December 25, 2018

"Christmas Day": Twelve Poems and A Story for Christmas

MaryMary was a young girl when she gave birth to a child in a strange place. She was not surrounded by women and midwives and probably went through her entire pregnancy with only Joseph by her side. How many days did she spend walking through fields, doing her chores in silence, and thinking about the child who was kicking and stretching inside her? For Jesus, like all other babies, demanded the full attention of his parents who did not have the traditional support systems.


Again, the steadying presence of Joseph brought her through childbirth. But once the child was born, Mary’s pride surfaces and she will contend with God, if necessary (as any mother would), for the life of her son.


Christmas Day



It had been a hard nine months—her frail
body struggling to keep God alive inside her—
the morning sickness and the craving
for wheat germ and honey—she’d lost
her appetite for meat, and would only eat
the ripest fruit. When she tried to sleep,
on some nights, he would sit on her bladder,
then shift suddenly, and she’d wait
in the darkness until he’d settle down
to the pressure of her hands on her belly.
And when the time came, he wanted
to come out feet first, but Joseph turned him
around and guided him into the light.
She held Joseph’s hands, then lifted the child
to her breast and suckled him with the milk
made from her blood. For until he was ready
to do God’s work, he was her son.

***

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December 24, 2018

Christmas Evening




Christmas Evening



Joseph still couldn’t understand
what the mystery was all about.
He’d been there when the contractions
shook her small frame, when she wailed,
and dug her fingers into his arm—called out
his name, then her water broke.

He slept beside her on the straw, waited for hours
until the screaming child came into the world,
gazed deep into his eyes, then placed him
between his mother’s breasts, soothing
his cries, and while she was falling
asleep, cleaned them up, cut the cord.

Now there were strangers from all over
the countryside coming into the cave
filling the air with more raw animal smells,
shepherds, sinners, and other neer-do-wells,
who were either drunk or mad,
claiming they’d seen visions
of heavenly hosts of angels, bright
as the moon over the Sea of Galilee.
Joseph shook his head, rocked the manger,
still waiting for the miracle that he’d been promised
when God held his finger and gurgled.



December 21, 2018

"Joseph" : Twelve Poems and A Story for Christmas



Joseph

He could feel the cold coming on:
flurries of snow melted on his beard.
First his toes, fingers, climbing up his head,
numbness branched across his shoulders,
sagging under the burden.

How many years would he be given with his son
to see the lilies of Capernaum bud, flower, wither,
die and be reborn under the unrelenting sun,
the steady flame by which his life had burned?

He snapped dry twigs under his feet,
turned to his young bride, asleep on the floor--
after all the struggles, so beautiful by the hearth.

Calmly, he stoked the coals, and the embers
greeted his hands, his prayer with a promise
that this warmth, like peace, would live as long as his desire.




The poems describe the journey of a newlywed couple, Mary and Joseph, to their ancestral homeland where they are to be registered in a census decreed by a tyrant. Mary is pregnant and Joseph knows that the child she is carrying is not his. As they travel through the harsh landscape, they are joined by strangers who have been summoned by dreams, visions, and supernatural events to bear witness to a child whose birth they are told is destined to change the course of human history.


In A Miami Christmas Story Raymond Allen, a despairing musician and family man, wrestles with his pride that is both the source of his sorrow and redemption.Twelve Poems and a Story for Christmas explores the inner lives of characters that surround this perennial story and reveals a human dilemma: to find meaning behind the events in our lives.

November 28, 2018

New Book: Filigree: Contemporary Black British Poetry

Jeremy Poynting

Filigree: Contemporary Black British Poetry
Authors: Various
ISBN: 9781845234263
Pages:127
                                        Price: £8.99                                      


Filigree, a new anthology of contemporary Black British poetry published by Peepal Tree Press, a leader in Caribbean and Black British Literature, will be launched on 23 November 2019 at King’s College, London. It follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, RED (2010) which has been described by Michael Rosen as, “a major contribution to the diverse cultures of blackness.” Filigree’s inclusion of fresh voices from a younger generation of Black British poets illustrates Inscribe’s commitment to producing groundbreaking anthologies. Included are young Poet Laureate’s of London, Poets from the Octavia collective, Barbican Young Poets and The Complete Works as well as a wealth of other recognisable names.

