Stories from Quick Reads and Saint Lucia
Race as a Political Weapon in the Caribbean
Of all the offensive – and unintelligent – statements made in the politics of the post-independence Caribbean, an assertion, that Dr Keith Rowley, the leader of the Opposition in Trinidad and Tobago, is ‘too black’ to be Prime Minister, has to rate as the worst. Bajan Reporter explains why such...
St. Lucia: Hair's the Issue
[The Principal] believes that if he allows this…long haired boy, who never did anything wrong at the school, to enter the classroom, then chaos will prevail…[but] by resisting the simple, inevitable change, HE is falling into the trap of the being the agent of Chaos. The FLOGG BLOGG is incensed...
Caribbean: Tropical Storm Chantal
Tropical Storm Chantal has caused the temporary closure of some regional airports and the cancellation of flights. The Bajan Reporter has the latest.
Saint Lucia: 25 Proposals to Help Move Forward
Amatus Edwards has a comprehensive list of 25 proposals to help move Saint Lucia forward.
St. Lucia: The Power of Words
David Cave writes a tribute to his mentor, the Saint Lucia poet Kendel Hippolyte: “Indeed, Kendel showed me first hand that there is real power in words. Words evoke emotions, conjure images, analyse, interrogate, bring back memories, experiences and transport and even return a student to his mentor and friend.”
St. Lucia: New Direction for Carnival?
The Choiseul Powerhouse reviews Saint Lucia's 2012 Power Soca Monarch competition: “Suppose I told you before that St. Lucians were fed up with the Trinidadian-invented ‘Rag and Flag’ syndrome which has over the years supersaturated our Soca shows, would I have been vindicated by the outcomes of our just concluded...
St. Lucia: Making Music
At I and Iyanola, Nkrumah Lucien discusses Saint Lucia's rock music scene with journalist/actor/musician Jason Sifflet : “Playing rock from a Caribbean island is a trap, like playing reggae. It’s not indigenous to your culture, so every in and out of your culture sees you as a fake. But when you incorporate your...
St. Lucia: Our Own Stories
Nkrumah Lucien reviews Davina Lee's debut feature film The Coming of Org: “It is indeed important for us to tell more of our own stories, too reflect adequately on ourselves not to reproduce images of ourselves tailored by others and to steer away from cliché and the narrow uncritical Hollywood stereotypes.”
St. Lucia: Flower Festival
At “I and Iyanola”, Nkrumah Lucien completed a two-part blog post exploring the origins of Saint Lucia's flower festivals: “It is not that La Wòz and La Magwit cannot be made into an app…but that those practicing these traditions were not allowed the space and material conditions to allow them...
Trinidad & Tobago: Review of Bagoo
Caribbean Book Blog publishes a review of blogger Andre Bagoo‘s first book of poetry: “One [has] to have ample amounts of time and quiet to properly ponder and appreciate the complexity of ideals, both subtle and raw, that are presented within.”
St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago: Priestly Poetry & A New Literature Partnership
Caribbean Book Blog interviews priest and poet Fr. Lambert St Rose, while Bocas Lit Fest announces “a new partnership that will work towards enhancing the Caribbean literary scene and help kick-start an infrastructure to support writers, writing, and publishing.”
St. Lucia: Poetic Preaching
Caribbean Book Blog profiles a local priest who “has just published a book of narrative prose and poetry”, which he describes as ” a Caribbean-centric “theological reflection on the social, historical, economic, religious, political, and national consciousness.”
St. Lucia: Looking Good for St. Lucia Labour Party
Caribbean-American Forum says that incoming results point to the likelihood that opposition leader Dr. Kenny Anthony has led the St. Lucia Labour Party to a sweeping victory in the country's recent general election.
St. Lucia, Guyana: The Right to Vote
Amala's View has been “watch[ing] from afar, the campaigning that went on for months [and] now comes to a heated close in two Caribbean nations”, saying: “As the voting day draws nigh, know with certainty that you are involved, know that your vote makes a difference and know beyond anything...
Bermuda, St. Lucia: Slavery Footprint & Slave Trade Memorial
Breezeblog links to “a website that tracks the forced and unpaid labour that goes into producing the things we take for granted” and makes the point that “being aware of the impression left by your slavery footprint may be the most important of all”, while Caribbean Book Blog notes that...
Caribbean: the meaning of identity
Creative Commess hosts a blog symposium “about Caribbean people, about West Indian people, about our contemporary experiences … ranging through race & identity to culture, mental health to constructs of beauty and more,” with contributions from seven Caribbean bloggers.
Haiti, St. Lucia: Trouillot In Running for French Literary Prize
Caribbean Book Blog notes that the Haitian writer Lyonel Trouillot’s new book has been shortlisted for “the prestigious French literary prize, the Prix Goncourt.”
Caribbean: Commonwealth Competition Winners
Caribbean Book Blog has all the details on this year's Commonwealth Short Story Competition winners, with writers from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago being recognized.
St. Lucia: Earthquake Hits, No Injuries Reported
Repeating Islands has the details about an earthquake in St. Lucia yesterday, which measured 5.3 on the Richter Scale.
Caribbean: Commonwealth Stories for Online Time Capsule
The Royal Commonwealth Society is creating the world's largest online time capsule in honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and wants regional/Commonwealth bloggers to share their stories. Get involved, here.
St. Lucia: Jacques Compton Dies
Caribbean Book Blog, mourning the death of Saint Lucian author Jacques Compton, says: “The Caribbean has lost another literary and cultural icon.”
