Speaking for the Children … and the AK-47

California Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera Channels the Many Voices of Africa

In Squaring Off, Zócalo invites authors into the public square to answer five questions about the essence of their books. For this round, we pose questions to California poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, author of Senegal Taxi.

Herrera weaves together a multitude of unexpected voices and genres—poetry, prose, art, dialogue—to give voice to the pain and hope of the children whose lives have been ravaged by years of violence and war in the Sudan.

Not Dying in Zimbabwe

The Cemeteries Fill in the Failed African State, but Memories Live, and the People Go On

When we see glimpses of Africa, it’s usually because of a conflict, a safari, or a charity drive. Lanre Akinsiku, a writer from California, is spending a year traveling around …

Bibles, Butterflies, and Botswana

At a Church, I Learned L.A. Isn’t the Only Place You’re Judged On Appearance

When we see glimpses of Africa, it’s usually because of a conflict, a safari, or a charity drive. Lanre Akinsiku, a writer from California, is spending a year traveling around …

Odd Couple in Namibia

How To Be Stars of the Show At an Opuwo Bar

When we see glimpses of Africa, it’s usually because of a conflict, a safari, or a charity drive. Lanre Akinsiku, a writer from California, is spending a year traveling around …

Closing God’s Window

A Short Bus Trip Through Small-Town South Africa

When we see glimpses of Africa, it’s usually because of a conflict, a safari, or a charity drive. Lanre Akinsiku, a writer from California, is spending a year traveling around …

My Crazy Kenyan Thanksgiving

The Year We Ate Chicken at the Home of a Saudi Billionaire

It’s a funny thing, celebrating Thanksgiving outside of the United States. Just try explaining the whole deal about the Pilgrims and the Indians to the uninitiated. They might end up …