Fantaye a Keshebo

Janus in the Middle of the Road Fantaye a Keshebo

Janus in the Middle of the Road contained original poems which mirrored the author's unique perspective and outlook about life, nature, family, and society from his three-world vantage point, namely, his native country, the refugee camps, and his adopted country. His long and challenging odyssey in life, and his exposure to different cultures and peoples had positioned him to develop his own unique personal and world views, which he shared to us through his poems. As he succinctly put it in the preface of the book most of the poems relate to the nature of Janus, ancient Roman god with two faces. As in Janus, his looks to the past (to his childhood nostalgia and heritage) on one hand, and also to the future (hope and optimism in his new home and culture) on the other hand. So he's now Janus standing in the middle of road, looking both ways. His poems also delve into history and force readers to challenge themselves in order to answer hard questions posed in such poems as "Africa in me" and 'What is it, America?' Fantaye's poems also delve into our contemporary societal and global problems such as obesity (Thanks to Technology, Dear Nurse), and refugee issues (They are moving, I am a refugee). In this regard this book is multi-faceted and helps readers to navigate various directions.