BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW: Essays doused with beauty and artistry
Each of Hedley Twidle’s essays radiates with academic craftsmanship, but of the gentle and seldom erudite kind
Firepool: Experiences in an Abnormal World Hedley Twidle Kwela Books Surely one of the most delicious pieces of state propaganda is Fire Pool Demonstration — SAPS Security Evaluation Report. Made in 2015 by policemen who must have collectively experienced an exploding brain event, it slays in the "WTF" and "OMFG" categories. Its wobbly footage shows earnest firefighters demonstrating how adept they are at aiming a fire hose — sometimes in the air, mostly at the "fire pool" — to the uplifting (and ludicrously inappropriate) sounds of O Sole Mio soaring epically over the incandescent BS. This was the overeager attempt by President Jacob Zuma’s minions to persuade citizens that the issue of the Nkandla "swimming pool" was just a silly misunderstanding. Hedley Twidle’s essay on this pool, the last in the book, is one of my favourite of the nine essays. I gave myself up to the author’s ordering of things and waited with that delicious sense of anticipation. He delivered. Although not chr...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.