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At age 87, Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o remains impassioned about the power of language

Kenyan literary giant Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is 87 and has struggled with his health in recent years, but he still hopes to complete a new book. He spoke with passion and energy about his current book, “Decolonizing Language.” It includes essays and poems written between 2000 and 2019, with subjects ranging from language and education to such friends and heroes as Nelson Mandela, Nadine Gordimer and Chinua Achebe. During a recent interview, Ngũgĩ discussed his concerns about Kenya, the “empowerment” of knowing your native language, his literary influences and his mixed feelings about the United States.

The Profanity Trend Is Tired and Played Out

In 1985 – when I was 7 – the young kids in my neighborhood had a “swear club.” To join, the initiate had to hide behind a tree with the assembled members and say every swear word he knew. It was less common for children our age to encounter profanity back then. There weren’t many parents who routinely used profanity around kids, and other adults would clean up their speech when children were in earshot. This meant that the obscenities we did know were gleaned from overhearing adults in moments when they thought kids weren’t listening, or in brief bits of a new cable subscription service called HBO as we switched through the channels for our parents.

A giant sculpture of Gandalf riding an eagle departs Wellington airport for good

Sculptures of two giant eagles from the “Lord of the Rings” films will be removed from New Zealand's Wellington Airport this month after looming over travelers for 12 years. The sculptures, one bearing a bellowing wizard Gandalf, have delighted tourists and scared children since 2013. Their tenure was eventful. One became unmoored from its fixings during a severe earthquake in 2016, and plummeted onto the terminal floor below. No one was hurt. Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke says they're looking to replace a “Lord of the Rings” storytelling theme.