Anancy Festival 2014

Anancy Festival Pembroke Pines

June 28, 2014

Time: Noon – 4:00 pm

South Regional/Broward College Library

7300 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024

Admission: Free

A Few Questions for the Children @ Jamaican Tales

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my vocation is to witness the magical moments when students make new connections.

I'm hoping that the children at Jamaican Tales  at HistoryMiami will be able to make connections between Bob Marley and Anancy and Jamaican culture.

In order to help the children see the connections between the Anancy story and Bob Marley at the Bob Marley: Messenger exhibition, I've prepared a few questions that I hope will spark the "aha" moment:

• How many people have seen the Bob Marley exhibition?
• What did you like about the exhibition?
• How many of you have heard about Anancy?
• Who is Anancy? Where is Anancy from?
• How did Anancy come to Jamaica and the Caribbean?
• What was the first Anancy story you heard?
• Why did the elders tell Anancy stories?
• What is the Anancy known for?
• What did you learn from the story?
• How are Anancy and Bob Marley alike?

Even if you're not able to join us, I hope the questions will spark a few synapses as you enjoy Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories, which can be downloaded for free @ Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Grandpa-Sydneys-Anancy-Stories-Geoffrey-ebook/dp/B009JYLDZO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1383750687&sr=8-2&keywords=geoffrey+philp

The offer lasts until November 9, 2013.

Free Download of Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories

As part of the Bob Marley: Messenger exhibition, Gerald Hausman and I will be reading Jamaican Tales at HistoryMiami on November 9, 2013.

To celebrate the reading, I am offering free downloads of my children's ebook, Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories (children’s fiction).

Here's the link for the free ebook, Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories:

http://www.amazon.com/Grandpa-Sydneys-Anancy-Stories-Geoffrey-ebook/dp/B009JYLDZO/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1383414876&sr=8-11&keywords=geoffrey+philp

You don't have to own a Kindle to read the book. Here is the link to download the app to your computer or any smartphone:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000493771

The offer ends at midnight on November 9, 2013.

Geoffrey Philp @Jamaican Tales

2:00—3:00 p.m
.

November 9, 2013

HistoryMiami

101 West Flagler Street

Miami, Florida 33130

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Feeling the Love at the Anancy Festival 2013

It wasn't Father's Day and they weren't my children, but I could feel the love at the Anancy Festival on Saturday at the South Regional/Broward College Library.

The workshop, Anancy Writes Poetry, and the reading from The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby were well attended.  I was happy that my friends, Andrea Shaw, Malachi Smith, and Michele Fievre--all published writers--participated in the workshop and read unfinished pieces for the audience.

The children, of course, stole the show with wonderfully imagined poems that they were able to write by the end of the workshop.

The reading from The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby was a success and fulfilled my mission for writing children's books: to get Jamaican parents and children together to read a book that has characters that look and sound like us. The parents readily appreciated the subtle irony of the title because of the associations of Dutch pots with Jamaican colorism in a story I like to call "the redemption of Dutchie."

The children loved the story and were in awe of the graphics. It felt so good to say, "My daughter drew all the pictures!" To which a young asked, "Is she in art school?"

Thank you to all the parents and children who came to the workshop and the reading. Thanks also to the organizers of the Anancy Festival, Andrea Shaw and Xavier Murphy, for inviting me to read and to conduct the workshop. I'd be remiss if I did not include Valrie Simpson and the South/ Regional/Broward College Library for opening their doors to the festival and providing a space for the community. Much blessings.

I'm looking forward to Anancy Festival 2014!

Anancy Festival: Common Core Standards

My upcoming contributions to the Anancy Festival may be of special interest to educators. The two activities, A Poet’s Toolbox and Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories, meet the Common Core Standards for Literacy and Multicultural Literacy:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy (RL.3.1CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.2CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.3CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.4CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.5CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.6CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.7CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.9CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.10)

(CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3a ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3b ;CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3c ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3d ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.4 ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.5; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6 ;CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7 ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.8 ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.10 )

MulticulturalLiteracy (RL.9-10.6.;RI.9-10.7.;W.9-10.2.;W.9-10.4.;W.9-10.5.;W.9-10.6.;W.9-10.7.; W.9-10.8.;SL.9-10.4.;SL.9-10.5.;SL.9-10.6.;RH.9-10.6.;WHST.9-10.6.)

As a preview, Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories, which as a part of a bullying series on WAMC won  "Special Mention" from the Associated Press (http://www.wamc.org/post/wamc-wins-19th-annual-communicator-awards), is available for a free download until June 15, 2013.

Here’s the link for the free download of Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories: http://goo.gl/kjUHP

Hope to see you there!