Filigree typically refers to the finer elements of craftwork, the parts that are subtle; our Filigree anthology contains work that plays with the possibilities that the word suggests. Writers were invited to contemplate the ‘unspoken essential’ and ‘intangible tangible. ’Award winning poet Hannah Lowe author of Chick and Chan describes what came in response as “testimonies and remembrances… poems of resistance and bombast, and hymns of love of all kinds” forming a collection which explores and celebrates the delicate and finer elements of Black British literature.  

In the anthology’s preface, Dorothy Wang writes, “most (white) poets and poetry scholars assume, consciously or not, that the only poetic interiority that matters is a white interiority. Thus, the endless poems by the white poets with every emotion and quotidian observation presented to the reader as if they were profound and universal truths, applicable to all mankind.” Filigree defies this assumption, forces its readers to challenge their ideas of poetic interiority, and celebrates the variety of poetry produced by these poets. Throughout the anthology’s journey, editor Nii Parkes says he has, “revelled in the quirky turns of phrase and argument, the contemporary yet timeless imagery, the boldness of much of the work. At each turn I am more and more convinced of a future for British poets of colour embroidered with the finest of prizes and widespread critical recognition.” Filigree includes compelling work from established Black British poets residing inside and outside the UK, as well as new and emerging voices of Inscribe poets who have been nurtured and supported by the Inscribe Writer Development Programme.


Editor: Nii Parkes

Nii Ayikwei Parkes is an author, performance poet, and socio-cultural commentator and advocate for African writing. He is the author of the poetry chapbooks: eyes of a boy, lips of a man (1999), M is for Madrigal (2004) and Ballast (2009), an imagination of the slave trade by balloon. His novel Tail of the Blue Bird (Jonathan Cape, 2009) has been hailed by the Financial Times as “a beautifully written fable…grappling with urgent issues”. Parkes has led forums internationally and has sat on discussion panels for BBC Radio with literary heavyweights such as Booker winner, Margaret Atwood. In 2007, he was awarded Ghana’s National ACRAG award for poetry and literary advocacy.


Foreword: Dorothy Wang

Dorothy Wang is Professor in the American Studies Program and Faculty Affiliate in the English Department at Williams College (Massachusetts). Her monograph Thinking Its Presence: Form, Race, and Subjectivity in Contemporary Asian American Poetry (Stanford University Press, 2013) received the Association for Asian American Studies' award for best book of literary criticism in 2016, garnered honorable mention in the Poetry Foundation's inaugural Pegasus Awards for Criticism in 2014, and was named one of The New Yorker's "The Books We Loved in 2016." The first national conference on race and creative writing in the United States was named Thinking Its Presence (2014) And conceived of and co-founded the "Race and Poetry and Poetics in the UK" (RAPAPUK) research initiative, She has also published on Asian Australian literature.


About Inscribe 

Inscribe, is a successful professional writer development programme run by Inscribe Publications Manager Kadija George, FRSA and Programmes Manager Dorothea Smartt, both published poets.  With its roots in Peepal Tree’s practice of editorial development, Inscribe began as a project to develop specific writers of African and Asian descent in Yorkshire. It was created in 2004 by Kadija (George) Sesay and joined in 2008 by Dorothea Smartt, taking the ACE funded programme, national. An essential aspect of the programme is their series to publish emerging and new writers.


