can
be rebuilt on a human scale.
JAM: I see that you make reference to several
African countries and even to countries outside the continent. For
whom is The Blind Kingdom intended ... did you have a particular
audience in mind? The Blind Kingdom requires, or at the very least,
calls for a particular kind of literacy, don’t you think –VèVè
Clark named this “Diaspora Literacy.”
VT: It is always a difficult question
to answer. You don’t write for a whole country or for the
whole world. You wouldn’t be able to put down a line! On the
contrary, you must try to avoid outside contingencies that might
divert you from what you are trying to say. There is a story in
you and you have to work hard at bringing it out. But the challenge
is that it has to be rooted in the particular, while at the same
time, have the potential to become relevant to other people outside
this reality. So, in this sense I can say that I had an African
audience or even to be more precise an Ivorian audience in mind.
Yet, my main interest was to produce a story about some human beings’
struggle to create a better world.
JAM: This book was published in 1990 ...
yet it resonates loudly with the political scene in Côte d’Ivoire
since 2002 ... the Grand North, the South ... rebels and up-risings.
Of your novels, this one and The Shadow of Imana, about
the 1994 genocide in Rwanda get to the heart of violence and creativity
... beautiful things can come from violence; does violence necessarily
stifle creativity?
VT: Let me take your question
from the other end. I am fascinated by beauty. What is its function?
Can it help us be better people? If you live in magnificent surroundings
will you be more tolerant, less inclined to fight? Not necessarily.
It cannot prevent violence or cruelty. Look at Rwanda. They call
it, “the country of a thousand hills”. It has a breathtaking
countryside. Look at America. When the Red Indians were slaughtered,
it was a virgin country full of forests, lakes and wonderful valleys.
Through creativity, you attempt to put some order into the chaos.
You look beyond the destruction to let life in again. You reaffirm
our humanity. And maybe the beauty you are talking about comes from
this endeavor.
JAM: The Mask is often seen in ceremonies
that takes place almost all over Africa. I want to explore this
idea of ritual and spirituality. Which Mask are you talking about?
VT: I was thinking of a Mask from
the Poro, the traditional religion of the Senoufo people from the
North of Côte d’Ivoire. It is a very complex set of
beliefs and rites which has mythical figures and a pantheon of gods.
There are all sorts of Masks, virtually for every occasion. But
the Mask which appears in the story is sacred and is a symbol of
spirituality and creativity. It is highly charged with a significance
and power that the elders have bestowed on it. The Poro have initiation
rites and Akissi goes through some kind of an initiation herself.
She evolves into a more conscious person able to see what is happening
around herself.
JAM: This narrative reminds me of innovative
creative work done by Black women writers such as Toni Morrison,
Monifa Love, where the eye remains focused on the community ...
the life within the community that can be traced back to moments,
places and histories.
VT: Yes, in The Blind kingdom,
I wanted to give a sense of community. I have read Morrison’s
writing and what I like about her novels is the fact that as a reader
you can feel the vibrancy of the community. The community is the
main character. It informs all the other protagonists’ actions.
Morrison’s immense achievement is that she looks at her society
with eyes wide open, scrutinizing every detail, good or bad. But
the final image is one of resilience and love.
JAM: The Blind Kingdom is layered ... one
image, one story on top of the other, some narratives jutting out,
some short, some more vivid than others... Here I see a link between
the visual and the literal, too. Why did you choose this particular
style?
VT: I have been writing like this
ever since my first book. I want to look at life from many different
angles, so I use whatever is at my disposal as a writer and as an
artist. We live in a community and in trying to tell one story in
particular, I have to rely on other stories. Our destinies cross,
we meet people, they enter our lives, then exit, to be replaced
by others, etc. Our existence is layered by an amazing number of
stories. So that’s why I move in and out. Having done some
photography, I am keenly aware of the danger of the focused picture.
The viewer cannot see everything that happens around the subject
while the photo is being taken. Literature in this sense offers
more possibilities. Moreover, I wanted the story to have a timeless
dimension, especially because I thought that it was very topical.
I therefore chose a form that would counter-balance the immediacy
of the narrative. Tales are at the same time – ancestral and
contemporary. It is all in the way you tell them, re-contextualize
them. It is also a literary genre that is known to all cultures
and which in a way touches all age groups. When they hear a tale,
the listeners can understand it on many different levels, depending
on their maturity and grasp of the cultural, historical or political
references. But whatever the case they always get something from
it. With time and added knowledge they can discover and unlock different
keys in the narrative. As a writer, what attracts me to the tale
is its freedom of expression. Virtually everything is allowed, even
the mixture of genres (poetry, political speech, incantations, etc).
JAM: Artists often live in places like
France, US and the UK. I read an interview where you were asked
about being a writer in exile because you don’t live in your
country at the moment. Do you see yourself as a writer living in
exile?
VT: Most of my life has been spent
on the African continent but with lots of traveling abroad. When
we talk of exile, I guess we talk of nationhood. And I guess that
not having lived in Côte d’Ivoire on a permanent basis
for a number of years now, makes me some kind of exile. But of course,
that is forgetting that I am a Pan-Africanist at heart and as long
as I am on the continent, I consider myself at home. And as long
as I have free access to my country, I am fine.
JAM: By a ‘Pan-Africanist at heart’
what do you mean? Is there a politics involved or a knowing and
feeling of kinship based on shared histories across the African
world?
VT: It is important for me to
constantly increase my knowledge of Africa. Living in different
countries and traveling through the continent is invaluable. I am
also interested in the Diaspora.
JAM: How have you connected the visual
arts in general and painting in particular to your writing?
VT: Living with a mother who was
an artist, a painter and a sculptor showed me that visual art was
a very powerful way of expressing oneself. I understood with time
that I did not need to feel torn between painting and illustrating
and my writing. The most important thing was being in the process
of creation. Whether you are a musician, a sculptor or a writer,
what counts is creativity. You must choose the medium that best
suits your objective at a given moment in your life. Painting came
when I was in Kenya. The light there has a magnificent quality and
there is a great community of artists. I was able to spend time
with them and develop as a self-taught painter. I believe I am a
better writer when I can also paint because it is about a different
way of saying things, using different kinds of signs but in the
end trying to tell a story.
JAM: What comparisons can one draw between
then and now? Does The Blind Kingdom contain some predictions that
have come true regarding your country?
VT: The parallel between the story
and the present situation in Côte d’Ivoire is the South/North
divide. The rebellion which took place in September 2002 marked
the beginning of a deep political and military crisis. It was waged
by rebels coming from the North of the country. They took control
of key northern cities (Korhogo and Bouaké), effectively
dividing the country into two. After many Peace Agreements and Accords,
the line of demarcation has been dismantled. Côte d’Ivoire
has regained a level of peace but it is yet to achieve lasting stability.
It is important that as a people, we recognize that our cultural
diversity is a source of richness. We must work harder at strengthening
the concept of nationhood by looking at the country as an economic
and social entity.  |
