In 1992, K-Moses Nagbe launched one of his early works, The Road to Romeo. It is a novella in which a young woman, conscripted into a rebel group, makes desperate efforts to find her husband. It is a story of human compassion, and man’s inhumanity towards his fellow man. Nagbe had been writing since the early 1980s, his insightful articles appearing in several national dailies.
Hon. Prof. James Wolo, then Director-General of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), who served as Chief Launcher of the book, described Nagbe as “the Torchbearer of Liberian Literature”. He emphasized that Nagbe’s book was one of the few good things that came out of Liberia following a devastating civil war in the country. In a subsequent book review, done by me and published in The Inquirer, I extolled Nagbe as a growing master of “literary wizardry”. But we all, including Nagbe himself, knew that it was not easy, and it would not be easy to bear the torch for Liberian Literature. There was an irregular supply of electricity in Monrovia; and there were limited printing and publishing facilities. And accomplished
writers like Wilton S. Sankawulo and Bai T. Moore had spoken to young Liberian writers,
emphasizing the plight of the Liberian writer but urging them to never give up.
In spite of the technological, social and political conditions in Liberia, K-Mos, as he is
affectionately called, never gave up the struggle; he still bears the torch, even as he now resides in the United States of America. He has authored over fifty books, numerous newspaper articles as well as peer-reviewed scholarly works. Now Nagbe runs a family-owned venture, Pentina Publishing, Inc., which was established about 40 years ago, springing out of Liberia’s military years, to celebrate the proverbial might of the pen over the sword.
Like The New York Times’ description of Sir Winston Churchill, in an In Memoriam, Nagbe “stands as a skyscraper above the merely great” when it comes to Liberian literature. He is probably one of the few most prolific writers that Liberia has had in recent times. Thanks to America, the land of opportunities, where there is always electricity as opposed to
where Nagbe was, using a kerosene lamp and candlelight.
BOOKS
A few of Nagbe’s Pentina titles are highlighted below
- Looking Language in the Eye (2020). This three-part book, intended for use in Liberian schools, explores numerous language errors among students, the reasons for such errors, and how to possibly remediate them. According to Nagbe, the book also “explores the impact of the confluence of British and American English in Liberia.”
- Nuggets of the African Novel: With Notes on the Liberian Literary Heritage (2018). This book provides summaries of at least thirty African novels, many of which are used in Liberian schools. Nagbe hopes that this book may be used in Liberian schools, even if for supplementary reading.
- Lick Them to the Bone: A Short Memoir of the Liberian Civil War (2018). The book is one of Nagbe’s wartime narratives describing the pain, the deprivations, and the longing that come with wartime situations.
- One of Nagbe’s most recent works is Beyond Buffoonery: Exploring Ways to Get Liberia Well-Rooted in All Things Diligent and Dignifying (2023). The book sparks a conversation on the critical question of productive national governance, asserting that “any significant sector of society left unattended would foist its own relevance on the entire society.”
- Another recent book by K-Moses Nagbe is Amandla! (A Short Survey of Student Activism in Liberia)—(2023). He says the following about the book: “This short work explores key events that manifest young people’s contributions, however unacknowledged by national leaders in Liberia. It should contribute to foundational literature of what adults and young people working together may achieve in democratic communities, if not nations.”
- In 2022 Nagbe published A Nation of Plenty Plenty People: The Liberian Story. The book was written in Simple English. “This book revisits Liberian history, attempting to focus on themes that ought to give Liberia the real multicultural appeal that is often forgotten,” says Nagbe.
- Between the Scissors: Growing Up as an Afrestern Liberian (2013). The nearly 600-page autobiographical book roughly covers Nagbe’s first 50 years on Earth—his work ethic, worldview, anxieties, and joys; his thoughts on religion, family life, interpersonal relations, etc.
- Thank You-o, My Brother! (2022). This is a short novel that captures the life of a young woman from the Borough of New Krutown, Liberia, and her passion for a college education. She is significantly inspired by the words and the death of her boyfriend whom she loved so much. Her dream, her tenacity, and her triumph against all odds speak of the tremendous energy of the human capacity to endure.
The shortlist of Dr. Nagbe’s books can be found on Amazon. He is currently making plans to get some of them into traditional, brick-and-mortar stores in Liberia.
