Jeremy Chapman : Montreal Linux Computer Consultant

BEAT!

compiled and edited by D. Dickie, J. Chapman, P. Charron and many others.

MUSIC: The audience is greeted by a catchy jazz groove, as the lights go down, the music fades.

PROLOGUE

ON STAGE: Allen Ginsberg is reading HOWL for the first time at the gallery 6 poetry reading in San Francisco.

Ever since human life evolved, the night sky has been one of the biggest enigmas we have encountered. We have archaeological proof of ancient cultures' interest in astronomy, from the megalithic structures of Britain to Babylonian clay tablets and Mayan parchments. These early astronomers did more than simply gaze at the heavens, starstruck; they calculated, coded, compiled and observed all of the available phenomena. The attempt to make sense of what was happening above is a worldwide practice, and has been since time immemorial. The way to this knowledge was fraught with difficulty, having such matters as retrograde motion to explain.

This essay will provide a brief overview of two ancient astronomical cultures; the Babylonian and the Mayan. Both were enormous influences on later thought, and scientific progress owes much to these two groups. Once we are acquainted with their respective views on the subject, we will explore the connections between the two and attempt to understand how the differences that exist may have come about. Our first subject will be the Babylonian culture.

Three books will be analyzed in this paper, Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangaremba, A Question Of Power by Bessie Head and The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah. We will discuss the gender roles in each book, and how the power relationships already present in African society are modified by gender and colonialism. Colonization is a driving force behind the problems and themes found within these books, and is an important background consideration for the characters and for the social interactions that take place. Skinner says "The most difficult task for future generations of Africans will be to end that state of psychological and structural dependency that has survived the end of colonialism. This task will be made more difficult by the emergence of a global civilization .......