Geoffrey Philp: Support Marcus Garvey's Exoneration: http://goo.gl/cJKzA

Book Review: The Mermaid Escapade

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Name of the book: The Mermaid Escapade [Kindle Edition]

Author: Suzanne Francis-Brown

Publisher: SFB Publications

What's the book about?
The water in Salt Cove is turning brackish and neither humans nor merpeople, know why. Three human children, Elena, Kwame and Abena, team up with two young merpeople, Lula and Susura, from the realm of the River Mumma, to solve the mystery.

Why am I reading the book?
I first heard about The Mermaid Escapade on Diane Browne's blog (http://dianebrowneblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/despatches-important-first-caribbean.html) and immediately downloaded the book. I was interested in the ebook not only because it's written by a Caribbean author who lives in Jamaica, but also the plot revolves around a central water spirit of Caribbean mythology, River Mumma aka Oshun/ Yemoja/ Erzulie.

Quote from the book: "Abena's grandmother tightened up her lips and drew together the skin between her eyebrows, until it looked like the furrows in a newly ploughed land. When Mama Sara looked like that, it meant long grumblings between her and her Lord above. And woe be unto any little pass-deh-place grandchild caught giggling or rolling their eyes."

Where to buy: http://www.amazon.com/The-Mermaid-Escapade-ebook/dp/B00C2OD3VK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369076239&sr=1-1&keywords=mermaid+escapades

Suzanne Francis-Brown enjoys bringing words to the party; crafting worlds and pitting her wits against creeps she's dredged from the deep. She has worked in journalism and public relations, and more recently added heritage and history to the mix.

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I've modified this format from One Minute Book Reviews: http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/

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Truth and Reconciliations: Marcus Garvey

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:57:00 +0000

Typically, truth and reconciliations commissions are charged with “tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government...in the hope of resolving conflict left over from the past.” With the exception of the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the United States of America has never had national commission to uncover past wrongdoings before or during the Jim Crow era. If such a commission were to be established, the case of Marcus Garvey’s conviction on mail fraud by the Justice Department of the United States of America should be one of the first cases.

It is almost certain that any such commission would be able to provide proof of historical revisionism and human rights abuses against Mr. Garvey, as evidenced by the introduction of H. Con. Res. 24 to the 110th Congress by Representative Charles Rangel: “Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President should grant a pardon to Marcus Mosiah Garvey to clear his name and affirm his innocence of crimes for which he was unjustly prosecuted and convicted.”

This historical injustice committed against Marcus Garvey needs redress. It is for this reason that the Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey has two simultaneous petitions to President Barack Obama (http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897) and Congress (http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey)” to make whole” Mr. Garvey’s reputation from the calumnies and slanders that have surrounded his name.

And while the final deliberations of many truth and reconciliations commissions have been stymied because possible criminal prosecutions, in this case, only the restoration of Mr. Garvey’s “good name” is being sought. This is an issue that many conservatives, including the late Senator Jesse Helms who first introduced legislation for the clearing of Garvey’s name, and liberals such as Representative Charles Rangel who oversaw the hearings in the House of Representatives, can agree on. Marcus Garvey was wrongfully convicted and his criminal record, a moral blight on the reputation of the United States can be restored by his exoneration.

The President and the Congress have the power to execute this historically redemptive act: Exonerate Marcus Garvey.

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The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey

We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897

Thank you for your support.

Whitewashing Star Trek: Into Darkness.

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I wouldn’t say that I’m a trekkie, but I’ve watched every episode of Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and all the movies in the franchise. In fact, I’ve been waiting anxiously for the release of Star Trek: Into Darkness. That is, until I read this well-written article at racebending.com about the casting of one of Star Trek’s most infamous villains, Khan Noonian Singh, and the betrayal of Gene Roddenberry's vision.

Star Trek: Into Whiteness

If there’s one thing that most fans of Star Trek will agree on, it’s the fact that Gene Roddenberry’s vision for the show — and, more optimistically, for human society — was predicated on the idea that all life is valuable, and that the worth of a person should not be judged by their appearance. Much of this was done through the old sci-fi trope of using aliens to stand in for oppressed groups, but Star Trek didn’t rely on the metaphor; it had characters who were part of the ensemble, important and beloved members of the Enterprise crew, who were people of colour. It had background characters who were people of colour. And, here and there, it had anti-heroes and villains who were people of colour … one of whom, Khan Noonian Singh, became well-nigh iconic.

And who is now being played by white actor Benedict Cumberbatch in the new JJ Abrams reboot movie, Star Trek: Into Darkness.

For more, please follow this link: http://www.racebending.com/v4/featured/star-trek-whiteness/

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http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey

We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897

Thank you for your support..

Regional Winners: 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:36:00 +0000

The Commonwealth Foundation has announced the regional winners for the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Representing Africa, Asia, Canada & Europe, Caribbean, and the Pacific regions, these writers will now compete to become the overall winner, to be announced at Hay Festival UK on 31 May.

The Commonwealth Book Prize is awarded for the best first novel, and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the best piece of unpublished short fiction.

Part of Commonwealth Writers, the prizes unearth, develop and promote the best of new writing from across the Commonwealth, developing literary connections worldwide and consistently bringing less-heard voices to the fore. The cultural breadth of stories from this year’s regional winners includes Sri Lanka on the eve of independence from British Colonial rule, the Socialist regime of 1970s Jamaica, and a South Africa riven by apartheid.

Commonwealth Book Prize

Regional Winner, Africa
Sterile Sky, E.E. Sule (Nigeria), Pearson Education

Regional Winner, Asia
Island of a Thousand Mirrors, Nayomi Munaweera (Sri Lanka), Perera-Hussein Publishing House

Regional Winner, Canada & Europe
The Death of Bees, Lisa O'Donnell (United Kingdom), William Heinemann

Regional Winner, Caribbean
Disposable People, Ezekel Alan (Jamaica), self-published

Regional Winner, Pacific
The Last Thread, Michael Sala (Australia), Affirm Press

Commenting on the winners, Chair of the Commonwealth Book Prize, Godfrey Smith said, “Choosing the regional winners from among the 21 shortlisted books was a rewarding journey across diverse cultures, through soaring - sometimes shocking - imaginations, movingly connecting us with a fascinating range of human situations. The five regional winners are an impressive mixture of bold, ambitious, powerfully descriptive and emotionally riveting writing that will leave us with a deeper appreciation and understanding of our world.”

Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Regional Winner, Africa
The New Customers, Julian Jackson (South Africa)

Regional Winner, Asia
The Sarong-Man in the Old House, and an Incubus for a Rainy Night, Michael Mendis (Sri Lanka)

Regional Winner, Canada & Europe
We Walked On Water, Eliza Robertson (Canada)

Regional Winner, Caribbean
The Whale House, Sharon Millar (Trinidad and Tobago)

Regional Winner, Pacific
Things with Faces, Zoë Meager (New Zealand)

Chair of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, Razia Iqbal said, “The short story is among the hardest forms to master. The five stories we chose as regional winners all pass the judges' tests of capturing a distinctive tone; creating fulsome characters; always deft in showing, not telling; subject matter both intimate and personal, as well as ranging across political landscapes. Reading them will transport you, as all good literature does, and introduce you to voices we are sure you will hear again.”

Commonwealth Writers has partnered with Granta magazine to give regional winners of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize the opportunity to be published by Granta online during the week commencing 27 May.

John Freeman, Editor of Granta said: “The Commonwealth Short Story Prize searches across a vast territory with relentless curiosity to select the brightest new talent from each region, and this year is stronger than ever. With voices that arrest, affirm, disturb and illuminate, this new crop of writers turn our expectations for what a story can do, and of where they are calling from, inside out. This partnership is an example of what the magazine can be at best – a beacon for those writers we didn’t know we were missing out on – and we salute Commonwealth Writers in their continuing good work.”

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact Carrie Rees, carrie@reeshutchinson.com / +44 (0) 7763 708346 or Claire Turner, Communications Manager at the Commonwealth Foundation, c.turner@commonwealth.int / +44 (0) 20 7747 6522.

Notes to Editors

1. Overall winners of the Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize will be announced at Hay Festival at 7pm on Friday 31 May 2013.

2. The winner of the Commonwealth Book Prize receives £10,000, with regional winners receiving £2,500. The winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize receives £5,000, with regional winners receiving £1,000. For more information visit www.commonwealthwriters.org

3. Commonwealth Writers

The Commonwealth Book Prize and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize are part of Commonwealth Writers, a cultural initiative from the Commonwealth Foundation. Commonwealth Writers aim is to inspire writers, storytellers and a range of cultural practitioners to work for social change. It builds communities of less heard and emerging voices to influence, directly and indirectly, the decision making processes which affect their lives. The Commonwealth Book and Short Story prizes act as catalysts to target and identify talented writers from different regions who will go on to inspire and inform their local communities. www.commonwealthwriters.org

4. Commonwealth Foundation

The Commonwealth Foundation is a development organisation with an international remit and reach, uniquely situated at the interface between government and civil society. It develops the capacity of civil society to act together and learn from each other to engage with the institutions that shape people’s lives. It strives for more effective, responsive and accountable governance with civil society participation, which contributes to improved development outcomes. www.commonwealthfoundation.com

5. Granta

The overall and regional winners of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize will have the opportunity to have their story edited and published by Granta online. Granta is a quarterly literary magazine of new writing. Published in book format, each issue includes stories, essays, memoir, poetry and art centred around a theme. Throughout its long history, Granta has published the most significant writers of our time featuring work by writers including Julian Barnes, Edwidge Danticat, Kazuo Ishiguro, Salman Rushdie, Santiago Roncagliolo, David Mitchell, Lorrie Moore, Zadie Smith, Jeanette Winterson and more. In recent years, the magazine has expanded to include foreign editions – in Spain, Italy, Brazil, Norway, China, Finland, Sweden, Portugal and Bulgaria. www.granta.com

6. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize regional winners will be published by Granta online during the week commencing 27 May at the following address: http://www.granta.com/New-Writing/Commonwealth-Short-Story-Prize-Winners

7. Hay Festival

Hay Festival celebrates great writing from poets and scientists, lyricists and comedians, novelists and environmentalists, and the power of great ideas to transform our way of thinking. Hay runs 15 festivals across five continents at which current political thought and the re-imaginings of international writers cross cultural and genre boundaries, and foster the exchange of understanding, mutual respect and ideas. www.hayfestival.com

8. Yardstick Festival

The regional winner for Africa, E. E. Sule, will be appearing at the Yardstick Festival, 27-30 June 2013. The festival promotes the experience of great African Diaspora literature through engaging audiences in Bristol and the South West. Jamaica 50 Cultural Medal of Honour winner Lorna Goodison and Alissandra Cummins, chair of UNESCO’s Executive Board, are patrons. Festival partners this year include the Royal African Society (RAS Africa Writes) and the Commonwealth Foundation (Commonwealth Writers). The festival includes authors from Jamaica, Kenya, Somalia, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the UK. www.yardstick.org.uk

9. Commonwealth Foundation, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HY United Kingdom; Tel +44 (0)20 7930 3783; Fax +44 (0) 20 7839 8157; Email foundation@commonwealth.int; Website www.commonwealthfoundation.com

Small Axe Literary Competition 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:52:00 +0000

The Small Axe Literary Competition encourages the production and publication of Caribbean fiction and poetry. The competition focuses on poetry and short stories from emerging writers whose work centers on regional and diasporic Caribbean themes and concerns. This competition is part of the Small Axe Project's ongoing commitment to Caribbean cultural production and our mission to provide a forum for innovative critical and creative explorations of Caribbean reality. With this competition, we hope to encourage and support the region's rich literary heritage, in the tradition of precursors such as Bim, Kyk-over-al, Focus and Savacou.

The competition consists of two categories: poetry and short fiction. Two winners are chosen from each category by a distinguished panel of judges.

First Prize: $750 Second Prize: $500

2013 Competition submission deadline: 31 May, 2013

Winners of the 2012 competition will be published in Small Axe 42 - July 2013.

Writers wishing to compete for a Small Axe Literary Prize must submit the following to litcomp@smallaxe.net:

A double-spaced Word document containing: an original, unpublished short story (maximum 7,000 words), or an original selection of poetry (maximum ten poems, not exceeding ten manuscript pages). Manuscripts must be free of any author information.

A separate document with a one-page biography, including previously published works and full contact information (name, email address, mailing address and phone)

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Haitian Heritage Week 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Miami Dade College’s (MDC) North Campus and the Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center promises to take you on a journey to the beautiful island of Haiti, the Pearl of the Antilles during Haitian Heritage Week 2013.

It is our distinct honor and pleasure to invite you to our 2013 Haitian Flag Day Celebration themed: “A New Day of Hope” at MDC, North Campus on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 10:25am – 12:40pm at The William and Joan Lehman Theatre (Room 5120) in Building 5. This event will entail history of the Haitian flag, cultural performances, Haitian art displays, music, traditional food and much more. This event will be attended by MDC faculty, students, staff, local high school students, and members of the community.

