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.