About Peepal Tree Press

Peepal Tree Press is the home of the best in Caribbean and Black British fiction, poetry, literary criticism, memoirs and historical studies. In 2017, Peepal Tree won the Clarissa Luard Award for Independent Publishers, which recognises excellence and creativity in literary publishing. Based in Leeds, it is an independent company, founded in 1985, and features both new writers and established voices. In 2009, Peepal Tree launched the ‘Caribbean Modern Classics Series’, which restores to print essential classic books from the 1950’s and 60’s. Peepal Tree's focus is on what George Lamming calls the Caribbean nation, wherever it is in the world, though they are also concerned with Black British writing.
For more information and bookings, please contact:

Kadija George: inscribewriters@gmail.com
Hannah Bannister: hannah@peepaltreepress.com 
        
                                                 

November 26, 2018

New Book: ¡Perdida! Una Aventura En El Mar Caribe

Caribbean Reads

¡Perdida! Una Aventura En El Mar Caribe (Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure) is one of two new picture book titles (the other being Dulce Victoria/Sweet Victory) in translation from CaribbeanReads – the first Spanish language titles from the independent publisher. Both debuted at the Miami Book Fair in November 2018. Additionally, Joanne C. Hillhouse, the Antiguan and Barbudan author of Lost!/¡Perdida!  read at the Fair, as part of a panel entitled Read Caribbean presents Adventures for Kids.


 
The book reimagines the real life tale of an Arctic seal who became stranded on a beach in Antigua and had to be rescued. It is illustrated by Trinidadian poet and artist Danielle Boodoo Fortune, and has been translated by Loudymar Lightfoot and Nneka Edwards.

Hillhouse believes that the underwater adventure, which is about making new friends and being kind to others (as well as an original tale associated environmental themes) will travel well. Since the release of the original last year, reviews have reflected the universal appeal of this Caribbean specific tale.

“This was a charming, honest narrative about friendship and adventure.," wrote blogger The Caffeinated Reviewer at Nonna’s Corner, who added that its environmental theme, “opens the door for discussions on preserving our earth and wildlife.” Over at The Feathered Quill, another book review site, ¡Perdida! Una Aventura En El Mar Caribe was described as “an enjoyable read that is sure to captivate young readers." The review also touted the fun and fascinating environmental facts.

Kirkus Reviews said “Children will likely relate well to this story of getting lost while daydreaming and to the reassurance that kindly adults will look after strays. The book also gives them a chance to learn more about the work of environmentalists and Caribbean sea life. An appealing book, all the more so for being based on real life.” 

Inspired by the real life efforts of an island to save a wandering Arctic seal, the story has delightful characters such as Dolphin and other anthropomorphic characters such as Coral, the Jellyfish. As one rescuer put it, "It was in many ways about the best of the human spirit...how a community rallied to make sure that a stranger who wandered into inhabitable (for him) territory found his way home."

Caribbean Reads
Joanne C. Hillhouse (Miami Book Fair 2018)

The announcement of the Spanish edition was made by CaribbeanReads – which has also issued the book (the English version) in print, Kindle, and audio versions – in a recent newsletter. The newsletter also announced that Musical Youth, a Burt Award winning teen/young adult title, also published by CaribbeanReads, is now on the Antigua and Barbuda schools’ curriculum. Lost! is one of six books of fiction, and one of two picture books, by Joanne C. Hillhouse.

For all of Hillhouse’s books and more (including first pages of both Lost! and ¡Perdida!, visit her blog: http://jhohadli.wordpress.com

Visit the Lost! page on her publisher site at http://www.caribbeanreads.com/lost

And check out the announcement re the Lost! Spanish language edition in the CaribbeanReads newsletter https://mailchi.mp/e815cec23c95/spanish-titles-2018?fbclid=IwAR3oLIZeU_hTbtPgnmH3Bc-Aunw9vp8PSzDVMGiaDY6L64FQNlLw1iUNSok

November 16, 2018

#METOO Movement in the Afro-Caribbean Communities

Geoffrey Philp

#METOO MOVEMENT IN THE AFRO-CARIBBEAN COMMUNITIES
In many African-Caribbean communities, reactions to the #MeToo movement often reflect a lack of adequate thought about abuse; in fact, these reactions can even indicate increasing levels of gender-based violence as a norm. Women brave enough to come out with their ordeals are often silenced or made to face backlash for their choice to demand justice. Academics and writing professionals will discuss the blurry lines between abuse and what is considered “normal” gender relations and “natural”’ male behavior in Haiti and other African-Caribbean countries, and present ideas on ways that literature can support the women in impoverished/conflict countries. With Judite Blanc (research psychologist), Monique Clesca (UN Specialist), Marlene Chouloute-Hyppolite (writer), and Georges Bossous (human rights activist). Moderated by Anaïse Chavenet (literary publicist). [In Haitian Creole with simultaneous interpretation into English] Find the full schedule at https://mjfievre.com/readcaribbean-2018/