We would also like to invite you to participate in all of our enriching activities throughout Haitian Heritage Week 2013. For more information, please contact Student Life at (305) 237- 1250 or visit Room 4208. For social media updates, please visit and “like” our Facebook Page: Haitian Heritage Week 2013 – MDC North.

Haitian Heritage Week 2013

“The Jewel of the Caribbean”
Haitian Heritage Cultural & Art Display throughout the Month of May

Miami Dade College, North Campus

Library – Building 2

Human Rights Articles: 1, 2, 19, 26, 27, 29

Haitian Flag Day Celebration at the North Campus - Friday, May 17^th, 2013

Miami Dade College, North Campus

The William and Joan Lehman Theatre
Building 5, Room 5120

11380 NW 27^th Ave, Miami, FL 33167

10:25 am - 12:40 pm

Human Rights Articles: 1, 2, 19, 26, 27, 29

Day of Service - Saturday, May 18^th, 2013

Little Haiti Cultural Center

212 NE 59 Terrace

Miami, FL 33137

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Human Rights Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 15, 19, 26, 27, 29

Haitian Heritage Storytelling - Monday, May 20^th, 2013

Miami Dade College, North Campus
Exploration Station Preschool
Building 600

11380 NW 27^th Ave, Miami, FL 33167

10:00 am - 11:00 am

Human Rights Articles: 1, 2, 19, 26, 29

Haiti: Another Struggle (Documentary) - Tuesday, May 21^st, 2013

Miami Dade College North Campus

11380 NW 27^th Ave, Miami, FL 33167

Room 2147, Building 2

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Produced and Directed By: James Pierre (Miami Dade College Film Student)

Human Rights Articles: 1, 2, 19, 26, 29

Haitian Heritage Celebration at the Meek Center - Wednesday, May 22^nd, 2013

Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center

6300 NW 7th Avenue

Miami, FL 33150

Atrium, Building 1

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Human Rights Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 15, 19, 26, 27, 29

Community Health Fair and Haitian Heritage Festival - Friday, May 24^th, 2013

Miami Dade College, North Campus
Breezeway, Building 4

11380 NW 27^th Ave, Miami, FL 33167

Breezeway, Building 4

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Human Rights Articles: 24, 27, 29

Haitian Heritage Week 2013

The Burt Award for Caribbean Literature (23-8-2013) | Commonwealth Writers

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:46:00 +0000

An exciting global initiative in Young Adult literature is coming to the Caribbean. Established by CODE with the support of Canadian philanthropist William (Bill) Burt and the Literary Prizes Foundation, in partnership with the Bocas Lit Fest, the Burt Award for Caribbean Literature was launched on April 27, 2013, at the NGC Bocas Lit Fest in Port of Spain.

The Award will be given annually to three English-language literary works for Young Adults by Caribbean authors. A First Prize of $10,000 CAD, a Second Prize of $7,000 CAD and a Third Prize of $5,000 CAD will be awarded to the winning authors. Publishers of winning titles will be awarded a guaranteed purchase of up to 3,000 copies, ensuring the books will get into the hands of young people in schools, libraries and community organisations across the Caribbean.

The Burt Award for Caribbean Literature (23-8-2013) | Commonwealth Writers:

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“Marcus Garvey: Angel of Black Success”

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:31:00 +0000

“Marcus Garvey: Angel of Black Success”

Geoffrey Philp*

In the early 1900s, one of the unfortunate outcomes of the fratricidal battle between the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), which was founded by Marcus Garvey, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which was founded by W.E.B. DuBois, was the further splintering of the Black community—a state from which the latter has never fully recovered. It may be argued that the NAACP “won” the battle. Sadly, the models of entrepreneurship and self-reliance that Garvey advocated were partially lost by the Black community due to the NAACP’s emphasis on legal redress and governmental assistance to resolve issues that Garvey said should be resolved within the Black community.

For more information, please follow this link: http://www.blackeconomics.org/BELit/MARGAR.pdf

'via Blog this'

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey

We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897

Thank you for your support..

The Four Tribes of Anglophone Caribbean Literature

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

There's an old saying about your children keeping you young, and for the past week, I've seen the wisdom of that adage. My children love comics and frequently send me links to interesting stories about superhero movies or TED talks. One TED talk that caught my attention was Scott McCloud on Comics.

In his TED talk, McCloud developed a theory about comics and artists based on Jung's theory of the four basic functions of the psyche: sensation, intuition, thinking, and feeling.

According to Jung, the psyche is an apparatus for adaptation and orientation, and consists of a number of different psychic functions. Among these he distinguishes four basic functions:

Sensation—perception by means of the sense organs

Intuition—perceiving in unconscious way or perception of unconscious contents

Thinking—function of intellectual cognition; the forming of logical conclusions

Feeling—function of subjective estimation

From these four types, McCloud has extrapolated four types of artists, Classicists, Animists, Formalists, and Iconoclasts, which he divided into four quadrants representing different attitudes toward beauty and truth; life and art; content and style; tradition and revolution.

Thinking Ground has a remarkable summary:

The Classicists admire craftsmanship and mastery of the art form. Their goals include creating lasting works of art which adhere to traditional aesthetic principles. Perfection is impossible, but that doesn't mean they can't try for it. According to McCloud, their catch-word is beauty, and they are an extension of Jung's sensation archetype.

The Animists are interested in content. They aim for the clearest presentation of their story or ideas. To some extent the medium must always interfere with the message, but the animist's focus on the content means they try to make the form as transparent as they possibly can. Their catch-word is content, and McCloud considers them an extension of Jung's intuition archetype.

The Formalists are fascinated with their chosen medium's form. They create their art to explore its boundaries and contours, to learn what it can be capable of and how it works internally. Their works of art incorporate experiments, and they often double as analytical critics. Their catch-word is form, and in McCloud's scheme they correspond to Jung's thinking archetype.

The Iconoclasts value truth and experience in art. To them art must be authentic, must show life as it is. They take aim at artistic conventions that gloss over the imperfections and disappointments at life. Artists who speak of "honesty" or "rawness" are voicing iconoclastic ideas. Their catch-word is truth, and they are Jung's feeling archetype.

