Book Review of Breasts, etc. by Nthikeng Mohlele (TK). 

Publisher: Blank Page Books 

Reviewer: Bhekisisa Mncube

I have just finished reading a book with the curious title Breasts, etc. by TK, that enigma of our literary scene—perhaps not as reclusive as his (my) idol,  J.M. Coetzee, but still a figure shrouded in intrigue. At first, the book read like an essay about breasts—women’s breasts, to be precise—though it was marketed as a novel. Midway through, the tempo quickened, and more characters emerged, fleeting yet integral participants in the narrative.

TK is incapable of writing ordinary British English or crafting a book with a straightforward plot and a neat, satisfying ending. He isn’t a master of prose in the conventional sense; instead, he is a poet, a lyricist whose carefully chosen words create music for the soul. His obsession with the apocalypse—a recurring theme in his dreams—imagines a world where femininity itself, breasts included, is obliterated. He imagines men hugging women’s scriptures, bored, lost without women, and also being the last living creatures on earth who will fall short of food and feed on rodents. Yet, paradoxically, this obsession with breasts and the apocalypse forms the foundation for a beautiful love story centred on a triangular dynamic, including his “first love”, Winnie. She is the first woman who introduced him (James) to bare breasts (no sex), which in turn gave him a fulfilling career in nude photography. 

Though not declared overtly, this love of Winnie evokes André Brink’s sentiment in Before I Forget, where he muses that sometimes, “love is greater for being unfulfilled,” a mantra I live by. Our narrator, James, is a man fascinated by the female form, specifically the breasts, which he captures as a nude photographer. His art seeks to immortalise “a fleeting moment before the ravages of decay and old age” (emphasis mine). Against his ethical instincts, James falls in love with one of his subjects, Esmeralda Abedienne, a woman whose essence transcends mere physicality. It is a love story that transcends breast worshipping, old age, death and decay, not to mention the apocalypse that never occurred. 

This is not simply a tale of breast worshipping; it is a meditation on love, mortality, and art. It is a story that defies the apocalypse, weaving themes of beauty, meaning of life, ageing and decay into a narrative of transcendence. Despite the author telling us, “Life is a voyage to the grave.” In Breasts, etc., TK has produced a feminist manifesto—replete with poetry, music, and restrained eroticism as the only appreciation of breasts, that frees the book from being fascinated with the sexual connotation of breasts. Thus, the book sidetracks criticism by the woke crowd, sex purists and literacy classification. Perhaps it is dystopian due to the recurrent dreams of the apocalypse. However, I can’t escape the cruel killing of Winnie’s husband (cause of death alcohol poisoning), whom the narrator never loved, referring to him as an “intellectual toad” and failed athlete. Notwithstanding the narrator displaying his “jealous lover” streak by taking literary liberty to kill a character who had, in his mind, outlived the usefulness of his existence, the novel is, indeed, a magnum opus.

-Mncube is an author of three acclaimed books (The Love Diary of a Zulu Boy, The Ramaphosa Chronicles and Kumnandi Emakhaya (children’s book), has contributed to five more and has submitted two children’s books for review this year alone. If he does not win awards for his columns (regular columnist at Daily Maverick, The Witness, and guest at News24 and City Press), he only talks to his two cats and drinks cold beers on weekends only.  

Author Biography  

Novelist, short story writer, playwright, Nthikeng Mohlele authored critically acclaimed novels and two short story collections. His work includes: The Scent of Bliss (2008), Small Things (2013), Rusty Bell (2014), Pleasure (2016), Michael K (2018), Illumination (2019),  Breasts, etc. (2023),  Revolutionaries House (2024). The two short-story collections, The Discovery of Love (2021) and A Little Light (2023). 

Mohlele is the winner of the University of Johannesburg Main Prize for South African Writing In English for Pleasure, the K Sello Duiker Memorial Prize and was also long listed for the Dublin International Prize. The Discovery of Love won the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences Award 2022 for Best Fiction: Short Stories. Breasts, etc was recently shortlisted for both the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and University of Johannesburg Main Prize Awards (2024). He dabbles in journalistic writing and literary reviews. 

Mohlele’s theatre writing credits include and The Affairs of State and I Am A Woman, which debuted at the Market Theatre, one of South Africa’s mainstream theatre circuits during 2022. His work is taught at leading South African universities, including at his alma mater, the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of South Africa and University of Johannesburg and of Pretoria. Mohlele’s other interests include music,  photography, technology, film and design. He lives and works in Johannesburg.