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Free Download: Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories

In celebration of the Anancy Festival 2013, Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories is available for a #FREE download from June 11-15, 2013.

About Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories. 

Jimmy Harrison loves school and his favorite subject is snack time! But when a new boy, Kevin, joins his class, he begins to pick on Jimmy and the rest of the children. What’s worse, he begins to take away Jimmy’s snacks. Jimmy doesn't want to be a tattletale, but he also doesn’t want to be bullied. When Grandpa Sydney finds out that Jimmy is being bullied, he reads an Anancy story to Jimmy. Will the story help Jimmy to overcome Kevin's bullying?

Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories  is available exclusively at Amazon.com: 

http://www.amazon.com/Grandpa-Sydneys-Anancy-Stories-ebook/dp/B009JYLDZO/ref=la_B001K819L0_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1349178428&sr=1-14

Please share the good news!

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Now in 8 Cities: Anancy Festival 2013

The Anancy Festival will be held in eight cities from the USA to Jamaica to Africa in June 2013. The event takes place in the following eight cities: Orlando, Ft Lauderdale, Washington DC, Atlanta, New York, Nairobi (Kenya), Accra (Ghana) and Kingston (Jamaica). The event will be simulcast between each city giving attendees an opportunity to see performances at different locations.

The Anancy Festival, named for Anansi, the West African trickster of folklore, is a celebration of Caribbean-American culture that’s geared toward children and teens. The festival provides a unique way for youngsters to learn about their cultural heritage and experience a rich collection of stories, music and dance. This year the film One People, a documentary celebrating Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence, will be shown at selected locations. 

Last year’s festival was held in 5 cities and drew over 600 attendants in Pembroke Pines FL.

For more information about the 2013 Anancy Festival visit the website at http://www.anancyfestival.com  or our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/anancyfestival.


For more information about the 2012 Anancy Festival visit the website at or our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/anancyfestival., 

Wordle of Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories:

Wordle of my children's e-book Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories: http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5916316/Wordle_of_Grandpa_Sydney%27s_Anancy_Stories


***
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Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.


***

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Reviews of Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories

Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories has been receiving some encouraging reviews from customers, including Andrew Blackman:

"This was a charming and well-written children's book, with great illustrations. It integrates a modern-day story about bullying in a Florida school with a traditional Anancy story from the Caribbean. Jimmy doesn't know how to deal with the new kid at school who steals his lunch, until he realises that the key lies in the story his Jamaican grandfather is always telling him about Anancy the spider, a trickster who manages to capture the more powerful Snake by fooling him and appealing to his ego."

To read more, please follow this link:

http://www.amazon.com/Grandpa-Sydneys-Anancy-Stories-ebook/product-reviews/B009JYLDZO/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_summary?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1


 
  ***
Blog Disclosure Policy

Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.


***

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories on YouTube

When a bully threatens little Jimmy Harrison at school, Grandpa Sydney comes to the rescue and reads to him the story of "Anancy, Snake, and Tiger." How does the Anancy story help Jimmy to overcome the bully?  Find out in Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories.


Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories is available  exclusively at Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/SWM6wQ
***
Blog Disclosure Policy

Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.


***

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories @ Madie Ives Elementary

Over the next few days, I’ll be visiting Madie Ives Elementary to read from Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories. I hope the children will fall in love with Jimmy, Grandpa Sydney, and Anancy as much as I have.

The Language Arts/Reading/ESOL teachers have chosen The Trickster Tricked (Creek/MusocqeeTribe) retold by S.E. Schlosser; Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens, and Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy stories to meet the Common Core State Standards Initiative within Miami Dade County Public Schools:

RL.2.1 – Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why and how, to demonstrated understanding of key details in a text.
RL.2.2 – Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, or moral.
RL.2.3 – Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
RL.2.4 – Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.
RL.2.5- Describe the overall structure of the story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
RL.2.6 – Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.
RL.2.7 – Use information gained from the illustration and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
RL.2.10-By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

My presentation, Trickster Tales from the Caribbean, will cover literal, inferential, and analytical readings of Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories, and Question Answer Relationships (QARs) within the text.

In addition, we’ll discuss the origins of Anancy stories and the counterparts in Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and the American South.

We’ll also examine the following elements of a Trickster tale and their relationship to “Anancy, Snake, and Tiger’:

A clever animal or person who plays a trick on other characters.
One of the characters has a problem to solve.
The trickster has one or two main characteristics such as greediness or boastfulness.
There is a moral or lesson to learn.

Of course, Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories is a story within a story, so the children will also have another level of complexity when they compare Jimmy's serious need--to outsmart a bully-- and Anancy's in the story, “Anancy, Snake, and Tiger.” They’ll also compare the methods that Jimmy and Anancy used to achieve their goals and the lessons to be learned from their actions.

