'Talking about ... ' a Good Book

[First Printed in 1983 by Semu Printers, Second Edition by Design Centre in 2010] Here is a sneek Preview of what to expect in the book "Talking about Talking" by James E.O. Dramani. Go out into bookstores near you and buy the book (Call 0772-662415 in Arua or 0772-624952 in Kampala for a copy) to get more revelation about one man's hilarious experiences and observations from the 1960s to the 2000s ... Good Reading


"Talking can take various forms. You may talk orally, or in writing, or in signs. Whatever the form used, it aims at communicating something to somebody.

When one talks, one may talk dangerously or randomly as I am going to talk. Whatever I am going to say will be said without order. One may also talk seriously or jokingly or foolishly or shamefully. Others talk big, in contrast to small talkers. You may talk blasphemy or gossip or secrets. Whatever you talk, your talk can be described by one of the numerous adjectives of the ‘European mouth’ or other languages of the world. There’s always a reason that makes one to talk. Be it anger, drunkenness, happiness or what have you. One’s state of mind at any given moment will dictate the tone to use when one talks. Soft voice for love and amusement; Harsh one for rebukes; and authoritative voice for bigness. Drunkards talk anything whether embarrassing or not. Quiet people become noisy under influence of drinks and go to the extent of revealing secrets, even their affairs with their wives. Happiness also makes one say a lot of things.


The subject matter of talking does not take one form. It may be political, academic, professional, or a layman’s talk. The interest of listening is roused by who talks on what and the language used for language joins people more easily than other ways. The ability to perceive what is talked about is dependant on the listener’s knowledge of the subject talked about, or his state of mind at that very moment. It may depend on his status in life or educational background.

In works of a title like this one, there can be no list of contents or chapters as everything just comes randomly and in a confused manner. I am going to talk and talk, almost without stopping but there will have to be a stop to all that I want to talk about. My talk may appear as if it points a finger at you. But No! I am talking at random on anything without mentioning names. My talk may amuse you, it may annoy others or it may leave others unaffected. Whatever it does to you, you can re-read the title and see if it rhymes with the contents for ‘talking’ can mean ay kind of talking.

Now going to talking, it is oral talk which the majority of people practice, for some do not write and the dumb and deaf ones use sign talking only. All the three forms are used by lucky ones who have ability and opportunity to use them all.

One’s oral talk has to be audible or else one may be considered talking to oneself. I for one, I do not talk audibly. Those who know me may wonder what I save my voice for, or whether GOD did not expect me to use my vocal cord fully. It is not me alone who is a victim of talking to oneself. There are others far worse than me I guess. Like our sweet talkers of the fair sex who fear to be taken as noisy creatures – for reasons best known to themselves. And so they talk as if they are just two in a bed where whispers are not supposed to be heard beyond the walls of the paradise room. The ‘bazungu’ say that you swallow your words as if the words are something to be eaten. Talking inaudibly will make the listeners beg so many of your pardons very much to your annoyance as you might wonder, without realizing that the fault is yours whether you are talking to deaf people or not. It may even cause loss of interest in what you talk. You are eventually labeled a bore. On the other hand there are those who talk audibly, but too loudly. Although they achieve the aim of talking that is communicating something to somebody, their talk is almost noise making rather than pleasurable sound to the ear. Even if people are in a small place, close to each other, such loud talkers never change the volume of their voices. They are only fit to address rallies in open air or big halls. They keep awake those addicted to sleeping during gatherings. Such are the right people for the Alleluyah Group or the Gospel Church where shouting is the order of the day. Or else they ought to shout in mosques every morning to awaken people for early morning prayers. Talking of Gospel Church, one may remember the group near Makerere in the late sixties which gave a picture of a mental home. There was no order of talking. Each person shouted at the highest voice. The group was banned in this country but is coming up again with the liberation of Uganda."