Online Caribbean / Guyanese Arts Journal

Name::jebratt
From::Canada

View my complete profile

On behalf of the Mittelholzer family and for my own research purposes I am looking to acquire anything regarding Edgar Mittelholzer and older books about Guyana. Please feel free to email me at jonathanbratt@rogers.com

Fashion Wars II
Indian trade fair opens
Donna Makeda
International Culture Reggae Queen
Poet and writer, Janet Naidu, releases new book, R...
"The First Reading"
Goddess Thoughts
Amy Ramdass
"Demerara Daze" by Amy Ramdass
Goddess Thoughts by Amy Ramdass

- Click for blog Archives -

Jono's Blog
Guyana Resource Center
Illumination Foundation Forum
Edgar Mittleholzer Blog
Martin Carter Blog
Ideas, Images and Inspiration
The Poetry of James C. Richmond
Jono's American Literature Resource Center


Illustrious Exile: Journal of my Sojourn in the West Indies by Robert Burns, Esq. Commenced on the first day of July 1786


(Click on image to order)

In 1786, the Scottish poet Robert Burns, penniless and needing to escape the consequences of his complicated love life, accepted the position of book-keeper on an estate in Jamaica. The success of his Poems chiefly in the Scottish Dialect made this escape unnecessary. Thus far is historical fact. In Andrew Lindsay’s novel, Burns indeed goes to Jamaica and then to the Dutch colony of Demerara where, into the world of sugar and slavery, he brought his propensity for falling in love, his humanity and his urge to write poetry. In 1997 a small mahogany chest is found in a Wai Wai Amerindian village in Guyana. It contains Burns’ journal from 1786 to 1796, when he died. Andrew Lindsay’s novel is a work of imaginative invention, poetic description and meticulous historical reconstruction. As a fellow Scot who has settled in Guyana, Lindsay brings an incomer’s fresh eye to the Caribbean landscape and imaginative insights into how Burns as a man of his times might have responded to slavery. Not least, Illustrious Exile contains some brilliant versions of Burns’ poems, as written in the Caribbean.

About the Author

Andrew O. Lindsay was born in Scotland in 1946. He studied English at the University of St Andrews where he gained the degrees of MA and B.Phil. He spent his professional career at Madras College, St Andrews, much of the time as Principal Teacher of English. He was able to take early retirement in 2003, a move that allowed him to devote himself to writing full-time. Andrew has always had a strong interest in the life and works of Robert Burns, and is a past president of St Andrews Burns Club, one of the oldest in Scotland. His partner Eve is a daughter of the late Denis Williams, the distinguished Guyanese archaeologist, author and artist, and Andrew now regards Guyana as his second home. The more he grew aware of the history of the once great Demerara sugar plantations, the more he became intrigued by Burns’ virtual silence on the subject of the slave trade, particularly since the poet had seriously contemplated emigrating to the West Indies. The result was Illustrious Exile(2006). He is a past winner of the Sloan Prize for Scots writing with a short story The Ken-Sign, which remains unpublished. He is currently gathering materials for a collection of short stories based on the varied experiences of ‘returnees’ in Guyana. As a Scot in Guyana his own experiences raise issues of identity that he is exploring further in poetry and prose. (Courtesy of Peepal Tree Press)



Unburnable


(Click on image to order)

In this riveting narrative of family, betrayal, vengeance, and murder, Lillian Baptiste is willed back to her island home of Dominica to finally settle her past. Haunted by scandal and secrets, Lillian left Dominica when she was fourteen after discovering she was the daughter of Iris, the half-crazy woman whose life was told of in chanté mas songs sung during Carnival: Matilda Swinging and Bottle of Coke; songs about a village on a mountaintop and bones and bodies; songs about flying masquerades and a man who dropped dead. Lillian knew the songs well. And now she knows these songs -- and thus the history -- belong to her. After twenty years away, Lillian returns to face the demons of her past, and with the help of Teddy, the man she refused to love, she will find a way to heal. Set partly in contemporary Washington, D.C., and partly in post-World War II Dominica, Unburnable weaves together West Indian history, African culture, and American sensibilities. Richly textured and lushly rendered, Unburnable showcases a welcome and assured new voice. ISBN13: 9780060837570; ISBN: 0060837578; Imprint: Amistad; On Sale: 04/11/2006; Format: Hardcover; Trimsize: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4; Pages: 304; $23.95