I think it’s going to be a lot of fun!

Last Day for FREE Download of Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories

Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories is now available on the Kindle, and today is the last day that is will be FREE. You read right, folks. FREE

Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories will be free until 10/6/21012.

Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories confronts the subject of bullying by using a well-known Caribbean folk tale, "Anancy, Snake, and Tiger," in the multicultural setting of Miami, Florida. Here's a summary of the story:

Jimmy Harrison loves school and his favorite subject is snack time! But when a new boy, Kevin, joins his class, he begins to pick on Jimmy and the rest of the children. What’s worse, he begins to take away Jimmy’s snacks. Jimmy doesn't want to be a tattletale, but he also doesn’t want to be bullied.

When Grandpa Sydney finds out that Jimmy is being bullied, he reads an Anancy story to Jimmy. Will the story help Jimmy to overcome Kevin's bullying?

And remember, you don't need a Kindle to be able to read the story. You can download any one of these apps for your Smartphone, computer, or table

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sv_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

So, head on over to Amazon get yourself a free copy of Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009JYLDZO

***

Blog Disclosure Policy

Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.

***

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Using Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories to Discuss Bullying

Saying "No" to a Bully: Using Stories to Discuss Bullying

Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories

By Geoffrey Philp

Mabrak Books, 2012

Stories are one of the most effective ways of talking about sensitive topics such as bullying because they engage the moral imagination of children. 

Through the skillful use of narrative, children are able to grasp the consequences of actions and empathize with characters. This is a key element in the conversation because bullies quite often are unable to understand the consequences of their actions. Empathy and compassion even when directed at fictional characters are first steps.

Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories, which uses Caribbean folklore to illustrate valuable lessons about conflict resolution, teaches children that problems can be resolved by using their wits instead of their fists.

Synopsis:
Jimmy Harrison loves school and his favorite subject is snack time! But when a new boy, Kevin, joins his class, he begins to bully Jimmy and the rest of the children. What's worse, he begins to take away Jimmy's snacks. Using the wisdom from his Grandpa Sydney's story about "Anancy, Snake, and Tiger," Jimmy overcomes the class bully. And for one Sunday, he reunites his family for dinner.

Set in the multicultural environment of South Florida, Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories draws on the rich oral tradition of Anancy stories that are told and re-told in Jamaica and the Caribbean. These Anancy stories, which originated in West Africa, are rich sources of wisdom that have been passed down from generation to generation.

At the end of the presentation, the students will be able to:

• Define bullying
• Recognize forms of bullying
• Seek help if they are "targets" of bullies

Geoffrey Philp is the author of the children's books, Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories and Marcus and the Amazons, which was a featured book on the Kart Foundation's Reading List. A critically acclaimed author of thirteen books, Geoffrey's work been published in the Oxford Book of Caribbean Short Stories and the Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse. He has also won many awards for his poetry and fiction, including a Florida Individual Artist Fellowship, Sauza "Stay Pure" Award, James Michener Fellowships from the University of Miami, and in 2008, he won the coveted "Outstanding Writer" prize from the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission. As a former English and drama teacher at West Miami Middle Schools, Geoffrey has conducted writing workshops such as "How to Write Your Own Caribbean Folktale" and "Love Doesn't Have to Hurt (Domestic Violence).” He now teaches English and creative writing at Miami Dade College, where he is the chairperson of the College Prep Department.

Free for the Next 3 Days!

Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories is now available on the Kindle, and it's FREE for the next 3 days. You read right, folks. FREE

Starting today, Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories will be free until 10/6/21012.

Here’s a summary:

Jimmy Harrison loves school and his favorite subject is snack time! But when a new boy, Kevin, joins his class, he begins to pick on Jimmy and the rest of the children. What’s worse, he begins to take away Jimmy’s snacks. Jimmy doesn't want to be a tattletale, but he also doesn’t want to be bullied.

When Grandpa Sydney finds out that Jimmy is being bullied, he reads an Anancy story to Jimmy. Will the story help Jimmy to overcome Kevin's bullying?

And remember, you don't need a Kindle to be able to read the story. You can download any one of these apps for your Smartphone, computer, or table

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sv_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

So, head on over to Amazon get yourself a free copy of Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009JYLDZO

***

Blog Disclosure Policy

Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.


***

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories on Kindle!

Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories is now available on the Kindle, and for regular readers of my blog, here’s a heads up!

Starting tomorrow, Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories will be free until 10/6/21012.

Here’s a summary:

Jimmy Harrison loves school and his favorite subject is snack time! But when a new boy, Kevin, joins his class, he begins to pick on Jimmy and the rest of the children. What’s worse, he begins to take away Jimmy’s snacks. Jimmy doesn't want to be a tattletale, but he also doesn’t want to be bullied.

