Ceridwen Dovey
Author
Ceridwen Dovey is a South African born novelist who now lives in New York. After receiving her undergraduate degree from Harvard in 2003, Dovey returned to South Africa to write a novel. Blood Kin, the result of that work, was published in 2007 to critical acclaim: the novel was shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Informed by Dovey's South African roots, the novel tells the story of a fictional military coup from the perspective of the overthrown leader's portraitist, chef, and barber. Dovey is currently completing a PhD in Anthropology at New York University. Dovey doesn't see a conflict between her two passions. "Both anthropology and good fiction are full of thick description and a layering of detail," she says.
Imbedding anthropologists with combat units in Afghanistan presents some unique opportunities, as well as some ethical liabilities, Dovey says.
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Ethical change always lags behind technological change, Dovey says.
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Botswana’s tackling of the AIDS crisis can teach the rest of the continent something.
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The concept of “Africa” is not strictly European in origin; African leaders have propagated the idea, too.
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South African colonialism was home-grown.
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Jacob Zuma’s rise is a frightening embodiment of the country’s class tension.
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Dovey believes that class seems to be the more important factor.
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Dovey was raised an agnostic in a sea of conservative Christianity.
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Dovey cherishes the novel that is honest about its own limitations.
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J.M. Coetzee is the gold standard, Dovey says.
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Just leave it for a while, Dovey says.
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Procrastination stems from fear and self-protection, says Dovey.
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Remember that writing is still work, Dovey says.
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Young writers are often treated as the goose that lays the golden egg, Dovey says.
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Dovey feels that she stumbled into success.
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Guilt is never one-dimensional, Dovey says, and complicity always complicates how it’s distributed.
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After dropping film, Dovey wanted a creative outlet that wasn’t as exploitative.
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After spending three months with impoverished vineyard workers, Dovey dropped film, finding the power imbalance too troubling.
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A globalized identity is a gift, says Dovey.
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How do you atone for having a happy childhood while millions suffered?
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Dovey reads three selections from her novel Blood Kin.
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In her filmmaking, Dovey was drawn to the beauty of farming because of the process.
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