FEATURES AND COMMENTARIES
In terms of the number of feature articles and commentaries, even Nagbe himself may not remember all the fine details. However, for this piece, it would be safe to say that since the early 1980s, Prof. Dr. K-Moses Nagbe has published in all “living” or regular newspapers in Liberia. These include The Daily Observer, Footprints, The Inquirer, The Eye, Torchlight, Sun Times, and The Herald (sometimes called The Catholic Herald) and The Heritage. Thanks to numerous editors who held the torch of journalism during that era. These editors have included Kenneth Y. Best (The Daily Observer), Rufus M. Darpoh (The Herald), Robert Y. Lormia and Ebenezar Worrison (The Eye), and your humble servant, Mark Bedor-Wla Freeman and Philip N. Wesseh (The Inquirer).
SCHOLARLY WORKS
Among Nagbe’s numerous scholarly works are the following:
- “In Search of the Whole Person: Understanding Students Beyond Academics.” Instructional Forum, 33(1), Spring 2018.
- “Mapping Out or Mopping Up: An Inquiry into Determinants Useful for Liberia’s Post UNMIL Security Reassurance.” Presentation at the Liberian Studies Association (LSA) Conference held at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 2016.
- “If J. Roberts Didn’t Finish It, Who Will Finish It?—A Survey of Five Social and Political Deficits in the Liberian Development Conundrum.” Presentation at the Liberian Studies Association (LSA) Conference, Rutgers University, New Jersey, 2013.
- “The Politics of Opening up Liberian Citizenship.” The Heritage, May 1997.
K-MOSES NAGBE’S EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL CAREER
K-Moses Nagbe enjoys a wealth of interdisciplinary studies, including Literature, Law, Education, Business Studies, Health Literacy, Social Work, Social Psychology, Child Psychology, Early Childhood Education, and Art. He studied in Africa and the United States of America. In Africa, he studied at the Sasstown Government School, the Sinoe High School, the Modern Commercial Institute, the University of Liberia, and one of its professional schools, the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law. In America, Dr. Nagbe studied at the Glassboro (now Rowan) State University and the Northcentral University. He holds a BA, an MA, an LLB, and a PhD. A Humanities scholar, Dr. Nagbe has taught for over 40 years. At the grade school level, in Liberia, West Africa, Dr. Nagbe taught at the Samford Dennis High School, Monrovia College, and College of West Africa. At the tertiary level, he taught at the University of Liberia, and the Don Bosco (now Stella Maris) Polytechnic. In the United States of America, he further taught at Montgomery College. Currently, Dr. Nagbe teaches at the Prince George’s Community College, also in America.
He is past president of the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) and past president of the Liberia Association of Writers (LAW). In the Liberian government, Dr. Nagbe served as Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Information, and Legal Counsel and Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Transport.
Dr. K-Moses Nagbe is undoubtedly one of the highly educated and experienced Liberians, but he doesn’t keep a swollen head. He is a gentleman with marked humility and a great sense of humor. He and his wife, Frances Nagbe, currently live in Maryland, USA.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cllr. Mark Bedor-Wla Freeman is a home-grown Liberian professional and intellectual. He holds four degrees (Bachelor of Arts in English and Print Journalism; Bachelor of Laws; Master of Arts in International Relations; and Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies) from the University of Liberia. He has obtained several professional certificates, including Media Law and Advocacy (University of Oxford, United Kingdom), Applying Human Rights Approaches to Justice Sector Reform (Maynooth International University, Ireland) and Peace Building (ACCORD, South Africa). He has taught at his Alma Mater (University of Liberia) since 2020. The author is a full-time faculty member in the Department of English and Literature, and has lectured as a part-timer in the Departments of Communication and Media Studies, and Political Science, also at the University of Liberia. Cllr. Freeman was recently honored as the Most Versatile Faculty in the Amos C. Sawyer College (formerly Liberia College).
He has also served as an adjunct lecturer of Administrative Law, and International Policy, respectively, at the Cuttington University Graduate and Professional School in Monrovia.
Additionally, to his credit, Cllr. Freeman has served as an adjunct lecturer of Human Rights and Advocacy in the Mother Patern College of Health Sciences (MPCHS) at the Stella Maris University in Monrovia.
Cllr. Freeman is Liberia’s immediate and only past Freedom of Information Commissioner. Prior to his appointment by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, he worked in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) as a National Legal Training Officer, where he worked with other lawyers to design and execute training programs for court officers, police, immigration, and members of the Armed Forces of Liberia.
He has been a member of the Liberian Supreme Court Bar since 2006. Before becoming a lawyer, the author worked as a professional journalist, serving with various newspapers, including The Daily Observer, The Catholic Herald, The Inquirer and the Monrovia Daily News. He is a past President of the Press Union of Liberia. For about three years (1998-2000) he served the Supreme Court of Liberia (The Judiciary) as Public Relations Consultant. You may contacted Cllr. Freeman on cell numbers +231777511170 and +231886511170. His email address is mbedorwla@yahoo.com.