Bury Me at the Marketplace

Es'kia Mphahlele and Company. Letters 1943-2006

N Chabani Manganyi, N. Chabani Manganyi, David Attwell, N. Chabani Manganyi, David Attwell

• Publisher: Wits University Press
• Year: 2009
• Topic: Psychology
• eBook ISBN:
  9781776142927
• Subtopic: History & Theory in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

When Chabani Manganyi published the first edition of selected letters twenty-five years ago as a companion volume to Exiles and Homecomings: A Biography of Es'kia Mphahlele, the idea of Mphahlele's death was remote and poetic. The title, Bury Me at the Marketplace, suggested that immortality of a kind awaited Mphahlele, in the very coming and going of those who remember him and whose lives he touched. It suggested, too, the energy and magnanimity of Mphahlele, the man, whose personality and intellect as a writer and educator would carve an indelible place for him in South Africa's public sphere.
That death has now come and we mourn it. Manganyi's words at the time have acquired a new significance: in the symbolic marketplace, he noted, 'the drama of life continues relentlessly and the silence of death is unmasked for all time'. The silence of death is certainly unmasked in this volume, in its record of Mphahlele's rich and varied life: his private words, his passions and obsessions, his arguments, his loves, hopes, achievements, and yes, even some of his failures. Here the reader will find many facets of the private man translated back into the marketplace of public memory.
Despite the personal nature of the letters, the further horizons of this volume are the contours of South Africa's literary and cultural history, the international affiliations out of which it has been formed, particularly in the diaspora that connects South Africa to the rest of the African continent and to the black presence in Europe and the United States.
This selection of Mphahlele's own letters has been greatly expanded; it has also been augmented by the addition of letters from Mphahlele's correspondents, among them such luminaries as Langston Hughes and Nadine Gordimer. It seeks to illustrate the networks that shaped Mphahlele's personal and intellectual life, the circuits of intimacy, intellectual inquiry, of friendship, scholarship and solidarity that he created and nurtured over
the years. The letters cover the period from November 1943 to April 1987, forty-four of Mphahlele's mature years and most of his active professional life. The correspondence is supplemented by introductory essays from the two editors, by two interviews conducted with Mphahlele by Manganyi and by Attwell's insightful explanatory notes.

LETTERS 1943-2006

1943

Roodepoort

10 November 1943

Dear Madam,

For quite a number of years now I have taken keen interest in dramatic art.¹ I have acted in several plays at school including ‘Merchant of Venice’ (Shylock), besides writing and producing a few sketches and musical comedies. I am at present trying to recruit actors for a short musical comedy written by myself – a copy of which I should gladly send you if you were willing to give me some comments on it – such as only a person of your experience and training in this art can give.²

All these, of course, come to naught, considering how much there is to be done yet, and that they are but poor amateurish attempts.

It would certainly be extremely difficult, even if you would be willing to do so, to have me as one of your students, firstly, as an African, secondly as a worker, and so would be a part-time pupil.³ As the latter I wonder if you would think it worth while having one pupil on, in the light of the fact that it would in the evenings, when you are undoubtedly too tired from the days work.

I could, however, get more interested people to attend, even if it be only a Saturday afternoon. If I am alone, I shall have to be content with the theoretical aspect of it; in this you would certainly be of much help, on the understanding that I shall pay for it.

Your suggestions and advice will be most welcome.

Thanking you in anticipation,

I am,

Yours faithfully,

Ezekiel Mphahlele

¹ In the early 1940s Mphahlele made several attempts to begin a writing career. He tried writing verse plays and, when he was unsuccessful, turned to poetry. These manuscripts were subsequently destroyed. Later, he began writing short fiction. It was while he lived and worked at Ezenzeleni Blind Institute in Roodepoort that, with Norah Taylor’s encouragement, Mphahlele wrote the short stories that were published by the African Bookman in Cape Town as Man Must Live and Other Stories (1947). His interest in drama remained latent – in later years (both in South Africa and in Kenya) he was to direct and act in various plays. His most mature attempt to write a play came when he lived in exile in Nigeria. There he completed Shaka Zulu, the manuscript of which was lost and has not yet been recovered.

² Mphahlele sent a copy of the play to Norah Taylor, who offered to seek professional opinion about it. She considered that it needed development, but she recognised Mphahlele’s talent and encouraged him to continue.

³ Circumspection was necessary during this period in the arrangements Norah Taylor and Mphahlele could make to meet for tuition, for fear of possible police action.

Roodepoort

20 December 1943

Dear Miss Taylor,

I thank you sincerely for your criticism of the musical comedy, which I read very carefully. When I read the play over again for reference the whole thing became clear to me – the faults which only your professional insight could bring into relief and thus help me to go carefully in my subsequent attempts. The criticism is very constructive because of its frankness, and, rather than be discouraged, I feel the long way I still have to go is intriguing and I thrill at the prospect of the adventure. Thanks for the encouragement.

I hope you will not wait long before you read my next attempt.

Allow me to wish you the very best this season and may the new year bring better and brighter days of good glowing health.

Sincerely yours,

Ezekiel Mphahlele

1944

Roodepoort

6 June 1944

Dear Miss Taylor,

Thanks very much for your very nice and encouraging letter.

I conveyed to Mr Sehloho your best wishes and we are both all anxiety to attend the rehearsal on the 22^nd June and help during the performances – this will certainly earn us invaluable and thrilling experience.