As Jon Aquino states, "playing around with this, it's interesting to deduce that":

Tradition = Sensation + Intuition

Revolution = Thinking + Feeling

Art = Sensation + Thinking

Life = Intuition + Feeling

Revolution + Art = Form

Tradition + Life = Content

Art + Tradition = Beauty

Life + Revolution = Truth

As Mr. Trombley notes: "Each of these have specific reservations about the mediocre works of other three:

1. The Classicist accuses the animist of simplicity, the formalist of meaninglessness, and the iconoclast of ugliness

2. The Animist accuses the classicist of pointless overdrawing, the formalist of unnecessary density, and the iconoclast of pretentiousness

3. The Formalist accuses the classicist of artistic conservatism, the animist of pointlessness, and the iconoclast of self-absorption

4. The Iconoclast accuses the classicist of soullessness, the animist of dullness, and the formalist of meaningless abstraction

Damien G Walter continues with his observations:

Animists are the first artists, the shamen dancing around the tribal fire who drag raw emotion from their soul and give it to the audience. They are the instinctual artists, concerned above all with content.

Classicists worship at the altar of beauty, and yearn to create art that achieves greatness. They believe in objective standards of good and bad, and establish the canon of great artists who embody those ideals.

Iconoclasts are either the first against the wall when the revolution comes, or at the front leading the charge. They use art as a means of personal and political expression, and when asked will say that they value truth over all else.

Formalists love talking about art almost as much as they enjoy creating it. They are the experimenters of any given art, obsessing about details of style and technique in their own work and the work of others.

The real fun begins when you start to look at synergies and conflicts that exist between the tribes. Between the Classicists and Animists is the shared belief that tradition is important, a belief which both the Formalists and Iconoclasts give the finger to in favour of revolution and change. However, the Formalists and Classicists both believe first and foremost in the value of art, whereas Animists and Iconoclasts both make art secondary to life.

These might seem fairly arbitrary distinctions, until you relate them to those unending arguments in the arts, which start to look like ongoing territorial squabbles between competing tribes. What is the age-old debate between truth and beauty, if not a fight between the Classicists and the Iconoclasts? Who is more passionate about style v content than Formalists and Animists?

But every tribe has weaknesses to balance their strengths. For all their ability to move an audience, Animists are often the most colloquial and narrow-minded artists. Classicists might know what is great, but in constantly repeating it can easily become boring. While style-conscious Formalists can be so concerned with experimentation that their creations lack heart and soul. And the Iconoclasts, determined to change the world, risk making art consumed by negativity and anger.

From McCloud's formulations, I've realized that many Anglophone Caribbean poets fall into these quadrants:

Classicists: John Figueroa, Louis Simpson, Ralph Thompson

Animists: Jean Binta Breeze, Mutabaruka, Malachi Smith, Linton Kwesi Johnson

Formalists: Derek Walcott, Edward Baugh, Mervyn Morris, Dennis Scott

Iconoclasts: Kamau Brathwaite, Lorna Goodison, Tony McNeill

One of the startling revelations of this typology is that both Walcott and Brathwaite are revolutionaries, but in different ways. Walcott, "the mulatto of style" has shown a preference for art over the raw details of life. And as far as race and ethnicity are concerned, it wasn't that Walcott didn't think that he was black, he simply didn't have a form to express the horrors of the Atlantic Holocaust. It took him over thirty years to realize a form that could encompass his vision. The result was his magnificent work, Omeros.

The classification also helped me to see why many formalists are not viewed as "authentic" Caribbean writers. Caribbean literature and publishing is dominated by the Animists. In the popular mind, dub poetry and the "raw" stories of Caribbean life (content over form; truth over beauty) have become the de facto definitions of Caribbean literature.

Finally, I've also come to appreciate the catholic tastes of Jeremy Poynting and Peepal Tree Press, who have been publishing writers from all four tribes--an achievement that not many publishers, main stream and independent have been able to accomplish.

It will be interesting to see how far down the rabbit hole I will be heading with these new insights. But then, again, what did you expect from a magpie?

A Magpie's Wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

"You gather your insights like a magpie." Dennis Scott.

When Dennis first said this to me, I was stung. I'd always thought of myself as having an overarching philosophy that I'd applied to my life and work. But as the years have gone by, I've begun to see the truth in his words.

That's how it's been with all my books. Every book that I've written began with an "inspired moment" that led to further research, distillation, selection, first draft, revision, revision, and revision. And then, after a few years, I finally figure out what I've been trying to say.

The same has been true of the campaign to exonerate Marcus Garvey, which has now become something bigger: RESPECT Garvey. The more I've gone back into my notes from when I taught Garvey at Miami Dade College, the more I've seen the themes/values/memes of Redemption, Education, Self-Reliance, Entrepreneurship, Purpose, Community, and Tradition demonstrated in Garvey's life and in his seminal work, The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey.

I am even more convinced that if these values were embraced by our communities, beginning with Jamaica, with a sustained commitment to demonstrating these values, we'd begin to see the changes that we all desire.

Then, truly, Marcus Garvey's words would have come to pass.

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support..

***
So appropriate that this should be the 2000th post on this blog and with over 1, 900 000+ page views since I began blogging on December 13, 2005.
Give thanks to all the readers and supporters of my work.
One Love, Geoffrey

Why I Support Marcus Garvey's Exoneration

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:33:00 +0000

I want everyone to be comfortable in her or his own skin.

Racism has been a source of discomfort for my people.

In order to become comfortable in our own skins, we need to change HOW we think about ourselves.

Marcus Garvey's ideas changed how I thought about myself.

Many people do not know about Marcus Garvey’s ideas.

If more people knew about Marcus Garvey's ideas, like the 10,000+ sisters and brothers who have signed the petition to exonerate Marcus Garvey, they would be outraged at the injustice of Garvey’s conviction on mail fraud.

With the exoneration of Marcus Garvey, more people will learn about his ideas of RESPECT (Redemption, Education, Self-Reliance, Entrepreneurship, Community, and Tradition).

I believe that if we incorporate these ideas into our lives, it will begin the healing process of becoming more comfortable in our own skins.

“Set the captives free!”

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey

We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897

Thank you for your support.

Why We MUST Fight To Exonerate The Most Honorable Marcus Garvey

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:58:00 +0000

The campaign to posthumously exonerate the Most Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey is a noble and constructive effort by his family, the UNIA and others to exculpate him from a wrongful conviction while mobilizing public sentiment in support of his life, legacy and the ideals for which he was falsely imprisoned. As an extension of Mr. Garvey's personal quest to repudiate this travesty of justice, we consider it our inherent right and moral obligation to hold the government accountable for correcting this shameful act of injustice. While we concede that we best vindicate his name by demonstrating the soundness of his ideas and the infallibility of his logic, we must never forsake any opportunity to unequivocally denounce this egregious injustice and demand its judicious redress.

