Operation Oysterhood: 13 September

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OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

My friend Debbie gave me Nespresso capsules as a gift and it was nice to drink the coffee and think of her this morning. I shared the rusks with Glinka.

Still in bed, we then worked on the edit of a manuscript until it was time to get ready for a culinary adventure. My love and I met dear friends in Franschhoek for a lunch at Protégé. It was the first time we saw one another since the beginning of lockdown and it felt great to reconnect in person (even at a distance and without hugs) and to enjoy a delicious meal together.

They serve divine oysters at Protégé.

I do love oysters. But no matter how exceptionally delicious the food was, it was the company that made the event beyond special. My love and I have missed our friends very much and it was soul-restoring to see them, especially under circumstances that felt safe. I appreciate places that have mastered the health and safety protocols so well that as their customer you can forget about the pandemic for a short time while being in their care. Protégé felt very safe.

After returning home, I got back into bed and continued working with Salieri catssisting. With the rain and wind going wild outside, we did not feel the need to be anywhere else. We had chicken leftovers for dinner and are now waiting for the US Open men’s final. We will be cheering for Mozart’s and my countryman, Dominic Thiem.

Ahead is a busy week, but the weekend was relaxing. If only I knew what was wrong with my right eye; it is gradually turning red. If it’s not better by tomorrow morning, I will have to see a doctor.

Barbara Boswell’s And I Wrote My Story Anyway – the perfect gift for my literary women friends.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

Operation Oysterhood: 12 September

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OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

The three stages of weekend.

Even though he spent the entire morning in my bed, Harry got married to another woman at the end of Trunk Music, the latest Bosch novel I have completed. The binge reading continues. Escapism of the purest kind. My brain is incapable of any other reading for pleasure right now.

I needed to switch off today and did some household and garden work after the morning reading session. I also delivered some things to a woman in Hout Bay who is helping the victims of the recent fire. On the way to her, I was reminded of all the people who showed up on our doorstep when we were in the process of establishing our first home after leaving the refugee camp in Austria. They were mostly strangers who’d heard about the refugee family in the neighbourhood and brought us things that they no longer needed, but that were pure gold to us when we had nearly nothing. I will never forget that generosity, what it meant to our parents, to my brother and me.

In the afternoon, I had a lovely visitor – one of my dear friends came to have a drink with me on the stoep. It was amazing to see her again, to catch up in person and to enjoy the mild sun shining on us. All the Cats joined us for the occasion.

And in the evening, my love cooked another delicious roast chicken for me and all our Furry Ones. A happy, well-fed family.

Now, it’s time to watch the US Open women’s final!

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

Operation Oysterhood: 11 September

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OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

For a wonderful collection of one-man-band photographs have a look at Samm Bennett’s website

I had a lunch Skype date with my brother today. After hearing about my last few days, he said that I am like one of those one woman/man bands. I thought it was the most fitting image for how I feel at the moment. I just don’t make music, I make books.

Forthcoming from Karavan Press

We had our cover reveal today, and judging by the comments received, Monique, Joanne and I did not do ‘too badly’. I love it. And the book’s content is just as exquisite. At a time of loss for nearly everyone, to read Joanne’s journey through several gigantic losses in her life, to follow her footsteps through a period of intense grief and suffering, and to see her emerge more resilient and still being able to smile and encounter life and people with generosity of spirit is beyond inspiring.

Joanne Hichens

Knowing Joanne and being able to call her my friend is one of the greatest treasures in my life. To publish her memoir is a privilege I am immensely grateful for. We have worked together before – last year, we co-edited HAIR: Weaving & Unpicking Stories of Identity – and it has always been a joy, but working on this book took that inspiring cooperation to a new level. And to have other amazing creative people be part of this project – Monique Cleghorn (designer), Joanna Cooke (artist) and Helen Moffett (editor) – made every step of the way precious.

Today, I was at my computer for most of the day again, but with this cover reveal my professional week ended on an absolute high.

And my personal week ended with a delicious dinner with my love at Grub & Vine.

It is time for bed now. Salieri is waiting. And I forgot to mention that I finally had the TV – the most reliable sleeping pill for me – in the bedroom fixed!

