Tripti Joshi (Editor)

Casey Motsisi

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Name
  
Casey Motsisi


Died
  
1977

Books
  
Casey & Co.

Casey Motsisi smiling and looking on the side while wearing a white blouse

Karobo Moses Motsisi (1932–1977), better known as Casey Motsisi or Casey "Kid" Motsisi, was a South African short-story writer and journalist.

Contents

Biography

Motsisi was born in Johannesburg and worked for a time in Pretoria as a teacher.

He was a reporter for Drum magazine until 1962 and then left to work for The World, returning to Drum in 1974. He wrote the regular "Bugs" column, which was humorous and satirical, featuring discussions and conversations between two bed bugs. He also wrote the "On the Beat" column.

Motsisi's style borrowed heavily from that of Damon Runyon, using "Americanese" and Tsotsitaal (local township slang). The stories he wrote were based on his extensive knowledge of the Sophiatown shebeen culture, depicting a variety of township types, such as Aunt Peggy, the shebeen queen, and a variety of rogues including Kid Playboy and Kid Hangover.

Motsisi made contributions to The Classic, a journal under the editorship of Nat Nakasa, who was also a journalist with Drum.

The Drum Decade contains a number of articles by Motsisi, including:

  • "If Bugs Were Men"
  • "Johburg Jailbugs"
  • "On the Beat" [Kid Hangover]
  • "On the Beat" [Kid Playboy]
  • "On the Beat" [Kid Newspapers]
  • Books

  • Casey & Co: Selected Writings of Casey "Kid" Motsisi, edited by Mothobi Mutloatse, Ravan Press, 1978, ISBN 0-86975-088-7
  • References

    Casey Motsisi Wikipedia