November 15, 2018

After Irma, After Maria: Caribbean Women Writing the Storms

Geoffrey Philp

AFTER IRMA, AFTER MARIA: CARIBBEAN WOMEN WRITING THE STORMS – Modern Caribbean literature captures not just the endemic mismanagement of natural resources and public projects, but also the enduring chasm between promises of progress through major infrastructures and the outcomes of natural disasters for average citizens. In this panel, three Caribbean writers reflect on the devastation from Hurricanes Irma and Maria to many Caribbean islandTs whose economies rely on tourism; they pay considerable attention to the Caribbean bodies caught in the crosscurrents of a catastrophic natural history. With Edwidge Danticat (Haiti), Loretta Collins Klobah (Puerto Rico), and Tiphanie Yanique (Virgin Islands). Find the full schedule at https://mjfievre.com/readcaribbean-2018/

November 13, 2018

Unknown Histories of the Caribbean

Michael Barnett


UNKNOWN HISTORIES OF THE CARIBBEAN – This panel will discuss how writers from the Caribbean have attempted to construct alternative images of the present and future from the histories of slavery and colonialism that haunt the Caribbean and its diasporas. In parallel with these invented stories, archival registers give unexpected details of the unknown histories of the Caribbean and allow for scrupulously researched literary works to emerge alongside tales of imagination. 

With Natalie Hopkinson (Guyana), author of A Mouth is Always Muzzled, Patrick Bellegarde-Smith (Haiti), author of In The Shadow of Powers: Dantes Bellegarde in Haitian Social Thought, Michael Barnett (Jamaica), author of The Rastafari Movement: A North American and Caribbean Perspective, and Judy Raymond (Trinidad), author of The Colour of Shadows. Moderated by Donna Aza Weir-Soley, author of Eroticism, Spirituality, and Resistance in Black Women’s Writings. Find the full schedule at https://mjfievre.com/readcaribbean-2018/

November 12, 2018

Murder and Mayhem in the Caribbean

Hector Duarte

MURDER AND MAYHEM IN THE CARIBBEAN – Writers with roots in Cuba, Jamaica, and Trinidad present masterful and unvarnished literary crime fiction and wildly transgressive noir from the Caribbean. With Kevin Jared Hosein, author of The Repenters and The Beast of Kukuyo, Hector Duarte Jr., author of Desperate Times Call, and Nicholas Laughlin, editor of So Many Islands, an anthology of fiction, poetry and essays from Commonwealth small island countries. Moderated by Manny Duran. Find the full schedule at https://mjfievre.com/readcaribbean-2018/

November 11, 2018

Reading Jamaica @ Miam Book Fair International

Miami Book Fair International 2018

READING JAMAICA – Reading stories that explore such themes as racial identity, gender and sexuality, family and alienation, exile and history, this panel brings to life the richness and diversity of writing from and/or about Jamaica. With Marcia Douglas, author of The Marvellous Equations of the Dread: A Novel in Bass Riddim, Alecia McKenzie, author of Sweetheart, and Alexia Arthurs, author of How to Love a Jamaican. Moderated by Geoffrey Philp, author of Garvey’s Ghost. Find the full schedule at https://mjfievre.com/readcaribbean-2018/

Miami Book Fair 2018: Read Caribbean Program

Edwidge Danticat
Save the date! The nation’s best literary gathering, the @MiamiBookFair, returns on November 11. Join dozens of authors from Haiti and other Caribbean countries for a celebration of literature, community, and culture. Find the full schedule at https://mjfievre.com/readcaribbean-2018/

November 5, 2018

Read Caribbean @ Miami Book Fair 2018

Miami Book Fair



ReadCaribbean programming features extensive Caribbean-specific events, including readings and panel discussions, storytelling for children, music and more, plus publishers at Street Fair. When appropriate, author events will take place in Creole or French with simultaneous translation into English.

