Caribbean Books

The world's full of literary journals. Why read this one? If you want to know about the world, it's all on National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and CNN, isn't it? What possibly can a literary journal add?

Don't look for the answer in the Table of Contents. Look for it in the Author Bios. To take only a few of the 28 contributors: Razi Abedi is from Pakistan, Vasilis Afxentiou from Greece, Arlene Ang from Manila, Anjana Basu Calcutta, Richard Czujko South Africa, Viktor Car and Miroslav Kirin from Croatia, Raymond Ramcharitar from Trinidad. Several are from India, there's a handful are Yanks, plus assorted hangers-on from places in the world with no fixed address, apparently they just respond to "Occupant."

Some of their characters leave a track, some make a mark, some luxuriate in unearned reward, some crumple under the stubbornness of systems, some sing, some cry. Yet when the last shovel of dirt is spaded or the pyre done to embers, their little bundles of personality have vanished along with their fleeting, private histories, blips on a scale whose magnitude they or we may never know, their meaning incomplete because our comprehension is incomplete. This instant, too, is a short story.

More than mere characters are in these stories. We are, in that part of ourselves which is all humans. First we are a dream, then we are not, then we are again ("Sister Hanh" by Ly Lan), only this time vaporous angels, the angels of the keys, angels in the sense of "Mon ange te précédera"-My angel will precede you-the ignored part of our own relevance going ahead of us into the so-called future (A Feast of Crows" by KC Chase), preceding, going ahead of us, furthering us ahead of our pace ("The Long Journey" by Vasanthi Victor; "Jesus Christ Lord of Hosts Discovers Southern California" by Holly Day), while events of the hour play themselves out as if seemingly important in our monkey-brain salad-bar humanity heads ("Parking Ticket" by Norma Kitson). The carnival barker calls on ("Singing in the Wind" by Keith Smith).

In these stories.

In some tales is the taste of cultures gone rancid ("The Ngong Hills" by Rasik Shah and "London Through the Magic Eye" by Raymond Ramchartiar), scallop-shaped memories in white light ("The Lost Village"-Lang Lo in Vietnam-by Le Van Thao), the wire through which happiness flows ("The Burden of Grace" by Vasilis Afxentiou), the sense of life's undoing preordained ("Curses and Poetry" by Anjana Basu and "Diary of a Street Kid" by Fanuel Jongwe), this or that character blocked by not knowing their true worth ("Dalit Literature" by Rezi Abedi and "Spectacles" by Anjana Basu), others a tarantella of quick cuts as the burning finger of the past reaches their heels ("Snapshots of Elsewhere" by Raymond Ramchartiar). The shape of a woman created out of the galaxies ("A Betting Man" by Vallath Nandakumar). The gelatin temple of turning deeds into a brand name (Winnie Mandela portrayed in David Herman's "The Lady and the Tiger"; "The Transformation of Sleepy Hollow" by Richard Czujko).

Everything is real, their reality, even the phantasmagoric. Like the paintings of California Realist James Doolin, the "realism" in these stories is skewed in a way that what is seems always lunging forward at an angle, anything but static. A good story tells us of time; what it brings us to know within is untouched by time. These accounts are real, yes, close to the surface of here and now, but also deeper for their absence of self-interjection, the contrived just-so light and just-so exoticism of the TV Special. Nothing artificial, nothing fake, nothing held back. What you feel is not the author's work, it is your own feelings responding to the facts they set forth.

About half are fiction-or rather, reality with the clothes of character on-the rest non-fiction. Some are cryptic enough to be short-shorts. Most have a certain fabulistic air about them; all you have to do is change the humans to animals and you have Apulius' Golden Ass or Mr. Toad and friends. The usual baggage of reviewer lingo hovers uneasily near these pages. The stories are lives, not stories; circumstances, not contexts. In the lives on these pages, Levi-Strauss, F.R. Leavis, postmodernism, and semiotics are self-indulgent caricatures. When we know where fear comes from, we transect it. That's when the stairway appears before us.

This "Gowanus" anthology is an outstanding volume of third world writing. Reading many of the essays, short stories, and poetry was more than a joy, because you get the flavor of other places, a sense of the people, and new perspectives about what's happening in "real time" around the world. To be sure, a lot of these writers are unsung, but clearly enormously talented. This volume deserves nationwide exposure, and many of the writers here could make a lot of noise, if they are "discovered." I recommend this one! It's an exciting, turn-the-pages read.

i use this book all the time. My family owns property at the Bimini Bay Resort. We purchased it almost three years ago and we use it on a regular basis. We love it so much, we are currently selling our two story treehouse loft; because we decided to upgraded and purchase a four bedroom house on the private island. If you or anyone one else knows of someone intrested investing in Bimini, they may email me at toomuch386@aol.com.