I am glad that you appreciate my feeble effort at essay-writing and it gives me renewed courage to hear that I have good descriptive powers. I did once try short-story writing at college and won some first prizes, and I have been turning over in my mind the possibilities of success in this line.¹

Two outstanding difficulties at once became evident: tuition – especially, who would undertake the task of teaching me, even if only the rudiments of the art; secondly, the commercial aspect of the art. The latter problem is made all the more acute because there is limited scope of short-story-writing (if any) in our weekly papers and what European magazines there are do not entertain publication of an African’s efforts! There is undoubtedly quantities of material in African life for story-writing or play-writing, as you know, but, however much I crave to be able to put into writing, with all the passion of one who desires to tell a story, I feel my efforts crippled by the above factors – a grim situation, isn’t it? I shall always welcome any advice from you.

I was reading the other day a dramatisation by Virginia Church of Tolstoi’s story, which I found immensely interesting, but I shall not hesitate to read Miles Malleson’s play when you have found it. I shall also be trying (scour) the bookshelves for it.

I am glad to inform you that a collection of plays has arrived at our library from the Public Library and so we have much to keep us busy.

The verse will reach you under separate cover.

Again thanking you,

I am,

Yours sincerely

Ezekiel Mphahlele

¹ The reference here is to a short-story competition held while Mphahlele was a student at Adams College in Natal (1939-1940).

1948

Orlando West

24 October 1948

Dear Miss Taylor,

The case of Mrs. Malele pains me greatly because it is one of those things one cannot do much about. You have done a great deal, I have reason to know, indeed more than she herself can estimate, to help her.

There is, unfortunately, no chronic sick home for Africans in this country. In fact the state hardly even mentions anything about the African chronic sick. I do not know of any mission home that accepts such cases. Admittedly, she needs change of climate and such a home would have to be where it suits her condition. The only mission institutions out in the country districts are hospitals or clinics or schools and not for such cases as Mrs. Malele’s. Yes, it is very hard.

As far as external help is concerned I suggest you write to Mrs Henderson, Non-European Affairs Dept., His Majesty’s Buildings, JHB, who is the senior welfare officer in that dept. She has, I know, a list of such cases which have no institution to care for them. She may not do something straightaway, but she will know about it.

I have known asthma to be incurable, but recently a man who had had it for over 30 years was cured completely by a Dr Mandelstam at the Benoni location. He has proven a wizard with a number of cases declared ‘impossible’. This was the first time for me to see this ailment cured – I know the man personally who was cured. Have you ever tried him? If you have not and would like to try him, I shall let you know how to get to him.

As far as her own behaviour is concerned, I may say this: I know how asthma can beat one up and weaken the moral courage one may have. I was attacked by asthma in 1940 in Natal and such days and nights of agony I endured are almost unimaginable. I am perfectly alright at any place on the Reef, but I dare not go to Pretoria or the coast or any other place that is lower than the Reef. I gave up all hope for medical cure and it taught me to exercise, open air, good diet, constant movement on my legs help one to resist it.¹

Medical science has it that one can almost always locate the thing that causes an attack – some are affected by the smell of a particular flower, or of dust of any type; then others by the smell of cat’s fur; and then others by the eating of a particular protein. I found that the climate of a low country – dampish and hot, dust from a feather pillow, and from a coir mattress provoked the ‘beast’. A European lady teacher then advised me to get rid of such a mattress and sleep on a pile of blankets on the spring and use a pillow stuffed with cloth – even before I had realised those were the things that made the asthma worse or started it off. I still do not use a feather pillow or a coir mattress and these, together with an ideal climate, make me forget I even had such a thing as asthma. One thing it hates is sitting down, especially indoors, which is what she does – she will not move about in the open, and I do know the husband’s work does not bring in enough to help them afford vegetables and fruit. I have seldom seen them eating anything other than starchy foods.

She told us she had been to Warmbaths some time ago and there it was worse – which shows she needs a higher place – towards the Drakensburg in the Free State or Basutoland. But alas, there is no ‘home’ for her at these places. Do try that doctor and advise her to avoid the things mentioned above and move about more.

The latter of course, should be very difficult. The cruelest aspect of it, I think, is that it does not shorten one’s life – it just becomes one long, dragging, miserable affair – I say this without any evil suggestion. I do hope you will have made appreciable progress before you leave.

When in England, if you by any chance meet Peter Abrahams please remember me to him. He will most probably recollect my first name and the fact that we were at St Peter’s Secondary School together.²

Did you get your MS back of the play you entered for the competition? I have written to the Secretary of the F.A.T.S.S.A. [Federation of Amateur Theatrical Societies of South Africa] four times now and have not received a single reply.

I shall wait for a reply from you about Mrs Malele in due course.

Yours sincerely,

Ezekiel Mphahlele.

¹ After Mphahlele’s departure from Nigeria on 6 September 1957 he no longer suffered from asthma. He later concluded that the illness was psychosomatic, arising out of emotional difficulties.

² Mphahlele was unaware that at this time Peter Abrahams, the Johannesburg-born author, was living in Paris. He had left South Africa in September 1939 with the outbreak of war and remained in London until 1 June 1948, when he moved to France, where, in July 1949 (while living in the village of Paley), he began writing Tell Freedom. He returned to London in early 1950. Abrahams spent only one year at St Peter’s – 1937, which was Mphahlele’s last year (he was there from 1935-1937) – when he completed the Junior Certificate. The matriculants of 1937 included Zeph Mothopeng and those of 1938, Oliver Tambo.

1952

Orlando West

22 July 1952

Dear Miss Taylor,

Would you allow me to keep your costumes until after Aug. 16 when we shall be performing? If you are using them before then, I shall bring them. I’m looking after them jealously.

I have just received a letter from the Tvl. Education Dept. dismissing me from t...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Epigraph
• Contents
• The Editors
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• Introduction
• Correspondents
• Letters 1943-2006
• Interviews
• Interview references
• Index