A Feeling Sealed in Eternity

Homeland… This word is precious and sacred for every person. It embodies the land where we were born and raised, the memory of our ancestors, Uzbek traditions, language, and culture. The Homeland is our past, our present, and our future. Its praise is a feeling eternally sealed in every heart.

The praise of the Homeland is not only words spoken with the tongue but emotions flowing from the heart and manifested in our every action. Praising the Homeland means loyalty to one’s country, dedication to its prosperity, preserving national values, and living with a sense of Uzbek pride and honor.

Uzbekistan is our beloved Homeland. It is famous worldwide for its beautiful nature, rich history, unique culture, hardworking and hospitable people. Our ancient cities – Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Shahrisabz – have for centuries been centers of science, culture, and craftsmanship. These cities have produced great scholars, thinkers, poets, and scientists whose priceless legacy remains a source of pride for us today.

During the years of independence, Uzbekistan has achieved great successes. Fundamental changes have been made in political, economic, social, and spiritual spheres. Our national values have been restored, religious freedom ensured, and our language has been granted the status of the state language. Significant achievements have been made in education, science, culture, and sports. Uzbekistan has found its place in the international arena and established friendly relations with many countries around the world.

Today, Uzbekistan is stepping into a new stage of development. Large-scale reforms are being implemented, our economy is growing, and the standard of living of our people is rising. We face great tasks ahead: to make Uzbekistan one of the most developed, prosperous, and flourishing countries in the world, and to leave a worthy legacy for future generations.

To accomplish these tasks, each of us must contribute. We must master our professions, work honestly, seek knowledge, develop ourselves, remain loyal to our country, preserve our national values, and live with a sense of Uzbek pride and honor.

The praise of the Homeland is the foundation of our unity, harmony, peace, and solidarity. We must be proud of being the children of one land, support one another, and work together for the prosperity of our country. Only then will we achieve our goals and turn Uzbekistan into one of the most developed nations in the world.

In conclusion, praising the Homeland is a feeling eternally sealed in every heart. Preserving it and showing it through our actions is our sacred duty. Uzbekistan is our beloved Homeland — may its praise forever echo in our hearts!

Ozodbek Narzullayev
Student of Grade 11, School No. 45, Koson District, Kashkadarya Region

Role of Sahabiyyat in Framing Sirah Literature

The holy life of Prophet Muhammad (S) is the central theme of Sirah literature. It is preserved through historical records and Hadith transmissions. Within this tradition, the role of the earliest female companions (Sahabiyyat) was indispensable, as they transmitted many Hadith that have a vital role in Sirah literature. Their narrations ensure how the Prophet (S) performed his life as a public leader, as a spiritual leader, as a family member, and so on.

The foremost transmitter, Aishah (R), who narrated more than 2,000 Hadith, recognized by Companions and later scholars as an authentic source about the Prophet (S). Her knowledge preserved essential details of the Prophet’s worship, character, and family life. Without her contributions, a major portion of the Prophet’s life would not have been remained in Sirah literature. Similarly, Umm Salamah (R) transmitted valuable Hadith, including her narration of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which highlighted the Prophet’s political wisdom, patience, and ability to maintain unity in difficult circumstances. Another important figure, Asma bint Abi Bakr (R), narrated the event of the Prophet’s migration (Hijrah) from Makkah to Madinah, a major event in Islamic history. Likewise, Fatimah bint Qays (R) preserved the narration of the event of Tamim al-Dari and the Dajjal, which revealed the Prophet’s method of validating reports and guiding his community.

The legacy of these Sahabiyyat was carried forward by the Tabi‘iyyat (women of the next generation). Amrah bint Abd al-Rahman, one of the most trustworthy transmitters of Hadith, was a student of Aishah. Similarly, Fatimah bint al-Mundhir, granddaughter of Asma bint Abi Bakr, a notable Hadith scholar in the 1st century Hijrah, studied from Asma bint Abi Bakr.

This indicates that how Sahabiyyat shaped the foundations of Sirah literature through their narrations. Their Hadith transmission not only preserved the Prophet’s personal, political, and spiritual legacy with authenticity but also illustrates how women, often marginalized in other societies and communities, were empowered by knowledge in the Muslim community, and it served as evidence of women’s intellectual authority in early Islam. The later expansion of Sirah studies is inseparably linked to their efforts.