A very special thank you to Jan Mapou, Myrtha Wroy, Jerry Delince, Cergine Cator, and Sherley Louis members, of Sosyete Koukouy who collaborate with Miami Book Fair on ReadCaribbean programs, including the Little Haiti Book Festival, that takes place annually in May. Established in 1985, Sosyete Koukouy is dedicated to preserving Haitian culture in the United States . Their mission is the preservation, perpetuation and presentation of Haitian cultural performances and exhibitions, to Creole and non-Creole-speaking audiences.

After Irma, After Maria: Caribbean Women Writing the Storms
Saturday, November 17 @ 11:30 am
Room 8301 [Building 8, 3rd Floor)

Modern Caribbean literature captures not just the endemic mismanagement of natural resources and public projects, but also the enduring chasm between promises of progress through major infrastructures and the outcomes of natural disasters for average citizens. 

In this panel, four Caribbean writers reflect on the devastation from Hurricanes Irma and Maria to many Caribbean islands whose economies rely on tourism; they pay considerable attention to the Caribbean bodies caught in the crosscurrents of a catastrophic natural history. With Edwidge Danticat (Haiti), Loretta Collins Klobah (Puerto Rico), Tiphanie Yanique (Virgin Islands), and Jessica Pabón-Colón (Puerto Rico).

Unknown Histories of the Caribbean
Saturday, November 17 @ 1:30 pm
Room 8301 [Building 8, 3rd Floor)

This panel will discuss how writers from the Caribbean have attempted to construct alternative images of the present and future from the histories of slavery and colonialism that haunt the Caribbean and its diasporas. In parallel with these invented stories, archival registers give unexpected details of the unknown histories of the Caribbean and allow for scrupulously researched literary works to emerge alongside tales of imagination. 

With Natalie Hopkinson (Guyana), author of A Mouth is Always Muzzled; Patrick Bellegarde-Smith (Haiti), author of In the Shadow of Powers; Dantes Bellegarde in Haitian Social Thought; Michael Barnett (Jamaica), author of The Rastafari Movement: A North American and Caribbean Perspective, and Judy Raymond (Trinidad), author of The Colour of Shadows. Moderated by Donna Aza Weir-Soley, author of Eroticism, Spirituality, and Resistance in Black Women’s Writings.


Murder and Mayhem in the Caribbean
Saturday, November 17 @ 3:30 pm
Room 8301 [Building 8, 3rd Floor)

Writers with roots in Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Trinidad and Tobago present masterful and unvarnished literary crime fiction and wildly transgressive noir from the Caribbean. With Kevin Jared Hosein, The Repenters and The Beast of Kukuyo; Hector Duarte Jr., Desperate Times Call, and Nicholas Laughlin, editor of the anthology, So Many Islands. Moderated by Manny Duran.


ReadCaribbean Presents Adventures for Kids
Saturday, November 17 @ 4:00 pm
Wembly's Author Tent
Upper plaza of Children’s Alley

Two friends search for a long-lost quilt patch in Marjuan Canady’s Callaloo: The Trickster and the Magic Quilt; an Arctic seal tries to get back home in Joanne C. Hillhouse’s Lost!, and discoveries abound during a simple walk through the neighborhood in Paula-Anne Porter Jones’ Sandy, Tosh and the Moo Cow, and a family’s history comes alive in Francie Latour’s Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings.


Reading Jamaica
Saturday, November 17 @ 5:30 pm
Room 8301 [Building 8, 3rd Floor]

Reading stories that explore such themes as racial identity, gender and sexuality, family and alienation, exile and history, this panel brings to life the richness and diversity of writing from and/or about Jamaica. With Marcia Douglas, author of The Marvellous Equations of the Dread: A Novel in Bass Riddim, Alecia McKenzie, author of Sweetheart, and Alexia Arthurs, author of How to Love a Jamaican. Moderated by Geoffrey Philp, author of Garvey’s Ghost.


