Mammon Strikes in Stillness

“How they leave their lands all Christopher Columbus, curious to conquer Caribbean Seas” Deneka Thomas   In the stillness of night, Water becomes a war zone, The only form of defense is abuelita’s gritted thumb On wooden prayer beads. Fishes lay silent, suit up behind coral and bones to shift the salt ready- Mammon knows …

The Mas

“There is a certain kind of peace that is not merely the absence of war.” -Toni Morrison Revelry is the calm before the storm, Dancing bodies in colour and waistlines oiled from 4 o’clock J’ouvert air. Legs know the road long enough, Beating the sun. The mas was hot. A type of peace and amnesia …

Creating in the Time of Corona

Art mimics nature; so it’s understandable why there are so many offerings that centralises the pandemic. The thing about it is that there is no escaping it. If you don’t watch the news, you will read about it on social media, uninvited messages and in your email as the major reasoning behind cancelled gigs and lay-offs. …

The Art and the Artist. Revisited

No one ever wants to call their abuser, an “abuser”. I think it’s an odd place to be because doing so means that everything is real. I’ve found myself trying to make amends within myself, trying to remove the blame I’ve taken and to reconcile that my presence was not an invitation. Looking back at …

When Surviving Trumps Survival

The world of work can make you feel to go into hiding; pack up your shit and catch the next flight to a country unheard of and just stay under a rock oh whatever is big enough to hide you.  But surviving means you must have some sort of income because no one survives without …

It was something like a Suicide Note

The thing around your neck is tight. It wakes you up in the middle of the night with a type of panic only you know. The sweat on your brow is thick. The knots in your stomach is bigger than the ones you swear is impassable in your hair. When anxiety grips you like that, …

Novus

Most times the New Year begins on January 1st. It’s a whole lot of clearing, tons of offerings- writings of newness and promises. Sometimes these resolutions last all of 3 months then it becomes old and routine and the chase is on for more new. And then there are times that the new just doesn’t …

Stories Like Mas

Carnival in the Caribbean is a well-anticipated event, actually. It’s a time of year for everyone regardless of walks of life. Carnival is a widely paved road. Stories like mas featured Caribbean writers whose work was inspired by Trinidad and Tobago Carnival and its traditions. It showcased writers like June Aming, Rhoda Bharath, H.K Williams, …

Umoja- Caribbean Unity

It is a known fact, the richness of Caribbean culture. The ways that its citizens have found ways to reclaim our past though one that has left skid marks of trauma. We’ve found a way to transform that into home. Trinidad and Tobago was the host country for this year’s Carifesta; a celebration of arts …

Noir

Caribbean life although basked in sunshine and light has its dark side. The skeletons can be found if you dig deep enough. Caribbean writers are versed in both languages, they’ve mastered ways to j’ouvert through the words to make bas with your mind. At Carifesta XIV, the spirits were alive. Thursday at the Book Fair …