Okoampa-Ahoofe, Kwame, Jr. 1963–

PERSONAL: Born April 8, 1963, in Ghana; naturalized U.S. citizen; son of Kwame (an educator) and Dorothy (maiden name, Sintim) Okoampa-Ahoofe; children: Abena Aninwaa, Kwame III. Ethnicity: "African." Education: City College of the City University of New York, B.A. (summa cum laude), 1990; Temple University, M.A., 1993, Ph.D., 1998. Politics: Independent. Religion: "Christian—Ecumenist." Hobbies and other interests: Political philosophy.

ADDRESSES: Home—9 Fordham Hill Oval, Apt. 1—G, Bronx, NY 10468. Office—Department of English, Nassau Community College of the State University of New York, Garden City, NY 11530. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Ghana National Cultural Center, Kumasi, poet, 1979–84; Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, worked as instructor in English; Technical Career Institutes, New York, NY, instructor in English, 1991–94; Indiana State University, Terre Haute, instructor in history, 1994–95; Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY, member of English faculty. Participant in World Bank African "Brain-Gain" pilot project.

MEMBER: Modern Language Association of America, National Council of Teachers of English, African Studies Association, Community College Humanities Association.

AWARDS, HONORS: Essay award, Nassau Review, 1999.

WRITINGS:

POETRY

Dorkordicky Ponkorhythms, Turn of River Press (Stamford, CT), 1997, published as Dorkordicky Ponkorhythms: Wheel of Fortune, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2005.

Atumpan, Turn of River Press (Stamford, CT), 1998, published as Atumpan: Drum-Talk, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2004.

Obaasima, Turn of River Press (Stamford, CT), 2000, published as Obaasima: Ideal Woman, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2004.

Mmaa: I Miss You, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2004. Paa: A Tribute, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2004.

Ama Sefa: Unrequited Love, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2004.

Sororoscopes, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2004, revised and expanded edition, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2004.

Odo Ye 'Wu: Love Is till Death, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2005.

Nananom: Foremothers, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2005.

OTHER

Sounds of Sirens: Essays in African Politics and Culture, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2004.

Dr. J.B. Danquah: Architect of Modern Ghana, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2005.

The New Scapegoats: Colored-on-Black Racism, iUniverse (New York, NY), 2005.

Reporter and book critic, New York Amsterdam News, 1987–2002; columnist and special correspondent, African Profiles International, 1991–95; columnist for Harlem Times, 2003–04, New York Beacon, 2003–05, and Accra Daily Mail, 2005–. Assistant editor, African Profiles International, 1991–95; deputy editor, Terre Haute Vanguard, 1994–95.

SIDELIGHTS: Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., once told CA: "As a book critic for the New York Amsterdam News, my motivation is to encourage critical dialogue and thinking about literary works, be they political, cultural, or historiographical. I tend to see writing as a psychical x-ray, a probing into the essence of our humanity as moral beings capable of conscientious ratiocination. Among my significant literary influences are Wole Soyinka, Ayi Kwei Armah, Langston Hughes, Chinua Achebe (my former teacher), and Shakespeare. My writings consist largely of meditative commentary on a variety of literary corpus; that is, poetry, fiction, essay, et cetera. Ultimately the basis of my writing is existential."