Njoke Thomas
Njoke Thomas, a graduate of Stanford University (BA, Human Biology) and Harvard University (Master's in Public Health) currently lives in Denver, Colorado, and works in health care policy and strategy.
- All (6)
- Completed (6)
All dyalogues with Njoke Thomas
Feb 2010
Is losing weight expensive?
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CompletedUpdated on Feb 05, 2010Americans Aren't Fat Because They Lack Willpower; They're Fat Because They're Broke · Violent Acres
The basis of this discussion. Funny and eerily insightful.Do you have to spend a lot of money on healthy food and personal trainers to get trim and fit?
The Golden Gate (Vikram Seth's novel written in verse)
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CompletedUpdated on Feb 02, 2010Published in 1986 to substantial critical and commercial acclaim, The Golden Gate, written by Vikram Seth, is now, unfortunately, out of print, but can typically be found second-hand or at your local library (I found my copy there).
The novel is set in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area in the mid-80s, but has an unusual twist: it's written entirely in verse (more on that below).
Inspired by Russian author Vladimir Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, the novel comprises 690 tetrameter sonnets. In fact, Seth found Pushkin's novel at a second-hand book sale at Stanford University, where some of the scenes in the novel take place.
Vikram Seth Biography
Vikram Seth was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1952. His father, Prem, was an executive at a shoe company, and his mother, Laila, was a judge. Vikram has a younger brother and a younger sister.
Seth left India after completing his primary education to study at Oxford University, completing his degree in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE). Afterwards, he enrolled in graduate school at Stanford University, to pursue a PhD in Economics. Seth was also a Wallace Stegner Fellow in Creative Writing from 1977-1978 at Stanford. Explaining why he never completed his doctorate degree in economics: "never had any passion for economics, not what I felt for writing poetry".
Vikram Seth has published eight notable works - two novels, and six collections of poetry. During the period before and after Seth published his first novel, he contributed poetic works for more than a decade. Seth's books of poetry include Mappings (1980), From Heaven Lake (1983), which discusses a hitchhiking trip through Nepal into India that Seth took while studying in China in the early 1980s, The Humble Administrator's Garden (1985), All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990), Beastly Tales (1991), and Three Chinese Poets (1992).
Jun 2009
Should "Octo-Mom" get her own reality show?
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CompletedUpdated on Jun 01, 2009Nadya Suleman, also known as Octo-Mom, was implanted with six embryos. Two embryos separated and she gave birth to a total of eight babies. The media has nicknamed her "Octo-Mom". Nadya is struggling to pay for the needs of her children, her new eight babies plus the six children she already had. A few broadcasting companies have claimed to have offered Nadya a reality show of her own. Is she special enough to get her own show and would you watch it?
May 2009
Caucasia, by Danzy Senna
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CompletedUpdated on May 29, 2009Danzy Senna's first book, Caucasia tells the story of Birdie Lee, a biracial girl born to a black father and white mother in the 1970s. After her parents' marriage and a political plot fall apart, Birdie's father and sister, Cole, leave, while her mother and her go into hiding. The story centers around Birdie's assumed identity as a white girl on the run, and her constant struggle to reunite with her lost family members.
Aug 2008
The Pursuit of Happyness
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CompletedUpdated on Aug 14, 2008Njoke and Jason saw the Pursuit of Happyness recently and wanted to share our impressions of the film in the form of a dyalogue review. Spoiler alert! Don't read the dyalogue below if you haven't seen the film and want to keep things a surprise. The movie is about the real-life story of Chris Gardner, and is a testament to the power of perseverance and the love between father and son. It is a tear-jerker, so bring your Kleenex. The film stars Will Smith, as Chris Gardner, Jaden Pinkett Smith (Will Smith's real-life son), as his son in the movie too, and Thandie Newton as his wife.On Beauty, by Zadie Smith
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CompletedUpdated on Aug 14, 2008On Beauty is set in the fictional New England campus of Wellington College, and generally centers around the binational (American and British) and biracial (black and white) Belsey family. The family consists of:
- Howard Belsey - an English arts professor who specializes in Rembrandt at Wellington, despite years of contemplation and endless writing (and countless sparring with his detractors) he has yet to publish his seminal book and despairs of ever being granted tenure
- Kiki Belsey - Howard's African-American wife, a native of Florida, who is a hospital administrator
- Jerome Belsey - Howard & Kiki's eldest son; studies in another state, bookish, and a recent convert to Christianity while living in the household of his father's intellectual nemesis
- Zora Belsey - their headstrong daughter, who studies at Wellington and has the makings of a ruthless politician
- Levi Belsey - their youngest son, still in high school, and who dreams of a hard-knock "hip-hop" styled life while enjoying a rather sheltered, privileged one
Throughout the novel we see the family interacting with Howard's intellectual nemesis, Monty Kipps, the self righteous (and morally bankrupt) English arts professor of Trinidadian heritage who is as accomplished and acclaimed in his profession as Howard is not. Along for the ride are his puzzling family consisting of an ailing wife Carlene, his tragically beautiful, emotionally ambivalent daughter Victoria who gives new meaning to the term " sex as a weapon" and a rather annoying son who thankfully makes only a few appearances. We also meet Carl, a brilliant social climber blessed with the gift of urban poetry and a smile that makes even the most sensible women weak; and Claire a self absorbed poetry professors who hides a smug sense of superiority behind charitable acts like allowing low income individuals to audit her class. There are also some memorable cameos from individuals like Dean French who would rather read the dictionary than endure meetings with his conniving faculty and students and Choo, a Haitian refugee who is truly disgruntled at how he must demean himself to make ends meet in the "land of opportunities".
