Curious. Intrigued by the world around me. Enamored by the power of words. Looking forward to reading your story and telling you mine.
Billy Osogo The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life as we knew it heretofore. It affected every facet of day-to-day life. Essentially, it forced us to adapt to new ways of living. Who thought there’d come a time when you couldn’t morphologically tell the difference between a doctor and a clown because they were both wearing surgical … More THE TWINS OF THE PANDEMIC
Billy Osogo I love creating art as much I love consuming it. There’s something surreal about participating in the process of creation. To see the end product come from almost nothing. A blank page. A blank canvass. Plain clay. A blank sheet of music. Tabula rasa. Here are a few good words to help in … More ON LIVING AS A CREATIVE
Billy Osogo A year ago, George Floyd (yes, say his name) was brutally murdered in broad daylight, by a law enforcement officer. His death was yet another addition to the long list of black people who have suffered the same fate. However, akin to Rosa Parks’ arrest or Dr. King’s assassination, it was unique in … More GEORGE FLOYD: A YEAR ON
Billy Osogo : Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles delivered one of the most beautiful pieces of art when they wrote Ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese word that put simply translates to: “The happiness of always being busy.” The authors write on a broad spectrum of Japanese life. One of the things that’s stuck with me … More WHAT’S ART GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Billy Osogo Njia panda is the Swahili word for crossroad. Every now and then we find ourselves at a njia panda. Two opportunities arise. Too good to lose. Yet a choice must be made. Sleepless nights kick in. Pulling out of hair begins. Mental paralysis makes itself at home. The simple truth is that there’s … More AT CROSSROADS
Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso was a man ahead of his milieu. He spoke bluntly and decisively. Even though a bullet cut his life short, his words, like his legacy, have outlived even his detractors. In an interview with a Swiss Journalist, Sankara said: “You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of … More A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MADNESS
Billy Osogo I conscientiously followed the trial of the ex-officer responsible for George Floyd’s death. For 9 minutes and 29 seconds he pocketed as his knee snuffed the life out of a helpless, unarmed, handcuffed George Floyd. 331 days later his actions caught up with him. He was found guilty of all charges. Speaking after … More WHAT WOULD CORETTA THINK?
Books offer different things to different people. For some, books offer an escape. For some they offer a different vantage point. For others, entertainment. For others, peace. For some like me, all of the above, and then some! I enjoy hearing people’s perspectives. Books allow me to do that easily, at my pleasure. From time … More A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
I spend considerable amounts of time around my nieces and nephew. Partly because they are home with my folks. Partly because COVID-19 has restricted my movements. Partly because they are the most adorable beings I have come across. They are nine (eldest niece) and twenty months (twins) respectively. Bar sickness, once they are fed, bathed … More HEALING THE WOUNDED CHILD
I love literature! I am deliberate about being diverse in my reading. I try to read as much literature from as wide a geographical pool as I can. One of the things I have discovered is that literature from different parts of the world have certain distinguishing features. For African literature, the one distinguishing feature … More WISDOM FROM THE MOTHERLAND
Billy Osogo The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly changed life as we knew it heretofore. With severe restrictions on movement imposed by most governments, there’s only so much one can do. Part of what I have had more time to do during this pandemic is to read widely. There’s something exclusively inimitable about the written word. … More ON WRITING
By Billy Osogo “Educate, Empathize and Empower all!” That was the comment by my friend SnapDragon X on my previous piece. A brilliant choice of words, if I do so say myself! As I mentioned heretofore, the subject of racism is one that we must continue to have genuine conversations on. Educating yourself, allows you … More OH SNAP!
(*Sniff*Sniff*) Do you smell that? Imagine living in a world where the size of your nose determined the quality of your life. A large nose would guarantee you access to good schools, quality healthcare, higher wages and everything in between. Conversely having a small nose would automatically disenfranchise you from everything that people with big … More ON BIG NOSES
Death is a subject we seldom discuss yet we know it is inevitable. A few years ago I attended a requiem mass for a relative at the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi. It was a teary and somber service. A sniff would start in one corner, a pain-laden sigh in another and soon, the entire building … More BRICK WALLS
Paulo Coelho in his best-selling book, The Alchemist, writes of children; “A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” COVID-19 hit Nairobi sometime in March. That’s when the Kenyan … More TWO FOR THE ROAD
Happy New Year! I recently watched in shock the chaotic scenes at the US Capitol building. The brazzen attempt to subvert democracy seemed almost impossible for the world’s most advanced democracy. Another reminder that democracy, like a baby, needs round-the-clock tending to. Even more reason to look forward to January 20th. One hopes that Joe … More ON THE TRUTHS WE HOLD, THE POWER OF WORDS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN