David Dabydeen > Quotes

“I stood before her asserting my age, but in truth not knowing where the years had gone or how they had led up to this moment.”
― David Dabydeen, The Intended

“Words are so full of cleverness', Joseph said, 'I wish I could learn how to read and write them. Every word is cat with nine separate lives, it come up to you for tickling and stroking and feeding, or it wander away and walk along neighbour's garden fence, or it crouch and concentrate when it see bird or it fall asleep under the bonnet of nearest parked car.”
― David Dabydeen, The Intended

“He could not afford to be deemed lesse than a slave in mental capacity. The least tremor to that pillar of subordination on which slavery rested could see the edifice come crashing down. A centuty of pent-up rage would be unleashed, whitewomen raped, whitemen's heads hollowed out into drinking cups.”
― David Dabydeen, Johnson's Dictionary

“What are yo usaying boy, of Theodore?" Mr Basnett asked in an intimidating tone.
"Massa Theodore flimie lappa mappa," I said.
"Speak English, boy," he commanded.
What I said of Theodore was a babble, translation being impossible. "It is how we Negroes defuse anger such as yours," I could have told Mr Basnett. "We have learnt it over centuries: when the cudgel is raised over us we issue from the bowels of our mouth a stream of piffle, creative on the spott. Oh the spontaneity of our inventive minds! Having brayed at you such nonsense we then grin stupidly, that famous grin that glints in the sunshine, distracting you for a moment from your cruel intent.”
― David Dabydeen, Johnson's Dictionary