Proper Propaganda
The overwhelming success of the Garvey Movement in organizing post WWI Black America invoked the ire of the insidious Deputy Director of the Bureau of Investigation, J Edgar Hoover. In an effort to discredit Mr. Garvey, decentralize the movement, extinguish his vision and dishonor his memory, Hoover recruited a host of informants and agents to infiltrate, disrupt and sabotage Mr. Garvey's plans. The malicious persecution and prosecution of Marcus Garvey in the court of public opinion as a "notorious Negro agitator" engaged in financial mismanagement and fraud frightened investors, caused dissension among the ranks, emboldened his rivals to join the frenzy and provided an ideal climate to file a trumped up criminal indictment. Ultimately, Mr. Garvey alone was convicted of the conspiracy to commit mail fraud by a coerced jury instructed by an adversarial judge, based upon horribly inadequate circumstantial evidence and the false testimony of an undisclosed government agent and informant, orchestrated by the shamefully desperate and criminally deceptive J Edgar Hoover.
Today, this wrongful conviction continues to mar the legal record and belies the valued reputation of our sainted leader. These unchallenged historic lies become accepted historic facts if they are not corrected. If the purpose of our history is to inspire confidence, fortify our bonds of heritage and offer the benefit of experience in charting our destiny, we must seize every opportunity to deconstruct this dangerous lie and reconstruct truth, for fear we abandon this worthy vision and discard the practicality of this time-honored program from our historic memory.
The Rt. Ex. Marcus Garvey once declared, "I believe that true justice is to be found in the conscience of the people, and when one is deprived of it by the machinations and designs of the corrupt, there can be no better tribunal of appeal than that of public opinion, which gives voice to conscience and that is why I now appeal to the conscience of the American people for justice." However, despite whatever success we enjoy in reversing this horribly inaccurate narrative, this judicial travesty demands a judicial correction. In fact, the government's refusal to admit and acquit Mr.Garvey of this miscarriage of justice only betrays their concealed interest in extending the harmful effects of this blatant fabrication. No political acknowledgement will suffice, nor veiled admission of misjudgment satisfy our unyielding insistence on full exoneration.

Was Justice Defeated?
In the case of the USA vs Marcus Garvey, the fair administration of justice was denied and irreparable damage rendered Mr.Garvey's enterprise and reputation. The contemptible, government sponsored traducement of Marcus Garvey and the disgraceful court room debacle mandates a full review and reversal of this regrettable chapter in US history, thereby settling any argument of guilt and according the family due relief in restoring dignity to their name. Failing to rectify this wrongdoing compounds the harm afflicted and sets a dangerous precedent of excusing malicious grievances committed by the government.
Mr. Garvey forcefully proclaimed his innocence during the trial and asked, not for mercy, "only justice, justice, justice." The prevailing impression of Mr. Garvey as a criminal demands we hold the institutional perpetrators and perpetrators of this travesty accountable for exonerating him of their treachery. Neither the duration of time nor the death of our Founder will mitigate or assuage our determination to have remedy granted for this gross injustice.
Why We Must Fight
We are not motivated by the assurance of victory, but obligated by gratitude and integrity to take advantage of every opportunity to defend the honor of our beloved Founder. Exoneration doesn't absolve the government of guilt, marginalize the merit of his martyrdom or invalidate the value of his valor. 'Mr. Garvey was convicted, not because anyone was defrauded, but because he represented a movement for the real emancipation of his race.' We, the beneficiaries of his service and sacrifice, are duty-bound to reciprocate the honor for the exaltation of his name and the dignity of our race.
The probability of success could not undermine our adamance for adjudication when he was incarcerated and it certainly doesn't concern us now. We consider it cowardly to forfeit a noble cause for fear of odds and deem ourselves unworthy of the blessings of true leadership if we allow others to crucify our leader with impunity. We cannot predict what will happen when we fight; we can predict what will happen if we don't. Not fighting unforgivably concedes defeat.
No amount of compensation could ever redeem the wrongdoers or diminish the extraordinary record of accomplishment despite enormous adversity unduly suffered by the Most Honorable Marcus Garvey. Rectification is not reconciliation and justice delayed is still justice denied.
Finally, while his wrongful conviction deserve a rightful exoneration, the best way to vindicate the man is by continuing his plan and materializing his vision of a unified, sovereign and independent race. Nothing demoralizes the opposition and earns respect like successfully mobilizing millions in support of someone whose legacy they fought to repudiate. Besides, if our campaign to garner greater appreciation and respect for the Rt. Ex. Marcus Garvey reaches the 2 billion Negroes of the world, not only will we have enough power to exact justice on his behalf, we'd exonerate his program by fulfilling its objectives.

Conclusion
The Exoneration Campaign is a fitting response to the nearly 80 year campaign to denigrate and decimate the unimpeachable legacy of the Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey. It is not an effort to solicit sympathy or mercy, rather a moral imperative to contest and a legal entitlement to challenge the malicious prosecution and wrongful conviction of our Founder. We invite all Africans at home and abroad to “Observe Marcus Garvey’s” incredible life and legacy and help us reverse the curse of shame and indignity meted against him by the foes of African Redemption.

Getting Involved
There are no resources involved and a minimal expense of time (1 minute) needed to pay homage to such a deserving ancestor and let the world know we have not forgotten nor forsaken him. Please sign our on-line petition: (http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey)
We thank the Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey, International Foundation for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey, Institute for Caribbean Studies, Marcus Garvey Institute, Cong. Rep. Frederica Wilson and others who've tirelessly fought to correct this historic wrong. We also extend a special thanks to Marcus Garvey III and Dr. Julius Garvey for championing the exoneration campaign and their faithful adherence to these prophetic words of their beloved father:
"Every white man is welcome to put me in jail if it is done in the cause of African freedom. I do not know whether they understand it or not, that if Marcus Garvey dies, Marcus Garvey's son shall revenge every drop of blood and every ounce of flesh and the family record of Garvey shall go on until eternity."

Cleophus Miller, Jr.
President-General,
Universal Negro Improvement Association

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The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey

We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897

Thank you for your support..

One Minute Review: Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:56:00 +0000

Name of the book: Claire of the Sea Light

Author: Edwidge Danticat

Publisher: Knopf

What's the book about?

Claire Limyè Lanmè--Claire of the Sea Light--is an enchanting child born into love and tragedy in a seaside town in Haiti. Claire's mother died in childbirth, and on each of her birthdays Claire is taken by her father, Nozias, to visit her mother's grave. Nozias wonders if he should give away his young daughter to a local shopkeeper who lost a child of her own, so he can give her a better life.

But on the night of Claire's seventh birthday, when he makes the wrenching decision to do so, she disappears. As Nozias and others look for her, painful secrets and startling truths are unearthed among a host of men and women whose stories connect to Claire, her parents, and the town itself.