Haitian Identities and Caribbean Aesthetics/ Idantite Ayisyen Ak Estetik Karibeyen
Sunday, November 18 @ 11:30 am
Room 8301 [Building 8, 3rd Floor)

In English with simultaneous interpretation into Haitian Creole

This panel of four Haitian women writers will address the impact of their Haitian and Haitian-American identity(ies) on their writing and the ways they navigate (hyper)visibility and erasure to honor Caribbean aesthetics. Join Marilène Phipps, author of Unseen Worlds; Katia D. Ulysse, author of Mouths Don’t Speak, and Fabienne Josaphat, author of Dancing in the Baron’s Shadow, as they discuss the ways in which their writings respond to cultural presumptions about Haitian identity. Moderated by Edwidge Danticat.


Compelling Stories from the French Caribbean/Des Histoires Captivantes de la CaraÏbe Française
Sunday, November 18 @ 1:30 pm
Room 8301 [Building 8, 3rd Floor)

In French with simultaneous interpretation into English

Writers from the French Caribbean create and chisel narratives that are vibrant and compelling as their Caribbean identity shapes and informs the stories they choose to tell. 

This panel will focus on choices writers make in telling and reporting stories that embody the depth and breadth of French-Caribbean life and imagination. With Gerty Dambury (Guadeloupe), author of The Restless;  Mehdi Chalmers (Haiti), author of À Partir du mensonge; Monique Clesca (Haiti), author of La Confession; and Serge Bilé (Martinique), author of Yasuké (a true story about the first recorded Japanese black samurai). Moderated by Vanessa Selk, Cultural and Education Attaché (Florida and Puerto Rico) of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States.

ReadCaribbean Presents Three Groundbreaking Poets
Sunday, November 18 @ 1:30 pm
Room 6100 [Building 6, 1st Floor]

Ruth Behar explores the sacrifices of her exiled Cuban ancestors alongside her own vulnerabilities in Everything I Kept/Todo Lo Que Guardé. Loretta Collins Klobah reveals the secret heart of Puerto Rico in Ricantations, where shiny modernity gives way to spirit presences before and after Hurricane Maria. I Even Regret Night: Holi Songs of Demerara is Rajiv Mohabir’s translation of the only known literary work written in 1916 by an indentured servant in British Guyana.


The Realities of Haitian Migrations
Sunday, November 18 @ 3:30 pm
Room 8301 [Building 8, 3rd Floor]

In Haitian Creole with simultaneous interpretation into English

Individuals who migrate often experience the loss of cultural norms, religious customs, and social support systems. The adjustment to a new culture brings forth changes in identity and concept of self. In the case of Haiti, how do these changes affect the motherland – and the Haitian communities of the Diaspora?
In this panel, academics and experts in the literary field will speak to the issue of Haitian migration, racial, gender, and national identity, and ultimately, of life in the balance. With Pauris Jean-Baptiste (writer), Pierre Buteau (historian), Inéma Jeudi (journalist), and Claude Charles (ethnologist). Moderated by Marleine Bastien, Executive Director of FANM


#MeToo Movement in the Afro-Caribbean Communities
Sunday, November 18 @ 5:30 pm
Room 8301 (Building 8, 3rd Floor)

In many African-Caribbean communities, reactions to the #MeToo movement often reflect a lack of adequate thought about abuse; in fact, these reactions can even indicate increasing levels of gender-based violence as a norm. Women brave enough to come out with their ordeals are often silenced or made to face backlash for their choice to demand justice. Academics and writing professionals will discuss the blurry lines between abuse and what is considered “normal” gender relations and “natural”’ male behavior in Haiti and other African-Caribbean countries, and present ideas on ways that literature can support the women in impoverished/conflict countries. With Judite Blanc (research psychologist), Monique Clesca (UN Specialist), Marlene Chouloute-Hyppolite (writer), and Georges Bossous (human rights activist). Moderated by Anaïse Chavenet (literary publicist). [In Haitian Creole with simultaneous interpretation into English]

For more information, please follow this link: https://www.miamibookfair.com/programs/