This was our first time crossing over to Bimini. We know other people that have done it but the information we learned from the book far exceeded anything our fellow boater friends told us. The section on clearing customs and immigration made our trip a breeze.

Harrrr... maties! As a huge pirate fan I love this book! Blackbeard Rules!!

Writing a whole book exclusively about Blackbeard would require a good deal more material than currently exists. The author does an excellent job of collecting together a good deal of the material available and organizing it in a chronological fashion. However, that is probably at most half of the book, the rest is rounded out with general pirate history from the period, as well as pictures and movie stills from the Blackbeard documentary. Ships sanded their decks before going into battle for the added traction it yielded; this book offers that added traction in the history of a notorious pirate.

The only fault I can find in the author's delivery, almost to the point of distraction, is the constant use of Thatch as Blackbeard's real name. Most author's that I have read over the past 10+ years favor the use of Teach as the preferred name. That aside, I found the story line well paced and easy to read. The added bits of pirate history, including the obligatory references to Anne Bonny and Mary Read, were well placed in the chronology to give the reader more of a reference to the time period.

The author has omitted an index, but does include a Sources and Further Reading page. The bottom line is that this is as good a biography of the pirate as I have found, and an enjoyable read to boot.
P-)

Fikru Negash Gebrekidan is a courageous writer who did an immense service to the young generation to reassure the bond between Ethiopians and African decedents in the New World not an accidental one; rather the factual historical accounts depict a century worth of relation and integration. The book title did justice to author well-researched thesis. The author illustrated clearly the Black intellectuals rejecting the Eurocentric philosophy and religious belief and embracing Afrocentric belief.

In 1930, black people throughout the world doing worst such as Jim Crow in US, Apartheid in South Africa, most of the African Nations were colonized with the exception of Ethiopia on vicious European ill intent "Scramble for Africa." In spite of these unfortunate facts there was the single, black, east African nation Ethiopia crown Haile Selassie as King. The idea of possibility to keep nation sovereign from foreign invader or protecting individual freedom conceived and echoed from Africa to the New World. There was noticeable pride and motivation among blacks as result there were peoples resistant and aggression against the establishment and anti colonialism movement mushroomed everywhere. Such sense of pride was challenged when the Italian dictator Mussolini invaded Ethiopia 1936-1941 despite the Italians previous embarrassing defeat at the battle of Adwa in 1896 known as "An African Victory." Italian invasion in Ethiopian crated such global movements among Blacks in the New World particularly in US were united, demonstrated even registered to fight Italians' fascism beside their Ethiopian brother and sister. The Ethiopians and global sympathizers brought an end to Italian fascism despite the United Nation (UN) unwillingness to condemn the Italian government.

In the last 95-years almost a century (1896-1991) there was a significant cultural exchange and Ethiopian Orthodox Church expansion in the New World. The effort made significant changes on the psychology and thoughts of Blacks in the West. Emperor Haile Selassie I land and citizenship promise to the skillful and professional blacks in the west brought hope and light for the Black Nationalist movement in the west. However, Emperor Haile Selassie understood it would be mutual beneficial to give priority to the professionals, technicians, artisans and farmers under the condition that the new settlers need to assimilate the local culture and language as well as willingness to reside permanently. The Rastafarians keen interest to follow Marcus Garvey "Back to Africa" philosophy and strong unity also aspired. The Jamaican government sponsor unofficial Back-to-Africa mission selected peoples traveled to five African nations to find out the likeability repatriation. Finally, missionaries confirmed Ethiopia being an ideal place and the people of Ethiopian very hospitable by nature will make settlement simple and successful. Furthermore, the Rastafarian adapted the Ethiopian flag as symbol of freedom and religion. Abyssinians was the first reggae band to incorporate Amharic lyrics to be exact in 1969 single album released contained "Setta Masgana le Amlak Hul Giz." We need to give thanks and praises to God continually.

The book shed some light on Majesty's visionary effort on improving the Ethiopian education, the champion effort establishing the Organization African Unity (OAU). On the other hand, the effort granting land and citizenship also brought a few skillful blacks to settle and share knowledge. The numbers of African decedents settled in Ethiopian were not significant by any measure.