About the Author

Marie-Elena John is a former Africa development specialist. She and her husband and two children divide their time between Washington, D.C., and Antigua. This is her first novel. (Courtesy of HarperCollins)



Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley


(Click on image to order)
Coinciding with the 25th Anniversary of Bob Marley's Death (May 11, 1981) NEW BOOK FROM AMISTAD/HARPERCOLLINS ISBN: 0060539917; On Sale: 05/02/2006; Format: Hardcover; Pages: 224; Bob Marley was a reggae superstar, a musical prophet who brought the sound of the Third World to the entire globe. Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley goes beyond the myth of Marley to bring you the private side of a man few people ever really knew. Drawing from original interviews with the people closest to Marley -- including his widow, Rita, his mother, Cedella, his bandmate and childhood friend Bunny Wailer, his producer Chris Blackwell, and many others -- Legend paints an entirely fresh picture of one of the most enduring musical artists of our times. This is a portrait of the artist as a young man, from his birth in the tiny town of Nine Miles in the hills of Jamaica to the making of his debut international record, Catch a Fire. We see Marley on the tough streets of Trench Town before he found stardom, struggling to find his way in music, in love, and in life, and we take the wild ride with him to worldwide acceptance and adoration. From acclaimed journalist Christopher John Farley, the author of the bestselling biography of Aaliyah and the reporter who broke the story on Dave Chappelle's retreat to South Africa, Before the Legend is bursting with fresh insights into Marley and Jamaica, and is the definitive story of Marley's early days.

About the Author

Christopher John Farley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in Brockport, New York. He is a graduate of Harvard University and a former editor of the Harvard Lampoon. He is the author of the bestselling biography Aaliyah: More Than a Woman and the novels My Favorite War and Kingston by Starlight. He is also the coauthor of Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues. He has worked as an editor and pop-music critic at Time magazine and is currently an editor at the Wall Street Journal.



Muscular Learning: Cricket and Education in the Making of the British West Indies at the End of the 19th Century


(Click on image to order)
This study is a major contributopn to the debate on cricket and society in the West Indies. This book was written with passion and imagination and inspired by CLR James's masterpiece Beyond a Boundary. The book explores the role of theat quintessential imperial game-cricket and education in the shaping of identity in the former British West Indies from the latter years of slavery to 1900.

About the Author

Clem Seecharan is a Professor of Caribbean History and Head of Caribbean Studies at London Metropolitan University. He is the authour of the 2005 Elsa Goveia Prize winner Sweetening Bitter Sugar: Jock Campbell the Booker reformer in British Guiana 1934-1966.

Clicl on title to read the latest New York Times Book Review !!

Amy Ramdass
Bernadette Naomi Chowthi
Bryann Maxx - The force of video production in Guyana
Dave Martins & The Tradewinds
Donna Makeda
Graficman
James C. Richmond
John "Slingshot" DrePaul Music
Joseph Isahack
Ken Corsbie is "Caribbean Voices
Kross Kolor Records
Margot Van Sluytman
Terry B. - Live Music For All Occasions

Barbados Culture: Poetry and Poems
Black Poetry
BlackPressUSA
Caribbean Amerindian Centrelink
Caribbean & Jamaican Painters
Caribbean Aesthetics / Critical Theory
Caribbean Art - Cards
Caribbean Beat
Caribbean Beat Weblog
Caribbean Free Photo
Caribbean Magazine
Caribbean Network of Publishers
Caribbean Poetry - Barbados
Caribbean Review of Books
Caribbean Writer
CaribPlanet
Danica Art Gallery
Felicia Pride (Editor of BackList.net)
Fotoplates.com
Gallery of West Indian Art
Geoffrey Philip's Blog Spot
Global Voices
Go-Local Jamaica
Island Events
IslandMix
It's a Black Thang.com
Juliet Thorburn
Jully Black
KnowProSE.com
Literate Nubian: Writers of the African Diaspora
Mulatto.org
Mustardseeds.net
Nassau Guardian
Peepal Tree Press
PopMatters
Rudy Fearon
Russ Filman's Caribbean literature
Samere Tansley
Small Axe
The BackList.net
The Caribbean Camera
The Caribbean Voice
The Jamaica Star
The United States of the West Indies
Trinidad and Tobago Review
Trini Shack
Urban Anthologies
Vibe.com
WukUpNuff Message Board
The Xcene