Muhammed Suhail T 

Relentless Beauty

On this relentless

Occasion, out

Of a white fog,

No discernible horizon

Anywhere, a ubiquitous

Bliss is this simple:

Snow falls all day,

Into dusk, into night,

Snow arrives, descends

Until it doesn’t.

Snow heaps upon,

Clings to, every branch,

Birch and pine alike,

Every brittle, abiding 

Leaf, and needle,

Curved to a burden,

A clerestory tracery,

A soaring vaulting,

A crystalline nave (This occasion, more

Rare than Rome,

The Villa Borghese,

First stanza to the left,

Bernini’s pale Daphne, 

Delicate, marble fingertips

Turning to laurel

,Leafing in her flight).

Bliss is simply this:

Snow on the apple

Limbs, easily prolific

Blossoms in May.

I long to recall

This relentless beauty

Again and again,

Return to this vision

From time to time,

A salve for absurdity

(Relentless frailty),

Assuaging the ugly

Bedlam of humanity,

This occasion for bliss.

Resilience

Remnants of the hurricane

(I forgot its given name),

Incidental Atlantic fragments,

Rent half the tree, splintered

All usual assumptions,

Filled the driveway with carnage

–I could not escape – foliage,

Abandoned nests, brittle, broken,

Misplaced arms and legs,

Sheared at the joints.

Certainly, I’m not indifferent.I didn’t hear, didn’t notice

The spectacular slaughter,

No sounds at all while

I pursued my routine.

Instead, from my recliner,

I watched the wind tug

At a spider’s web, modest

Basilica, architectural marvel,

Moored in the window niche.

I admired the resilience,

Stronger than the wooden giant,

The white, woven silk,

Easily erased, no trace,

With a flick of my broom.

I’d cut the bough in convenient

Slices, for firewood, for flame,

But my saw was getting fitted

With a new set of teeth.

The body will lie there 

Until next week, naked

Corpse in the street.

After several more storms,

The web remains steadfast,

And the tree begins its decay.

David Sapp, writer and artist, lives along the southern shore of Lake Erie in North America. A Pushcart nominee, he was awarded Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Grants for poetry and the visual arts. His poetry and prose appear widely in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. His publications include articles in the Journal of Creative Behavior, chapbooks Close to Home and Two Buddha, a novel Flying Over Erie, and a book of poems and drawings titled Drawing Nirvana.

Classmate

Do you remember, my classmate,

That first step into the schoolyard?

When I recall those cheerful days,

Tears of longing fill my eyes.

At seven years old — pure and innocent,

I felt the joy of being a pupil.

The school stood tall before me,

And I called it my “dear sanctuary.”

Do you remember our first teacher,

Who loved us like her own children?

She was our mountain of trust,

Her heart aflame for our young souls.

I still remember clearly

That little Alphabet Day celebration,

The verses I recited back then —

I cried today, recalling them.

Do you remember our mischief?

How we leapt so high when thrown to the ground?

Those moments were full of joy,

When we knew nothing of sorrow.

The first-time snow fell for us,

Oh, the delight — I still recall it.

Today I searched for those days in vain,

But they melted away with the snow.

When my mother braided my hair finely,

I couldn’t wait to run to school.

Each time I stepped onto its threshold,

I smiled with a child’s heart.

Do you remember, at the start of recess,

We’d run and race to the door.

No one could block our way —

We’d quarrel, then make peace again.

I remember the gloomy rainy days,

When we hurried home in the rain.

Today I searched for those moments again,

But they remain locked in my heart.

Years passed — we became young men and women,

Yet our mischief never truly left us.

Before time, we are powerless —

No one can bring those days back.

 
Spring returned, though the past did not,

It reminded me of our school garden.

Once we brought an armful of roses,

Decorating every corner of the classroom.

We filled each lesson with chatter and laughter,

Even troubling our teachers at times.

True, we were mischievous —

But our hearts were pure, like children’s.

We were in one class, one family,

Always ready to stand together.

Whatever the trial or sorrow,

We faced it side by side.

Skipping the last lessons of the day —

Why don’t we value school more?

We should have known those days would end,

Yet we never looked back with care.

When I recall it, my heart overflows with memories,

Appearing one by one before my eyes.