Ethiopia went backward from any measurable progress after the successful military junta led by Mengistu Hailemariam in 1974. Most Ethiopian "Elites" were tortured and killed during government special force covert operative known as "Red Terror" to destroy democratic movement and to establish tyrant leadership. On the other hand some educated, productive and young generation of Ethiopians fled out of the country and settled in North America and Europe. The number of Ethiopians settled in North America continues to grow faster at the end of 20th century due to Diverse Visa (DV) lottery issued every year. The interaction between Ethiopian and African-Americans become first hand. The relationship has not been fruitful consider the century history of relation and integration. The irony is some Ethiopians are disassociating with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and embraced Pentecostal western religion sect. On the positive side the number of western educated Ethiopians rocketed sky-high compare to 1930's and 1940's; however, none of them are returning to Ethiopia any time soon. I believe there must be more effort to rekindle the century relation and integration. Ethiopians must participate on the African-Americans' core effort and principle of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); furthermore, the African-Americans need to support the Ethiopians effort to bring democracy and fair election in their homeland Ethiopia. There is lack of knowledge on both community at large as well as not having visionary leaders halt the relation and integration of the two communities achieved in the 20th century. The young generation has the task of completing unfinished journey and envisions the new chapter for new generation to harness the relation, integration and unity that enable Africans and African-Americans to live in United States of Africa!!!
Bond without Blood: A History of Ethiopian and New World Black Relations, 1896-1991

This is a seminal work on Ethio-Black Diasporan relations that is groundbreaking and perhaps even revolutionary in casting new light on Ethiopian historiography and on Ethiopia in a rather rejuvenating African context. Far away from the long entertained view of "semitic" origins to the Ethiopian Civilization, which supposedly spurred "paternalistic, derogatory and even racist" attitude and view of other fellow Africans on the part of the Ethiopians, this original work has attempted to tackle rather successfully with these misconceptions and misrepresentations of Ethiopia, Ethiopian history and Ethiopians from differet socio-economic strata. It argues for the integrally African nature and origins of the Ethiopian Civilization and for the deep convictions and affinities entertained both by Ethiopian aristocrats and the working class with Africanness and fellow Africans/Blacks both in Africa and in the Diaspora.
This is a very important work since it offers a clear departure from ideological and ethnic narrowmindness entertained by African elites towards a pan-africanist and Ethiopianist world view in which political and economic integration and interdependence is invoked between African countries and diasporic communities due to long lasting historic affinities between Africans both at home and in the Diaspora.
Finally, in adopting Afrocentrist thought as a legitimate school of thought, it opens the way and affirms the necessity for the reconsideration and rewriting of African history in general and Ethiopian history in particular.

First of all, I was surprised with this robust hardcover. More than 1600 pages, making it uneasy to read it as we do with most of the books. But it is an extraordinary portrait of the Argentine cultural life in almost forty years of friendship between two great intellectuals . Reading through pages we can meet Borges, family and friends as they really are, in daily conversations about almost everything. I was admired with Bioy capacity of registering detailed discussions, and document Borges perspective on poetry, prose, writers and polititians. A wonderful book.

This brief review is based on the information and analysis given in the review of David Gallagher which appeared in the Times Literary Supplement.
In this massive diary Borges is revealed to be a systematic debunker of many of the greats of world- literature. This is in total contradiction to the generally admiring way he writes about Literary figures in his own stories, and poems. And it in a sense works to undermine the 'image' most readers have of him as reader and lover of Literature.
Secondly, Bioy reveals in this work Borges' awkwardness and lack of success with women. Borges is shown in this regard as a ridiculous figure. He is also revealed to be a bit of a misogynist as he speaks of women as 'incapable of abstract thought'.
Thirdly , we are always eager to know more about the great geniuses. Borges is unquestionably one of the great literary geniuses of the twentieth century. His way of writing and perceiving the world, and of understanding literature and life changes , or may change the way we read the whole tradition of world- literature. Thus there is a tremendous amount of material here which will be gobbled up by Borges' many fans.
However Gallagher says that there are no real insights into Borges work. This has to be viewed as a major shortcoming.
Gossip can be fun, and this diary is full of literary gossip. But the work in making Borges seem an ungenerous ingrate to many writers also diminishes him.
Perhaps part of this is Bioy's own hidden rivalry with his best friend, collaborator, who nonetheless was on another level entirely when it came to literary creation.

This book was reissued in a new edition by U. of Texas Press in 1999. In fact you used to list it regularly. Why is it not there now?