Told with the piercing lyricism and economy of a fable, Claire of the Sea Light explores what it means to be a parent, child, neighbor, lover, and friend, while indelibly revealing the mysterious connections we share with the natural world and with one another, amid the magic and heartbreak of ordinary life.

Why am I reading the book? I am a fan of all things Danticat.

Quote from the book:

"Twenty miles south of the capital and crammed between a stretch of the most unpredictable waters of the Caribbean Sea and an eroded Haitian mountain range, the town had a flower-shaped perimeter that, from the mountains, looked like the unfurling petals of a massive tropical rose, so that the major road connecting the town to the sea became the stem and was called Avenue Pied ose or Stem Rose Avenue, with its many alleys and capillaries being called épine or thorns."

Where to pre-order: http://www.amazon.com/Claire-Sea-Light-Edwidge-Danticat/dp/030727179X

EDWIDGE DANTICAT is the author of numerous books, including Brother, I'm Dying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a National Book Award finalist; Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah Book Club selection; Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist; The Farming of Bones, an American Book Award winner; and The Dew Breaker, a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist and winner of the inaugural Story Prize. The recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, she has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and elsewhere.

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I've modified this format from One Minute Book Reviews: http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/

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Donate to Poetry is an Island

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:37:00 +0000

"Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter."
Poetry is an Island is a loving portrait of Derek Walcott, who has been telling our story for the past fifty years. The documentary is now in post-production and the director, Ida Does, needs YOUR help to complete the project.
I am supporting by word and deed this remarkable documentary. If you'd like to assist in funding this project, here is the link:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/poetry-is-an-island-derek-walcott
One Love, Geoffrey

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The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey

We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897

Thank you for your support..

R.I.P. Dr. Olive Lewin

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:14:00 +0000

Facts on Dr Lewin

Birthplace: Vere, Clarendon, to Richard and Sylvia Lewin, both educators.

Musical instruments: Piano, violin (tutor).

Involvement: Music therapy at Bellevue Hospital for the mentally disturbed and music in correctional institutions. An honorary Maroon.

Books published: Messengers - Timeless truths from humblest hearts, Rock It Come Over - The Folk Music of Jamaica, Come Mek Me Hol Yu Han - The Impact of Tourism on Traditional Music (collection of papers presented), Dandy Shandy, Beeny Bud, Alle, alle, alle, Forty Folk Songs of Jamaica, Some Jamaican Folk Songs.

Early work: In 1947, she played the role of May in the play, Dragnet, on the London stage. She was the wife of an African-American man from the south who gets blinded during a scuffle with a white policeman in a 'whites only' bar.

Schools attended: Hayes Elementary School, Hampton School, Royal Academy of Music (London), Queens University, Belfast, Ireland.

Letters behind her name: OJ - Order of Jamaica, CD - Commander of the Order of Distinction, LRSM - Licentiate of the Royal School of Music, LRAM - Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music, LTCL - Licentiate of the Trinity College of Music, FTCL - Fellow Trinity College of Music, ARCM - Associate of the Royal College of Music

For more information, please follow these links:

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080414/flair/flair2.html
Dr Olive Lewin is dead - News - JamaicaObserver.com:

'via Blog this'

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Behind the Scenes at Ring Ding with Miss Lou

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:21:00 +0000

Rare footage of Miss Lou and Mas Ran taping Ring Ding. Ring Ding which began in 1968, airing on the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) and which continued until 1980 was hosted by the redoubtable Miss Lou (Louise Bennett-Coverley, O.M.) and was one of the first of its kind produced locally. This is a rare behind-the-scenes look at that iconic program.
I hope I don't spoil anyone's enjoyment of the clip with the reminder that Mas Ran and Miss Lou first public appearances were with Marcus Garvey's Edelweiss Amusement Company.
And now, back to our regular programming.

***
The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support..

Miami Dade College Professor Campaigning To Exonerate Black Activist - The Reporter - Volume 3, Number 13

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:04:00 +0000

Miami Dade College Professor Campaigning To Exonerate Black Activist - The Reporter - Volume 3, Number 13:

'via Blog this'

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey

We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897

Thank you for your support..

Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2013 Shortlist | Commonwealth Writers

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0000

The Commonwealth Foundation has announced shortlists for the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Part of Commonwealth Writers, the prizes unearth, develop and promote the best new writing from across the Commonwealth, developing literary connections worldwide.

The Commonwealth Book Prize is awarded for the best first novel, and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the best piece of unpublished short fiction. Writers from around the world have been shortlisted in anticipation of being announced as overall winners at Hay Festival, on 31 May 2013.

Political, religious and social conflict runs through many of this year’s shortlisted entries, but there are also humorous stories, stories of hope, and stories full of imagination and power. The unmatched global reach of the prizes allows readers internationally to engage with a world of literature that might otherwise remain undiscovered, consistently bringing less-heard voices to the fore.

Encompassing a span of 54 countries, entries are judged within the five regions of Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Caribbean and the Pacific, each of which will produce a regional winner for the two prizes. These will be announced on 14 May 2013.

The prizes’ judging panels are made up of eminent members of the international literary community. Commenting on the shortlisted entries, Chair of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, BBC Special Correspondent Razia Iqbal, said, ‘People often assume short stories are easier to write because they're, well, short! But it takes a particular skill to establish mood, character and tone in quick strokes, and tell a story which leaves a lasting impression. These stories open windows on worlds which seem familiar but, through fiction, which is tightly written, reflect those worlds, in richer and more surprising colours.’

Chair of the Commonwealth Book Prize, Godfrey Smith, said, ‘Our five judges did an admirable job of shortlisting from a bountiful harvest of debut novels, based on originality, linguistic flair, depth, quality of writing and freshness of tone. A number of books boldly pushed the boundaries of form and explosively rebelled against the conventional structures of fiction-writing, inspiring lively and passionate debates among the judges.’