Our playful school years are now behind us,

Ahead lies a fate full of tests.

Though we cannot be together in one class again,

Our shared memories will last forever.

The final ring of the last school bell

Brought childhood rushing back to me.

Do you remember, my classmate,

That first step into the schoolyard?

When I recall those cheerful days,

Tears of longing fill my eyes.

Xo‘jamiyorova Gulmira Abdusalom qizi was born on June 25, 2004, in the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan. While studying at School No. 22 in Uzun district, she actively participated in mother tongue and literature Olympiads, earning distinguished awards. In 2022, she was admitted to Termiz State Pedagogical Institute on a full state grant. She is a graduate of Shine Girls Academy and the Formula for Success program, and a member of the “Qo‘sh Qanot” Union of Poets and Writers (Creative Foundation) in Kazakhstan. Her creative portfolio includes numerous scientific and journalistic articles, as well as original poems, which have been published in international newspapers, literary journals, and anthologies. She has received multiple international certificates and was honored with a commemorative badge by Quality Publication publishing house in recognition of her literary achievements.

Christina Chin (plain) 

Jerome Berglund (italic) 

Ringtones

my universe 

in his shirt pocket 

heartbeats

consistently 

inconsistent   

phonetic bliss 

he mispronounces 

croissant

a word 

in edgewise

our favourite spot

now it’s just a word 

for love

afterhours 

club 

bonus of a playful twist 

our shared notes app

is just “honey” 

welcoming new deity

to the household 

and honey I forgot

love as digital-age 

sweetness

ripples from the 

central fountain 

President of the Smithsonian

President Al Wilson

Not content with taking.

Over the Kennedy Center

As part of the MAGA movement

Culture war against the communists

Radical left-wing Marxist

Enemies of real America.

Had described that the Smithsonian.

Must reflect traditional American values.

And avoid divisive or anti-American.

Or anti-Christian propaganda.

Therefore, he decreed,

The African American Studies Museum

Must close,

The African Art Museum

Must close.

The American Indian Museum

Must close.

The Smithsonian must be color blind.

And not to mention race or gender

Slavery or the treatment of American Indians,

And the whole Chinese Exclusion Act

And internment of Japanese Americans

Which was a good thing,

Or the holocaust, for that matter.

End anti-American, Anti-Christian,

Anti-MAGA, cultural Marxism

Radical lunatic left, CRT, DEI

And WOKE programming.

Throughout the Smithsonian.

The African American museum holdings

And the American Indian Museum

And the African Art Museum

Will be sold off at an auction.

So the president decreed

MAGA baby all the way

RESTORING TRUTH IN AMERICAN HISTORY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order restoring truth and sanity to American history by revitalizing key cultural institutions and reversing the spread of divisive ideology.

President Trump aims to ensure that the Smithsonian is an institution that sparks children’s imagination, celebrates American history and ingenuity, serves as a symbol to the world of American greatness, and makes America proud.

The Order directs the Vice President, who is a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to work to eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology from the Smithsonian and its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.

The Order directs the Administration to work with Congress to ensure that future Smithsonian appropriations: (1) prohibit funding for exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans by race, or promote ideologies inconsistent with Federal law; and (2) celebrate women’s achievements in the American Women’s History Museum and do not recognize men as women.

The Vice President will work with congressional leaders to appoint members to the Smithsonian Board of Regents who are committed to advancing the celebration of America’s extraordinary heritage and progress.

The Order also directs the Secretary of the Interior restore Federal parks, monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties that have been improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history or improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events.

In preparation for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, the Order directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete restorations and improvements to Independence Hall by that date.

COMBATING CORROSIVE IDEOLOGY: In the last decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted effort to rewrite American history and force our nation to adopt a factually baseless ideology aimed at diminishing American achievement. President Trump is fighting back by reestablishing truth in the historical narrative and restoring Federal sites dedicated to American heritage.

The prior administration pushed a divisive ideology that reconstrued America’s promotion of liberty as fundamentally flawed, infecting revered institutions like the Smithsonian and national parks with false narratives.

At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, the Biden Administration sponsored training by an organization that advocates for dismantling “Western foundations” and that taught Park Rangers that their racial identity should dictate how they present history to visitors.

The Smithsonian Institution—once revered throughout the world as a symbol of American excellence—has recently promoted divisive ideology that American and Western values are harmful.

