A peek into Amuneni’s There’s a Lunatic in Every Town
Shittu Fowora, an acclaimed critic in his blurb paints a perfect picture of Bash S. Amuneni’s collection ‘There is A Lunatic in Every Town’ when he said “Amuneni takes us through tortuous spaces in beautiful language nuanced in gestural intensity wherein the beat of succinct words, destinies and destinations find purpose on the page. For his lucidity of perception, tapestries locutions, deftness at painting word hybrid of riddles and insights, we should be most grateful”.
‘There is A Lunatic in Every Town’ is an anthology of poetry, written as a celebration of the poet’s transition from stage to page.
The collection of forty five poems divided into three sections: Resonance, Intimacy and the Human condition are seen as mere collaborators to the connectivity of what makes us whole.
The eponymous title is a confrontational one, thought provoking and intriguing. It is something that tells you about the actions and activities of the everyday Life. As a traveler and adventurer, Amuneni did not fail to capture the moment in poetic verse about his nostalgic feelings, about the places he’s known as a child or the cultural aspect of the people or about the food he has tasted or eaten.
In the poem Akwanga, he paints a vivid picture of home, evoking nostalgia in the minds of readers“Dawn and Akwanga comes to me in the toothy smile of Kaka”…
The section on intimacy is quiet enthralling as matters of the heart are sculptured in beautiful words. But then again, he switches and shows us how a country that’s meant to have everything organized is set to destroy it all. Poems like ‘Something happened in Ynaya, About Loss, Lunatic on the Loose, all point to the poet’s disenchantment from the plight of his society.
The anthology is a tribute, which eulogizes personalities, places and family. The poet’s diction is apt and he code switches from English to Hausa and other native languages like Tiv, Idoma and Igala.
The transition of a poet, whether for page or stage, is usually a difficult task especially because the poet has to continually use symbolism to deliver his art and while transiting, he has to be in charge of his oratory.
Bash, as he is fondly called by friends did not just achieve success in his art of performance alone, because his poetry on text appeals to his readers as well. The title gives readers something to remember especially as lunatics are everywhere on the street daily.
Bash Amuneni, is a multi talented, award winning Nigerian spoken word artist who has been featured on many platforms in Nigeria and parts of Africa.
