The Burden of Memory, the Muse of Forgiveness consists of three lectures originally delivered at Harvard in 1997. The central concern in them is the question of how historic wrongs might be righted, the focus being on the terrible injustice the peoples of Africa have been subjected to: slavery, apartheid, and the misrule of post-colonial dictators. The Introduction to these lectures begins in a way that will raise the eyebrows of American (and informed) readers:In the 1992 presidential elections, it would appear that the United States stood a reasonable chance of acquiring a new president in the person of a certain Mr. David Duke.Soyinka quickly draws back from this bold statement, acknowledging that Duke has since "declined into a state of well-earned obscurity in the United States”, and even though he has good reason to bring up Duke (noting his efforts to spread his nasty white-supreme message in Germany and South Africa) the initial over-statement is hard to forget. It makes Soyinka seem a less than reliable surveyor of at least the American scene -- Duke stood absolutely no chance of becoming president in 1992 -- and likely casts doubts in the minds of his American readers as to what he says about Africa (especially as many of his statements are similarly bold-sounding). This is a shame, because he is far more careful (or better-informed) with his African examples. As lectures, these pieces don’t cover the material in sufficient depth to consider all facets of the issue. Nevertheless, Soyinka raises interesting questions and guides the reader through the central points quite well. Senghor and Negritude are perhaps of more limited interest, but these relatively quick, fairly well presented surveys are also worth a look. If taken not as a final word or easy prescription, but rather as a starting point for discussion, these lectures -- particularly the first -- are certainly of interest and value.