This is a superb introduction to the fiction of the great Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges that should serve as a model for works of its type. All too often, studies of major authors degenerate into studies not of the writer in question but meta-studies on all manner of theoretical matters. The best criticism takes the reader not into the heart of a theory, but into the work of the writer being discussed, and Bell-Villada takes the reader deep into the heart of Borges?s strange and marvelous world.

The book is divided into three sections. The first part is largely biographical, hitting the highpoints of Borges?s life, as well as exploring some aspects of his personality. The author also discusses many of the relevant aspects of Argentine society and politics. This is done with considerable sympathy with Borges, despite the obvious sharp political differences between the author and Borges. In fact, one of the great appeals of the book as a whole is the fact that the author feels some distance from Borges at a number of points. All too often, critics turn into fans of writers, tending to see in them other versions of themselves, often becoming admirers because of a host of shared values. The author clearly finds Borges?s political positions late in life troubling, but hardly admires him as a creative writer any the less for that.

The bulk of the book consists of finely nuanced, detailed discussions of Borges?s major fictional works. For those unaware, Borges, while famed as one of the great writers of the past century, actually produced a rather minute body of work. His entire fictional output in English translation amounts to scarcely more than 500 pages. Of this output, much of that?mainly his first collection of stories and much of his later work?falls short of his best work. Most of his great work is contained in FICCIONES and EL ALEPH, an astonishingly small body of work for a writer of such stature. Bell-Villada discusses all of these stories with great insight, including such details surrounding their publication or context that are relevant. The final section of the book details with Borges?s final works, and includes an interesting discussion of some of the political questions connected with his work.

One thing that makes this book especially useful is that it can be equally useful both to specialists in the field of Latin American literature and readers encountering Borges?s work for the first time. And betraying my own bias, it never, ever gets bogged down in mere theorizing. The focus is always on Borges?s work itself, and not on considerations extraneous matters.

Your poetry is beautiful! I've just been reading it aloud to myself. Like a piece of Beethoven it's beauty resonates in that mysterious place.

Bianca Rossini's "A Brazilian Heart" is a collection of poems with a theme so powerful
that, at times, it takes your breath away with its pungency. It is the distillation of light and love and the pain of being alive.

It brings together three ingredients: The powerful dream of complete gravitational attraction--the helpless falling together of bodies, the opposing-almost nuclear force--the struggle for self-existence when surrounded by the madness of pure (but irresistible) love, and finally the binding glue of sensuality which suffuses the characters, as in a daguerreotype. Who has not craved a love so powerful that it justifies all? One that engulfs every molecule of ones body, the "endless passion of endless love, for my heart only desired to be one with yours", the " love that fills my veins misses you like a turning tide that goes deeper into the Earth than it penetrates". Those who have entered those walls of almost headlong love know its power. For those who have passed that way--the attraction of "A Brazilian Heart" is almost impossible to resist--like the enigmatic photo of the author on the front cover. The words are intoxicating--drawing one deeper and deeper into a world that is suffused in love. Love at its best--most pure--a brilliant light, red sensual leaves, bodies of touch and caressing--a love that is both wild and bright, but also ruby-red and dangerous.

For the author knows too much. She knows that danger lurks at the blood-red core of such a passionate existence. The collection of poems are threaded with a warning so powerful, so possible, so real: the danger of being duped. As in "Amor Assassinardo (Murdered Love)" the poem at the core of this nuclear pile of the book (literally near the physical center of the text) we find, "But the serpent danced like a true lover and made believe your heart was true", and " Although later you trampled in all that was sacred...".

This poem, central to the thesis of the opposing forces (togetherness and separateness) is a dramatic piece of work which brought me to tears on each reading because of its clear power--the ideal of falling together, but the possibility (if not reality) that your partner may not be as sincere as you.
The terrible danger that you are being "led on". It is a double-edged sword because to know true unfettered love, you must go there--you must believe and trust. But to go there is to put yourself in grave danger of massive loss if your partner does not share (or even worse pretends) your love.

Just beyond the melt-down core of the book, "Murdered Love", the reader encounters three versions of "Vision". Within each vision we see, with increasing intensity, the resistive side of human nature. The poems draw the reluctant lover (unsure of his commitment to something so powerful) towards true love. Somehow he holds back, unable to fly--unable to trust and follow her. These poems, which could easily be set to music or dance (something the multi-talented author is quite capable of), have an operatic intensity. They allow one to see that fear in the eyes of the faint-hearted, and how, to truly enter the deep world created by Bianca Rossini, one must truly believe that it is possible. I, for one, am drawn into the magic of her world.