When Grandpa Sydney finds out that Jimmy is being bullied, he reads an Anancy story to Jimmy. Will the story help Jimmy to overcome Kevin's bullying?

My advice is to get up as early as possible, say 1:00 a.m. (EST), and head on over to Amazon get yourself a free copy of Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009JYLDZO

***

Blog Disclosure Policy

Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.


***

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Caribbean-American Kids and Bullying

I am working on the e-book version of my first published children's book, Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories, which is now out of print. The story uses the story, "Anancy, Snake, and Tiger," to teach a valuable lesson about bullying.

Here's a synopsis:

Jimmy Harrison loves school and his favorite subject is snack time! But when a new boy, Kevin, joins his class, he begins to bully Jimmy and the rest of the children. What's worse, he begins to take away Jimmy's snacks. Using the wisdom from his Grandpa Sydney's story about "Anancy, Snake, and Tiger," Jimmy overcomes the class bully. And for one Sunday, he reunites his family for dinner.

Set in the multicultural environment of South Florida, Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories draws on the rich oral tradition of Anancy stories that are told and re-told in Jamaica and the Caribbean. These Anancy stories, which originated in West Africa, are rich sources of wisdom that have been passed down from generation to generation.

I wrote Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories because many Caribbean-American children don't know about Anancy stories, which contain many valuable lessons about conflict resolution and demonstrate that problems can be resolved by using our wits instead of our fists. Second, sometimes our children are the targets of bullies because they are perceived as "different." Many of our children in order to "fit in" and to escape the taunts of bullies, suppress aspects of their personality that make them special. This often means shedding their Caribbean identity as well. Third, I love to tell stories in which the conflict is resolved without resorting to violence.

I hope to release the book by the end of June, Caribbean-American Heritage Month. In the meantime, why not check out Marcus and the Amazons, which has a similar theme of non-violence. It also  combines the life of two heroes, one from the Caribbean and the other from North America: Marcus Garvey and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 


If that ain't Caribbean-American, then I don't know what is.

Blog Disclosure Policy


Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.





***

Disclaimer of Endorsement


The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.


Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Characters in Caribbean Folk Tales; Anancy Festival 2012

For the children's writing workshop, "How to Write Your Own Caribbean Folktale," that I'll be conducting at the Anancy Festival in Pembroke Pines tomorrow, I'll be introducing some of the characters that live in our dreams, fears, and hopes.

"Anancy" by Christina Philp
Anancy or Anansi, the Trickster/ spider man can change into a man or spider at will. A rugged survivor, who uses his wits to over come any obstacle, Anancy is rarely a victim.

"Papa Bois" by Christina Philp
"Papa Bois." An old man ragged clothes, sometimes hairy and though very old, extremely strong and muscular, with cloven hoofs and leaves growing out of his beard.

"La Sirene" by Christina Philp
"La Sirene," "River Mumma," "Mama Dlo," "Mama Dglo" or "Mammy Wata". A female water spirit who guards the source of many of our rivers. She can sometimes be seen sitting in the river, combing her hair with a golden comb. She sometimes leaves her comb on a rock, to entice victims whom she then draws into the water

"Soucouyant" by Christina Philp 
"Ole Hig" or "Soucouyant." A woman, often old, who sheds her skin at night and flies through the skies, sometimes as a ball of flame, to suck blood from her victims.

"Loup Garou": bit.ly/LbqnJM
The "Ligahoo" or "Loup Garou." A shape shifter, who can change form (to a werewolf) so that at night he could go around to kill without ever being caught.

"Rolling Calf" : bit.ly/MKgTLi
Rolling Calf. A huge, calf-like creature, which rolls along the road, blocking the way of nighttime travelers, and chasing them with a wicked intention. It has blazing red eyes that gash fire, and a chain that it drags behind it, making an unnerving clanking noise.

"La Diablesse": bit.ly/MKfK6p"La Diablesse." An old woman who steps forth with her cloven hoof from behind a tree on a lonely road, the sound of chains mingling with the rustle of her petticoat. Sometimes she takes the form of a beautiful woman, to lure some unsuspecting passerby to his death or perhaps to madness. 

"Headless Horseman" by Christina Philp
The Headless Horseman. An evil spirit riding a black horse and carrying his head under one arm (or holding it high to see at great distance). He wields a whip made from a human corpse's spine. When the headless horseman stops riding, death occurs. He usually calls out a name, at which point the named person dies immediately. In another version, he is the headless driver of a black carriage. 

It will be interesting to see how the kids react to and change these characters for their stories.

See you tomorrow!

***

Blog Disclosure Policy


Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.




***

Disclaimer of Endorsement


The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.


Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.