Baptizing the Gun

I rarely read short stories published in The New Yorker. I try, but most of the time I don't like subject, style, or story fails to engage. It takes a couple of sentences written by good writer to suck me in. Very few authors text works on me this way. Baptizing the Gun by Nigerian writers Uwem Akpan did exactly that. I never been to Africa, but after reading first two lines I was felt engulfed with sounds and smells of African roadside. Lagos, 8 million desperate souls megalopolis. I was invisible on the back seat of battered red Volkswagen Beetle driven by main character in addition to his unwanted passenger on a road trip in Nigeria... I kept reading, missed my Subway stop, sign of good writing.

 

PIETER HUGO Escort Kama. Enugu, Nigeria, 2008