An almost domination/submission quality is revealed in another view of how two lovers may fall together in absolute entanglement. In "Vampire's Dance", the woman begins to gives up her freedom to be everything to him, but at the last minute pronounces " Run, you must run far away if you are to stay alive...". Again the conflict. Again the fierce opposition of togetherness and separateness and the sheer power of the forces involved. Within the human heart. Within the Brazilian Heart of the author.

The book glows with sensuality, in words and images of light and darkness (the illustrations by Carmem Gusmao and others are amazing, and add to this other-worldly quality that runs through the pages). It is a microcosm of real-life, of our dreams for "true-love" and the fear of deep entanglement. However, the poems are suffused with an optimism and a belief that, if only one could be honest and true, we could enter the special world of light and joy. If only one could trust and give enough of oneself, that true happiness is attainable and within everyone's grasp. In the final poem (A Chave-The Key) we find real wisdom. To find true happiness one must take control of ones destiny: One must be courageous to be the one who opens the door. I firmly believe that this book is a wonderful tribute to human existence and a celebration of life at its most glorious. I, for one, despite the warning labels, would fly headlong into the maelstrom again. I strongly recommend this book for those who dare to fly into the building storm!

Because of the popularity of Pirates of the Caribbean, many books about pirates have been published in the past few years. Most are light-weight works.

The Buccaneer's Realm is Berenson Little's second "backgrounder" about pirates. This former US Navy SEAL officer wants the reader to understand the world that the pirate lived in. This is not the easiest book to read because of the myriad of detail the author presents, but the "ordeal" is well worth the effort

This is one of several excellent books I've read recently about pirates.
My interest was originally sparked in 1995 with David Cordingly's "Under the Black Flag" because this book pictured the privateers/pirates as sea-going guerrillas.

Beside "The Republic of Pirates", the following are worth reading:
Peter Earle Pirate Wars
The Sack of Panama
Stephan Talty Empire of Blue Water
Benerson Little The Sea Rover's Practice
Richard Zacks The Pirate Coast
Frederick C. Leiner End of the Barbary Terror
Colin Woodard The Republic of Pirates
Together these works cover piracy from the late 16th to the early 19th Century.

In 1674 it's three years since Henry Morgan's pirates sacked Panama and peace is spreading - but buccaneers are set to seize opportunity from a failing Spanish Empire and Spain itself produces pirates which will lead to new challenges. Any college-level collection strong in marine history will appreciate this new in-depth focus on pirate culture and history, considering their deeds, the Spanish Main's world and sentiments, and pirate life as a whole. It's a lively survey recommended for any in-depth marine history collection - and many a general college-level world history holding.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

In response to the previous review:

This book was originally written in Dutch and first published in Amsterdam in 1678 - most texts refer to him as a French surgeon, as he originally came in contact with the buccaneers as a result of his 1666 journey to tortuga with the French West India Company. His name is spelled Alexander Exquemelin....

The events of the book cross reference fairly well with Spanish historical documents - most errors are in place names and dates, according to David Cordingly (british historian, and expert on all things pirate).

No one knows for sure the spelling of the man's name of his nationality, but in 1684 Alexander Esquemeling published in London a powerful, some say mendacious, personal reminiscence of Henry Morgan and other pirates. Histerical at times, this work brilliantly recreates Morgan's most memorable, indeed incredible adventures. A must read for anyone wishing to capture an authentic view of the Carribean during the period of pirates and the battles of Spanish main.

This is probably the original source for information of pirates. It contains such a vast compendium of information that it is difficult to select anyone in particular. The cruel reality of pirates is sometimes terrifying; however, in the context of their times this may not have been so shocking. Each reader will take away what they find most interesting. I find that the interaction between the pirates and the indigenous people of these island most intriguing.

This is a book about buccaneering written by one of the participants. Esquemeling was a Dutch physian who went to the Caribbean during the heyday of the Spanish Main. He was the surgeon to Henry Morgan's expedition against Panama City.

Like many educated men of his time, he tried to be a scientific observer of the New World. As a result, you'll see descriptions of flora and fauna of the Americas mixed in with anecdotes about the famous and near famous of the period. The phraseology can be stilted in places, but that is how people spoke at the time.

Is it worth reading? I certainly think so! It's valuable in the same way that Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Mexico is valuable, it gives a flavor for how the participants saw themselves. So, if you want real, this is it.