Shortlists:

Commonwealth Book Prize

Sarah House, Ifeanyi Ajaegbo (Nigeria), Pan Macmillan South Africa
Disposable People, Ezekel Alan (Jamaica), self-published
Floundering, Romy Ash (Australia), Text Publishing
Running the Rift, Naomi Benaron (Canada), HarperCollins Canada
Mazin Grace, Dylan Coleman (Australia), University of Queensland Press
A Tiger in Eden, Chris Flynn (Australia), Text Publishing
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Howard Fry, Rachel Joyce (United Kingdom), Transworld Publishers
The Headmaster's Wager, Vincent Lam (Canada), Doubleday Canada
Island of a Thousand Mirrors, Nayomi Munaweera (Sri Lanka), Perera-Hussein Publishing House
The Death of Bees, Lisa O'Donnell (United Kingdom), William Heinemann
The Spider King's Daughter, Chibundu Onuzo (Nigeria), Faber and Faber
Em and the Big Hoom, Jerry Pinto (India), Aleph Book Company
The Wildings, Nilanjana Roy (India), Aleph Book Company
The Great Agony & Pure Laughter of the Gods, Jamala Safari (South Africa), Umuzi
The Last Thread, Michael Sala (Australia), Affirm
The Other Side of Light, Mishi Saran (India), HarperCollins India
God on Every Wind, Farhad Sorabjee (India), Parthian
Sterile Sky, E.E. Sule (Nigeria), Pearson Education
Narcopolis, Jeet Thayil (India), Faber and Faber
Beneath the Darkening Sky, Majok Tulba (Australia), Penguin Books Australia
The Bellwether Revivals, Benjamin Wood (United Kingdom), Simon & Schuster UK

Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Not for Publication, Rachel Bush (New Zealand)
A Killing in the Sun, Dilman Dila (Uganda)
NORMAL, Susan Everett (United Kingdom)
Chutney, Debz Hobs-Wyatt (United Kingdom)
Fatima Saleh, Alexander Ikawah (Kenya)
The New Customers, Julian Jackson (South Africa)
Notes from the Ruins, Anushka Jasraj (India)
A Good Friday, Barbara Jenkins (Trinidad and Tobago)
Antonya's Baby Shower on Camperdown Road, A.L. Major (Bahamas)
Mango Summer, Janice Lynn (Bahamas)
Things With Faces, Zoë Meager (New Zealand)
The Sarong-Man in the Old House, and an Incubus for a Rainy Night, Michael Mendis (Sri Lanka)
The Whale House, Sharon Millar (Trinidad and Tobago)
No War is Worth Debating, Tobenna Nwosu (Nigeria)
Take me Home United Road, Sally-Ann Partridge (South Africa)
Mortal Sins, Sinead Roarty (Australia)
We Walked On Water, Eliza Robertson (Canada)
Tug of War, Deborah Rogers (New Zealand)
Raven, Tom Williams (Australia)

For more information, please follow this link:
Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2013 Shortlist | Commonwealth Writers:

'via Blog this'

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A Community Conversation on the Legacy and Life of Marcus Mosiah Garvey

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

A Community Conversation…

On the legacy and life of Marcus Mosiah Garvey

Focus:

•Discussion on the life of the pioneer Black Nationalist & Pan-Africanist

•Awareness of the proposed street naming

Date: April 18, 2013

Time: 6-8 PM

Venue: Pentecostal Tabernacle Church,

18415 NW 7th Avenue,

Miami Gardens, Florida 33169

Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, please contact TaShek Hamlette, Council Assistant at (305) 622-8063 or (305) 622-8000 ext. 2795 or email at: eighodaro@miamigardens-fl.gov; thamlette@miamigardens-fl.gov.

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Life Lessons from Writing The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Deus ex machina. I first heard the term when I was studying literature with Dennis Scott in lower sixth form at Jamaica College. But I really didn’t know what it really meant until I met John Hearne at the Phillip Sherlock Center at the University of the West Indies where he schooled me in the basics of fiction on a rainy Thursday afternoon.

On the surface, I had gone to the Phillip Sherlock center to collect my contributor’s copy of Arts Review Vol.4, Easter Term 1979, edited by John Hearne and Michael Cooke. Arts Review had published one of my poems, "Mobile (for Dennis Scott)" and a short story, "Escape." Although I was very grateful for the publication credits, I also wanted to know why the other story that I’d submitted wasn’t published.

The esteemed novelist—he of the bushy moustache and khaki pants—looked out at the rain that was pouring off the side of the building, went back to his office, and then, miraculously produced the manuscript. Mr. Hearne read his scribbling in the margins of the manuscript and gave me a lesson in fiction that I’ve never forgotten.

“Always begin in medias res,” he counseled. “As with everything else, we are always poised between life and death. The main character will always have to make a choice between the dead past and the beckoning future.” Next, he explained the pathetic fallacy and the concept of deus ex machina, which was the main reason why my story had been rejected.

“Whatever conflicts are in the story, they arise from the protagonist’s desires. The resolution of these conflicts must come from the main character and it’s up to the writer to discover it.” Then, he showed me how I’d cheated the protagonist (and the reader) out of the resolution by having another character, who had not been a part of the initial narrative, appear “out of the blue” to rescue the hero.

I’d forgotten about that rainy afternoon until a few months ago when I was working on my children’s book, The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby, based on the Irish folktale famous by Ruth Sawyer in The Wee Christmas Cabin of Carn-na-ween. The story as I had planned it was going to stick to the plot of the original folk tale which had a rather bleak ending. (The Irish can be so tragic!)

When I showed the story to my friend, Diane Browne, one of the leading writers of children's books in the Caribbean, she quickly sent me an email with the following advice:

Eleanor sacrifices herself constantly and in fact one could say she gives up her life for others (cf Mother Theresa). This reinforces the fact that she is born poor, lives poor, sacrifices herself constantly, her reward being that her life ends with her going to a better place. Not very cheerful for children who need, even from folktales, uplifting ideas, values to live by in the present world.

How do we follow the traditions of the folktale genre, how downtrodden is the heroine/hero, how brave is she/he, how much of a kind of a happy ending should there be? “

I knew Diane was right. But how was I going to fix the story without resorting to the dreaded deus ex machina for the self-imposed deadline of December 23,2012?

I had to reread the story. I won’t give away the ending. But let’s just say that I went back into the story and traced the main character’s desires and the complications that blocked her from achieving her goal. Then, I was able to resolve the story while remaining as close as possible to the original and without the dreaded deus ex machina—“god from the machine”--a phrase which always reminded me of “Get Up, Stand Up” by The Wailers:

Most people think Great God will come from the sky

Take away everything and make everybody feel high

But if you know what life is worth

You will look for yours on earth

And now you seen the light

Stand up for your right

Bob Marley and the Wailers, who were RastafarI schooled in The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, revealed in song Garvey’s message of self-reliance: “Action, self-reliance, the vision of self and the future have been the only means by which the oppressed have seen and realized the light of their own freedom” (1).

So, Mr. Hearne, I think I’ve finally got it. In life, as in fiction, whatever conflicts have appeared, they have arisen from my desires. Only I can solve them by relying on my own skills and determination. For the cavalry ain’t coming.

Poetry is an Island: Walcottfilm.com online!