Good night.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

Operation Oysterhood: 10 September

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OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Kirsten Arendse’s illustration of Lester Walburgh’s story “Hairs and Graces” in HAIR: Weaving and Unpicking Stories of Identity

Crisis management day with extremely positive results and good news on all possible fronts. And because Lester’s short story collection, Let It Fall Where It Will, is being typeset, and today I had a meeting with Joanne Hichens and Monique Cleghorn to finalise a cover for a new Karavan Press book we had been working on for weeks (to be revealed tomorrow!!! – and if you think you saw some beautiful covers this year, you haven’t seen anything yet!), and hair is on everyone’s lips, and I did not take any photographs myself today, I am sharing the above stunning photograph that Kirsten Arendse illustrated one of Lester’s stories with when it was published in HAIR, the book that Joanne and I co-edited, and Monique designed. There are so many stories that we share and there are so many more we are going to tell together. I love working with people like Kirsten, Lester, Monique and Joanne. Together, we bring art into the world that makes every part of the process – even the hair-tearing bits – worth it. And sometimes we sleep in our clothes, and don’t manage to wash our hair, stumble through the days, and fall into bed exhausted, but we make things happen. And they are beautiful.

I CANNOT wait until tomorrow’s cover reveal. Watch Karavan Press’s social media for it.

I go to bed in a state beyond tiredness, but with a smile on my face.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

Operation Oysterhood: 9 September

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OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

A night of restlessness. I watched two long interviews with Chomsky and Snowden in the small hours when I couldn’t sleep. I am fascinated by people who can not only grasp complexity, but convey it to others in ways that establish understanding through precision and clarity. It is a rare gift. The interviews made me think of one of my all-time favourite quotes by Karl Popper:

The only things I would change are the pronouns replacing the intellectual and the ‘men’. Luckily, a lot of work has been done and our fellow men and women are growing the intellectual capital of all human beings together, even if not always as equals in the eyes of their communities. A long road ahead.

A beautiful day. Eventually, Glinka and I took our work outside into the sun.

In the evening, I walked on the Promenade for the first time in months and then picked up my love from work to have dinner together at his place: and because it was Wednesday, it was time for BBQ buns from the Hoghouse. Delicious, as always. The potato wedges did not survive the trip home …

It was a long day of many challenges and I am exhausted. And when I read the latest news about another South African giant passing away, I did have a cry.

George Bizos (1928-2020) – there are no words apart from gratitude, and tears, and an overwhelming longing for light. Rest in peace. Thank you.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

Operation Oysterhood: 8 September

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OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

A visit to the hardware store. I had to replace my stolen saw and get new mould buster (Salieri is still high and hilarious to watch) and all the stuff needed to fix up my shower which is leaking water into the wall. When I was a child/teenager, we moved around a lot and some of the places we lived in were not exactly in the best condition, so I know much too much about renovating. And I must admit that even though I have the skills, I really do not like doing any of it, but “a woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do”.

The rest of the day was spent in front of the computer. But I did see a Karavan Press author to discuss unconventional book sales opportunities. After the latest sales – or rather returns – statements, we need to explore all possibilities. Times are tough, but books bring so much peace and joy into readers’ lives, we simply cannot give up. It would be nice to earn money in the book business, but when all else fails, we will continue for the love of literature. No matter what.

Although I saw a friend today for a glass of wine on my stoep who reported being completely incapable of reading during the lockdown. The stress of forging ahead despite loss of income and increased responsibilities are responsible for her lack of energy to open a book (and she is a passionate reader and writer under less challenging circumstances). So, if you can still read, count yourself lucky.

I must say that if it hadn’t been for Bosch, I would be struggling to read, too. Mozart and I indulged in Bosch, potato chips and wine while waiting for the friend to arrive in the late afternoon. Being able to lose myself in the story that is pure entertainment allows me to face the work I have to do – rewarding in much deeper and more meaningful ways, but not always easy to execute.

Books as life boats … such an ancient tale …

Where would we be without stories?

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

Operation Oysterhood: 7 September

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OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

A morning flower walk on the Rondebosch Common with my love. The best start to a busy week.

But most of today was spent in front of the computer, with a few short breaks for household duties: ironing, brass polishing, cleaning, etc. I loved harvesting my potatoes, Mozart assisting (of course). We planted onions that had gone wild in the kitchen instead.