Template By Caz
Powered by: Blogger
Tube by: Shebas Graphics








This may be the smallest fort ever constructed by the Dutch overseas. Kyk-Over-Al: the historic name of a small island, about 1.5 acres in size, is located at the junction of the Mazaruni and Cuyuni Rivers. In the late 16th century, Europeans began to trade in the West Indies for salt, which was at that time a `luxury’ in Europe. European trade goods were exchanged for indigenous products such as annatto, which was used as a dye in Europe. However, the trade was not economically viable as the quantities of items supplied by the indigenous peoples were insufficient. Thus depots were built to collect and store produce until the arrival of the ships. Two depots, one at Nibie, a small village on the Abary Creek, and one on the Pomeroon River, were established for his purpose. The latter was soon removed during the early part of the 17th century to a small island at the junction of the three rivers, Essequibo, Cuyuni and Mazaruni. A small fort armed with a few guns was constructed. It was named Fort Ter Hoogen in honour of an influential Dutchman. However, this appellation soon gave way to the descriptive name Kyk-Over-Al (See Over All). The British governed the island in 1666 for a short period. However, it was recaptured and fortified by the Dutch. Activities reached a peak in 1670, when a great deal of trading was done with the local tribes. By 1716, the island became overcrowded and this resulted in the decision to construct a new house for the Commadeur at Cartabo Point. Dutch administration was relocated to Fort Island, closer to the mouth of Essequibo River. In 1748, most of the buildings were demolished and the materials were used to construct a sugar mill at Plantation Duyenenburg, which was located along the Essequibo River. During the boundary dispute of 1897 between Venezuela and the British Guiana, excavations of the foundations of the remaining ruins and the bricks of the lower course were undertaken to clarify the builders of the fort. The samples taken were analysed in England. These examinations revealed that the bricks used in the construction of the fort were of Dutch origin. This knowledge was used to substantiate the claim that the British had inherited territories formerly occupied by the Dutch. In June 1910, the island was thoroughly cleared of its undergrowth by an order of Governor Sir Frederick Hodgson. Many parts of the fort, including the stone ramparts and brick pavements complete with relics of Dutch occupation such as canon balls, glass bottles and several clay tobacco pipes were unearthed. The ruins revealed that the ground floor was used as a storehouse for food and goods received from the indigenous and a magazine. There were three rooms on the top floor - one for the soldiers, one for the Commandeur and the other for the Secretary of the colony of Essequibo. Today, all that remains of the fort is a brick arch. On July 20, 1999, the island was declared a National monument. This site is maintained and managed by the National Trust of Guyana.

(Courtesy of http://www.landofsixpeoples.com)

Isabel Adonis, Elizabeth Alleyne, Caz, CleanSlate, Cyril Dabydeen, David Dabydeen, Hope McMillian, Michaela V. McRae, Pertamber Persaud, Jeremy Poynting, Guoyan Rampersaud, James C. Richmond, Zaira Simone, Kamanie Singh, Jacqueline Ward, Wyc Williams












































Subscribe to Kyk-Over-Al

Please contact us to make a contribution.

Alliance For Change

352 Cummings St.

North Cummingsburg,

Georgetown, Guyana,

South America

592-225-0452/0455

allianceforchange@yahoo.com

Or For Electronic Funds Transfer

The international bank code information necessary for sending donations to the Alliance For Change Inc. check/cheque account at Demerara Bank for Donors in London and New York are as follows:

For London donors funds must be routed through City Bank NA their correspondent Bank - address:

City Bank NA

336, Strand,

London WC 2R 1HB

England, UK

SWIFT CODE: CITIGB2L

SORT CODE: 185008

IBA # GB25CITI1850081062146

For USA donors funds must be routed through City Bank also as their correspondent Bank – address:

City Bank

111 Wall Street,

New York, NY 10043

USA

SWIFT CODE: CITIUS33

IBA # 021000089

DEMERARA BANK ACCOUNT # 36204355

Publishers