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:44:00 +0000

http://www.walcottfilm.com/website/walcottfilm-com-online-2/

Poetry Friday: Future Tense (For Roger Ebert)

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:28:00 +0000

It is going to happen isn't it?
Though not from the fiction
my preacher spun from his pulpit
about being conceived in sin.

No, from my doctor's version
it will be the unraveling story
of my genes measured
in a tangle of IV drips

that will cocoon my hospital bed.
But the future I'd like to imagine
is while strolling with my wife of 50+
summers, and she's walked ahead,

there'll be throb in my arm.
And I'll stumble toward a bench
to catch a final glimpse of the wind
wrapping her skirt around her legs.

Reading for the Children

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:48:00 +0000

How do you respect yourself? Your family? Friends? Teachers? Classmates?

Those were just a few of the questions that I asked the children at the North Lauderdale Saraniero Branch Library when I read for them during Black History Month.

I read from Marcus and the Amazons, which combines the values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Marcus Garvey into a fable about an ant who must rescue his colony from an invading army. It was a pleasure to read for the children and pass along a little of the wisdom that I have learned from my heroes.

Give thanks to Melody Chait, Youth Services Supervisor, who invited me to read for the children. I'm looking forward to another reading in June during Caribbean History Month.

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The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Frederica Wilson, Congressional Representative and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey

We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:

http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897

Thank you for your support.

Book Review: A Virtual Love by Andrew Blackman

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:58:00 +0000

Andrew Blackman has written a remarkable novel, A Virtual Love, which explores the differences between actual and virtual personas (masks) in a digital age. Even as I write this I am aware of the subtleties of these distinctions that the novel also acknowledges while creating layered ironies in the development of the plot. Set in England and narrated from multiple perspectives, A Virtual Love presents a cast of digital natives, who negotiate actual and virtual realities in an attempt to control their increasingly fragmented lives.

The main character, Jeff Brennan, who appears to be a dutiful grandson, harbors a secret that threatens to unravel his offline and online identities. In order to gain the attention of a beautiful woman, Marie, he has tricked her into believing that he is the famous political blogger, Jeff Brennan. As he tries to balance his actual and virtual relationships with Marie and his friends, he draws everyone, include his grandfather in his conspiracy to deceive Marie. You see where this is going, right?

Actually, you won't.

The moral center of the novel, Arthur Standhope, the main character's grandfather, bristles at his implication in the deception. Eighty years old and grounded in the verities of daily living, Arthur's role as interlocutor highlights his grandson's dilemma.

'It's my identity. It's what I show to the world.'

Something screamed inside my chest. This is not what identity is formed of, I wanted to say. I wanted to tell you all the things I have learned in my long, long decades on this Earth. I wanted to stop you from making the same mistakes as everyone else. I wanted to help you to be wise instead of clever. I wanted all this, but knew it would never happen. You'd never listen, or if you did you'd never understand. 'That's nice,' I said.

A Virtual Love, which I'd only downloaded as a sample to my Kindle reader on Friday night, had me returning to the Amazon s store on Saturday morning to buy the full text I finished reading it late in the afternoon. I am still deconstructing the plot twists and reversals in a novel whose subject has intrigued me since I started blogging eight years ago. But A Virtual Love isn't only for admitted technophiles. It's novel for anyone who loves to be seduced by characters whose desires and this means that they use to fulfill them are in conflict with a reality for which there is no Undo button.

Wake Up, South Florida! Changes are Coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Geoffrey Philp) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:57:00 +0000

One way or another, the "open door" policy of Miami Dade College and the twenty-seven other community colleges in Florida will be changed by August 2013.

"Two higher education reform bills, HB 7057 and SB 1720, portend some significant changes regarding the delivery of developmental education at Florida colleges. Not all the changes are bad such as being able to choose from multiple assessment instruments instead of just the PERT. The bills also would allow for flexibility in how college prep instruction is delivered in other ways besides stand-alone courses.

The Senate bill, however, eliminates the ability of colleges to charge tuition and fees for stand-alone prep courses. It believes it will reduce student costs by not having them pay for courses that ultimately do not get applied toward their degree. It also promotes tutorial, co-requisite and other optional approaches to helping students. But it redefines college preparatory instruction from that which is needed to help students successfully enroll in college-level courses such as ENC 1101, to that which is needed to help students succeed IN college-level instruction.

It would also refer students who are skill deficient to adult education courses offered either at the college or though the school district. Both the House and Senate bills impact several other areas like faculty, accreditation, and common course numbering. The House bill is on the calendar for second reading in chambers. The Senate bill is on special order calendar for April 4 to be introduced on the floor. It has passed all committees of reference.

The Senate bill strikes at the very core of the Florida College System “open access” model and would impose a “sink or swim” mentality, de-emphasizing college success. It also potentially adversely impacts Latino and African-American students, and all students receiving financial aid.

Certain legislators simply believe that maybe not all persons are suited to go to college. However, with a historical enrollment of largely returning students (young adults who have been out of school about 5 years), the proposed changes can have a major adverse impact.

Below is a summary provided by the Division of Florida Colleges regarding the student population served at our colleges.

• Students of all ages enroll in Developmental Education.
• Recent high school graduates were least likely to need Developmental Education. During 2011-12, 14% of students enrolled in Developmental Education were Less than 20 years of age. (21,371/152,389).
• Nearly 4 out of 10 students taking Developmental Education were 25 years of age and over. (37.8 percent, 57,648/152,389).
• Nearly one-half of all students enrolled in Developmental Education were between 20 and 24 years of age. (48.1 percent, 73,301/152,389).
• Recent high school graduates were the only age group to show decreases in the need for Developmental Education both short term (-5.4 percent compared to last year) and longer term (-9.9 percent over 5 years).
• 2 out of 3 students enrolled in Developmental Education received financial aid. (65.0 percent, 99,079/152,389).
• Nearly one-half of all African American students participated in Developmental Education. (47.7 percent, 44,965/94,233).
• 3 out of 4 African American students in Developmental Education received financial aid. (76.9 percent, 34,561/44,965).
• African American students are over-represented in Developmental Education. (29.5 percent Developmental Education & 18.0 percent lower division credit).
• 1 out of 3 White students participated in Developmental Education. (34.8 percent 53,051/235,954).
• 55 percent of White students in Developmental Education received financial aid. (29,363/53,051).
• 1 out of 4 Latino students are enrolled in Developmental Education. (25.9 percent, 39,477/132,159).
• Two-thirds of Latino students in Developmental Education received financial aid. (66.7 percent, 26,349/39,477)."

Source: Perception: A Weekly Legislative Update for AFC Members.