The American Art Museum currently features an exhibit that purports to address how “sculpture has been a powerful tool in promoting scientific racism” and claims that the United States has “used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.”

The National Museum of African American History and Culture has proclaimed that “hard work,” “individualism,” and “the nuclear family” are aspects of “White culture.”

The American Women’s History Museum plans to celebrate male athletes participating in women’s sports.

CELEBRATING AMERICAN GREATNESS: President Trump is committed to honoring America’s extraordinary heritage and building a sense of national pride.

President Trump signed an Executive Order on his first day in office to establish a task force to prepare for America’s 250th birthday.

This Order also protects America’s monuments from vandalism and calls for construction of the National Garden of American Heroes.

President Trump signed a memorandum ensuring Federal buildings reflect the timeless grandeur of traditional, classical architecture.

By signing this Executive Order, President Trump is ensuring that American history is celebrated accurately, fairly, and with pride—honoring the remarkable progress, liberty, and ingenuity that define our great nation.

Meanwhile, In The Real World, You Can Be Fired For Going To The Doctor

Meanwhile

 In the real world

You can be fired

For going to the doctor.

the worker’s bosses.

Can refuse to let workers  

go to the appointment.

As they are not required

To grant them leave

sick leave.

Bad for the bottom line

And they have no empathy

For workers.

Who are seen as

Merely disposable, interchangeable  

Labor units of production.

Who should be replaced

By robots

as soon as possible.

People will be given a choice.

Go to work, gravely ill.

Or go to the EER.

And six hours later

Perhaps see an overwhelmed doctor

And told me to follow up.

With your primary care doctor.

Who the hell knows.

Who that is any more?

You get the bill

10,000 dollars,

Pay up sucker!

No money?

Not my problem.

And go back to find.

You have been fired.

For leaving or not showing

Up for your shift.

Doctors visit?

That’s not my problem.

You are going to die.

So be it.

We can find other workers.

Or robots to take your place.

Loser.

President Al Wilson Reverses Course on Climate Change, From Denial to Action in the Wake of National Catastrophe

With the destruction of most of Florida—including Mar-a-Lago—
Monster storms ravaging Texas,
And Los Angeles reduced to ash
By earthquake and fire,

President Al Wilson finally decided:
Climate change is real.
It is killing people—
Especially in red states

.
The costs of rebuilding are horrific.
The costs of doing nothing?
Even worse.

His advisors, once cautious, now urgent,
Convinced him to embrace

 a rapid shift to green energy.
Solar, wind, geothermal—no longer fringe,
Now the backbone of survival.

And beyond Earth,

Plans accelerate for lunar and Martian colonies,
With NASA’s bioregenerative greenhouses already in prototype.

Underground cities, domed habitats—once sci-fi,
Now contingency plans.

Wilson must work with the world.
Not just to lead,
But to redeem.

If he fails,
And the world turns

into a hellscape man created,

History will remember him
As the worst leader

 in human memory.

But if he succeeds—
If he reverses course,
And actually solves the problem—

He could be hailed
As the savior of humanity.

Doing something to change the future
Is good politics.

Continued climate denialism
Is bad politics.

And so,
He reverses course.

---

MAGA Dreams Come True

President AL Wilson

Had a dream

The MAGA dream

Coming true!

This time will be different

The internet and AI

Will be used

To make sure

That MAGA rules

And Christian values

Take over.

LGBT folks

Back in the closet

Where they beyond.

Women’s rights curtailed

Minorities deported.

Media tamed

The public distracted

By the latest fake

Celebrity scandal.

The rich live very well

With robot servants

Self-driving vehicles

Great health care.

Maybe even cloned body parts

But the poor

Will barely live

But who cares about them?

MAGA, Baby

The real scandal

The taking over

Of democracy

By the oligarchs

Not talked about.

The secret camps

Filled with people

Who disappear.

Climate change
well the rich

Can live on

In walled off

underground shelters.

The rest of the public

Who cares?

And so it goes

Democracy dies

In broad daylight

MAGA baby!

John (“Jake”) Cosmos Aller is a novelist, poet, and retired U.S. Foreign Service officer who served in ten countries. Prior to joining the State Department, he taught overseas for eight years and served in the Peace Corps in Korea. He currently divides his time between Korea and the United States. His poetry blog can be found at https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com.