Myth, performance, and creation: The achievement of Femi Euba

Abstract

ABSTRACT This testimonial essay about the career of Femi Euba, written from the perspective of a colleague, sheds light on Euba’s contributions to Atlantic Studies through creative writing, theater-making, and literary criticism. Before the groundswell of diasporan and Atlantic Studies began, Euba pointed to the centrality of West African myth, ritual, and performance in the literatures and cultures of the Americas. Alongside critics like Henry Louis Gates, Jr., he added to the body of comparative work on Esu in the African diaspora. I discuss Euba’s novel Camwood at Crossroads and his play The Eye of Gabriel with respect to postmodern and postcolonial cultural theory as well as his own theories of Black Atlantic culture. The essay highlights how Euba’s career has influenced multiple circles, from larger academic discourses like Africana Studies to the community of his students and colleagues at Louisiana State University.