We won’t be able to feed the nation, but there will be a lovely potato dinner soon. Served with butter and salt and happiness.

As people who know and/or read me will remember, I am a tennis fan. And I have been following the US Open on and off for the past week, but not with much enthusiasm, I must admit, at least not on the men’s side. My favourites are not playing. And I had no intention of watching the one player who had been dominating the men’s game during the Open and was basically destined to win his next grand slam, especially not after the disastrous Adria Tour earlier this year and the ferment over the players’ association. So you can imagine that the tennis news of this morning was music to my ears. I watched the relevant video clip, and then read some of the articles and comments on his disqualification with a sense of relief: not because he is out of the tournament, but because his persistent reckless attitude has finally palpable consequences. I know that he is a hero and idol to many, but so is the Tangerine Troll. I find both to a lesser or greater extent uncomfortable to observe in their respective positions. It’s the sense of arrogance and carelessness with which they encounter the world that I find comparable. And their cowardice when it comes to acknowledging responsibility. We all make terrible mistakes. We all hurt others. But it is the way we deal with these hurts that is interesting to watch: whether we make the aftermath about the aggrieved party or ourselves. Why not stay for the media conference? Apologise immediately and unequivocally? What I also find revealing is the level of hatred aimed at the woman who was hurt in the incident by his fans, as if she had been somehow at fault. There is a reason why the rules that disqualified him are in place – they are there to protect people. And in this case, they revealed that sometimes it takes only a moment and an unintentional action to expose a character that cannot be curated and masked at all times. It is when the mask slips that we learn about who or what we are really dealing with …

In a way, it’s no different to a careless placement of an advert – it can reveal a whole history of injustice and pain.

We mustn’t look away from these moments of disruption, when momentarily someone or something are shown for who and what they truly are. It is not easy having to deal with these incidents, but it is the only way we can learn, grow and move forward with more understanding and compassion for our fellow travellers.

The weave easily came off as she pulled at the strands that attached it to Angel’s hair. As she gently removed the weave, Angel’s hair was revealed. It was thick, black and rich, shining with a healthy sheen that rivalled the weave. She stared at the hair, her hands sinking into the clumps. She felt the hair, tracing every precious spiral with care and love.

“A Woman’s Glory” by Kholofelo Maenetsha, HAIR: Weaving and Unpicking Stories of Identity (2019)

Let us proceed with “care and love”.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

Operation Oysterhood: 6 September

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OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

Just when you think something cannot get any better, there is breakfast with a view. Vineyard Views Country House is one of those places that radiate perfect hospitality. Our hosts, Gareth and Grant, made us feel welcomed in a way that one seldom encounters with complete strangers. We were staying only a night, but the hours spent at the Country House completely recharged my batteries. I slept through the night, woke up refreshed and eager to explore. But first, there was the divine breakfast with a view that took one’s breath away. I love travelling around the world to faraway destinations, but sitting on the stoep of the Country House this morning, with the Vineyard Views spread in front of us, I thought: why long for faraway places when you can have the ideal getaway on Cape Town’s doorstep?

After breakfast, we had a stroll around the village and its quirky shops and galleries. Riebeek Kasteel will see me again soonest. But preferably, next time, we will know how to manage what one local explained was “The Mountain”, no reception in the centre of the village because of the nearby mountain range which reduces the available signal to nearly nothing. Usually, no problem, but when you are in a new place during loadshedding and are searching for a place that turns out to be closed anyway and you can’t rely on Google Maps or phone anyone and have to drive around in nearly complete darkness to find another somehow functioning restaurant, it can become ‘difficult’. Also, and I say this with a heavy heart and knowing that after the Mullieneux tasting not many wines would have managed the comparison, but the Brink Family wine we had last night was … shall we say, ‘difficult’, too. No wonder we never heard of it before … But I did enjoy the label :)

Isn’t the Swartland simply stunning?

We came back home in the afternoon to the sad news of Achmat Dangor’s passing. I have been reading his work ever since I discovered South African literature. He was always kind to me on the few occasions we met on the literary scene. The last time was at the Open Book Festival in 2017 when I interviewed him along with Qarnita Loxton and Jonathan Jansen. Qarnita took this wonderful selfie of us – one of my favourite festival photographs ever – at the event.

