Haitian Literature

[lionel]

Among some of the better known Haitian writers, but still nowhere near well known enough - often, I suppose, because some of them haven't been translated into English - are, in chronological order by birth: Jacques Roumain, Marie Chauvet, Marie-Th?r?se Colimon Hall, Frank?tienne, Ren? Depestre, Anthony Phelps, Ren? Philoct?te, Jan J. Dominique, Dany Laferri?re, Lyonel Trouillet, and Edwidge Danticat.

The link below lists almost 100 Haitian writers, although the often quite detailed biographies and lists of their works are in French. Even then, there is no mention of Ghislaine Charlier or Nadine Magloire:

Ha?ti : Litt?rature - ?le en ?le

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[lionel]

I suppose this is more or less the kind of thing you'd expect from a serious mainstream newspaper, as it namechecks some of the usual canon in the Haitian world of letters, and it's pretty short, but then how often do we come across an article on Haitian literature in an English language paper anyway?

Boyd Tonkin: How Haiti taught the world to sympathise - Features, Books - The Independent

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[Mirabell]

It's shameful really, apart from danticat, the only literature connected with the island that I've read was Madison Smartt Bell's novel about Toussaint L'Ouverture, and only the first in the trilogy (All Souls' Rising, I believe), at that.

 

[lenz]

Prominent Haitian-Canadian writer died in quake - Yahoo! Canada News

News of Haitian-Canadian writer Georges Anglade, an important academic figure in Qu?bec dying in earthquake. There was to be a literary festival in Haiti this week and many writers were gathered there, Dany Laferri?re among them. He lives in Montreal where there is a large culturally active Haitian community.

Our Haitian connection - The Globe and Mail

 

[lionel]

It's shameful really, apart from danticat, the only literature connected with the island that I've read was Madison Smartt Bell's novel about Toussaint L'Ouverture, and only the first in the trilogy (All Souls' Rising, I believe), at that.

There are many shameful things about Haiti. But if you were impressed by Danticat, you'd definitely be impressed by Marie Chauvet (sometimes known as Marie Vieux-Chauvet, or Marie Vieux.

 

[lionel]

Prominent Haitian-Canadian writer died in quake - Yahoo! Canada News

News of Haitian-Canadian writer Georges Anglade, an important academic figure in Qu?bec dying in earthquake. There was to be a literary festival in Haiti this week and many writers were gathered there, Dany Laferri?re among them. He lives in Montreal where there is a large culturally active Haitian community.

Our Haitian connection - The Globe and Mail

And here's a link to Georges Anglade's biography, which contains several other links. Many Haitian-born people live in other countries for obvious reasons. There a Little Haiti in Miami, of course, where so many people have gone to escape from the political and economic madness, and Haiti is certainly the most insane place I've ever visited. But its beauty is irrepressible.

Anglade, Georges - ?le en ?le

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[lionel]

The Haitian writer and artist Frank?tienne, dubbed ?Monsieur Haiti? by none other than Aim? C?saire, lost his house completely in the earthquake, but survived. This link is to a French article on him, in which he says ?I don?t believe in reincarnation, but if offered a return ticket, I?ll certainly ask to come back to this shithole?:

Focus - Avec Frank?tienne, le po?te du chaos - Newsletter du Magazine Litt?raire

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[lionel]

Dany Laferri?re, a Haitian who has lived for some time in Canada, has been very active in speaking about Haitian llterature. After the earthquake, he stated that the main thing that would survive above anything else would be Haiti's culture.

Laferri?re has recently written about Jacques Stephen Alexis, a very important Haitian writer from Gona?ves, who was under the anxiety of influence from another Jacques: Jacques Roumain, who published Gouverneurs de la ros?e. Laferri?re says he owes Alexis so much, and speaks of his still unrecognized 'mort stupide', when, returning to the island the year after being banned from it, he was arrested, tortured, and murdered by Papa Doc's mobsters.

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[lionel]

A Haitian writer now living in Montreal and Miami, Dany Laferrière was in Haiti to attend a literary festival on 12 January last year, when the earthquake shook the country. He has just published Tout bouge autour de moi (Everything around me is in motion), which apparently is an unclassifiable book containing details, impressions and memories, shifting between description and reflection. The link below is an extract (in French of course):

http://www.lexpress.fr/culture/livr...i-par-dany-laferriere_948637.html#xtor=AL-447

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