This year has taken away so much from so many people and the loss deepens with every passing day. It is difficult, if not impossible, to allow oneself to feel all the pain – communal and individual. But every loss brings with it the reminder to treasure the moments we have with one another, to embrace the joys that others bring into our lives. We need to keep one another in our hearts and in our memories. One day our smiles will be on display on our lips again – until then let us shine goodwill with our eyes. May Achmat rest in peace, and may his loved ones find comfort in the memories he leaves behind.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

Operation Oysterhood: 5 September

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OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

My love invited me for a weekend in the Swartland.

We visited the inspiring winemakers, Andrea and Chris Mullineux of Mullineux and Leeu wines. Their farm is something out of a fairytale and I loved listening to them talk about their approach to farming and wine making – regenerative and wholesome. One can taste it in their wines.

We are staying at the FABULOUS Vineyard Views Country House. It is simply perfect. The epitome of hospitality. You begin to relax the moment you walk through the door, from the kind welcome to the delicious afternoon tea and the charm and beauty of the place, you just feel at home, but pampered and special in every moment.

Our dinner outing was a (mis)adventure of note, including loadshedding, no phone signal, wrong booking, and a bit of desperation: but, in the end, we found a place with a decent menu and a surprising wine on the wine list …

Today, I ate too much, drank too much, indulged too much, but I have no regrets.

I blame it on The Mountain … (will explain tomorrow).

Goodnight treat at the Vineyard Views Country House.

Good night.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD

Review: My Mother’s Laughter – Selected Poems by Chris van Wyk

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My Mother’s Laughter: Selected Poems by Chris van Wyk, compiled and edited by Ivan Vladislavić and Robert Berold, is one of those literary gems that you will want to have on your bookshelf. Most readers will know Chris van Wyk as the author of Shirley, Goodness & Mercy and its sequel, Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch, both memoirs published in the decade before Van Wyk’s untimely death of cancer in 2014.

He was a versatile writer of children’s books, autobiographical works and other non-fiction, as well as fiction. As editor of Staffrider, the literary and cultural magazine founded in the late 1970s (in existence until 1993), Van Wyk mentored a whole generation of emerging writers. In 1979, he published his only poetry collection, It Is Time to Go Home.

And now, My Mother’s Laughter brings together a selection from the debut volume, also the poems which appeared in Van Wyk’s memoirs, and includes previously unpublished work, showcasing the much-loved author’s poetic talent.

Inescapably, many of the poems from It Is Time to Go Home are set against the socio-political landscape of its time, but even decades later they radiate an energy of awareness and resistance that seems timeless and inspires to action against injustice. My Mother’s Laughter opens with “Metamorphosis”, a poem signalling transgenerational concerns about how historical events such as the Sharpeville massacre and the Soweto Uprising influenced and politicised whole generations of South Africans – a young son, “fidgeting around his [father’s] work-worn body / asking questions at his shaking head”, as a teenager trying to make sense of the world “after June 16”, ends up comprehending what was and is at stake: “I nod my head. / I understand.” Despite the horrors witnessed and the struggles which followed, the sense of hope for a better tomorrow does not abandon the poet. One day, he assures, hearts “will throb / to the rhythm of a drum / And all of Africa will dance”.

The political poems are interspersed with tender love poems, dedicated to Kathy, Van Wyk’s future wife. They were married in 1980 and had two sons. “I am happy here; / just being against your navel”, the poet declares in “You Must Never Know I’m Writing You a Love Poem”.

The previously uncollected poems evoke a strong sense of home and community, how the world infiltrates both with its deeply troubled realities, but also how family bonds and friendships as well as commitment can, if not shelter you from the worst, at least allow you to confront it. They are tributes to heroes of the struggle and heroes of the everyday alike. Van Wyk remembers his “ouma’s yard” and how the “black words / on the white sheets” of the books she bought for them were “like coal strewn across a field of snow.” Equally, his “mother’s laughter” sustained the family throughout the harsh winter of oppression.

My Mother’s Laughter: Selected Poems

Chris van Wyk

Deep South, 2020

Review first published in the Cape Times on 4 September 2020.