Écrits d'Haïti: 5 years in the making!

Last month, after five years of hard work, international collaboration, countless revisions and the use of postal services in three different countries, my first book, Écrits d'Haïti, Perspectives sur la littérature haïtienne contemporaine (1986-2006) was finally released. It contains 24 articles on contemporary Haitian literature by critics such as Marie-José N'Zengou-Tayo, Joëlle Vitiello, Martin Munro, Kaiama Glover, Yves Chemla and of course, Régine Michelle Jean-Charles. There are also interviews with 11 of today's important Haitian writers, including Georges Castera, Yanick Lahens, Louis-Philippe Dalembert, Jean Métellus and Gary Victor. The book does not have an overarching theme. That was a very deliberate choice. Rather than insist upon a supposed violent or nostalgic essence to Haitian writing, I wanted to just let the works breathe a little. Just let them be. I wanted to see what fun and new ideas that scholars would come up with. I think it paid off with articles like Jason Herbeck's "Le polar aux Antilles et le cas de Rosalie l’infâme d'Evelyne Trouillot" and Michel Magniez's "Le héros homosexuel dans les récits en Haïti" or Jean-Marie Théodat's "Autogéographie du Faubourg".

Another goal was to gather in one conversation literary critics based in the US and Europe, in Canada and the Caribbean. So that they could talk with and against each other. However, as I mention in the introduction, that objective was only partly attained. I invited several local colleagues to participate in the project, but for various reasons, they were mostly unable to. Only one of the many literary critics involved in the project, Pierre Maxwell Bellefleur, is based in Haiti. This speaks volumes to the difficulties of scholarship here. This morning, I went to ENS after being in France for two months. Our librarian is just now reshelving a portion of our collection. We've received metal bookcases, but still don't have a secure space in which to shelve the entirety of the library's holdings. Imagine finding research material in such a situation. Then, there is of course the basic issue of salary. Professors in the Haitian higher education system do not earn enough to be able to devote themselves full time to an academic career. We also teach high school, work as journalists, administrators, and consultants. Or teach so many hours that there's little time left for course prep and grading, let alone for writing.

It was important to me that Ecrits d'Haïti be published in one of Haiti's official languages. It is incredibly frustrating as a professor to be unable to assign pertinent articles on works we study in class because they're not written in a language my students can understand. Without trying to dictate the linguistic choices of fellow scholars, I wanted to ensure that my students would be able to participate in the discussion generated by this book. Of course, its cost makes it highly unlikely that my students will purchase their own copies, but I'll be donating a copy to our library and Karthala is selling the book at a lesser price in Haiti and Africa. (20 euros instead of 29. Still a lot, I know, but it's something).

All things considered, I am hopeful that Ecrits d'Haiti will be an important contribution to the field of Haitian literary studies. Once you get a chance to look at it, please come back and let us know what you think!

-NM

Football Fanatics

Last Saturday I had a great time watching the Haitian National Soccer Team play against Harvard University men’s soccer team in a friendly demonstration match.  Boston Haitians came out in droves for this event to support the Haitian national team.  Over 11,000 (that’s more than ¼ of MA’s Haitian population!) were present and made sure our presence was felt, erupting into screams, yells, laughter, cheers and claps at different moments throughout.  To add to the festive atmosphere a live rara band regaled us with horns and drumming from the stands.  The level of enthusiasm was reminiscent of a World Cup Game. Prior to the match there was a deejay spinning the latest konpa tracks, Haitian delicacies to enjoy, and booths selling  t-shirts and other types of paraphanellia for loyal fanatics. The event was hosted by Partners in Health as a fundraising effort to assist in ongoing post earthquake relief and reconstruction efforts.   Haiti’s team won the game in penalty kicks 4-1. 

The event really had me thinking about the power of football as a cultural unifier and signifier as well as the particularly Haitian passion for the game.  Indeed the Haitian fervor for football is ubiquitous.  For many years Haiti was the first team in the Caribbean to qualify for the World Cup and although teams have performed dismally sense, nothing could diminish the love of the game for Haitians at home and abroad.  As we are reminded every four years when the World Cup happens football is by far the most loved sport in the world.  Or, as David Goldblatt reminds us in his book The Ball is Round, "there may be no cultural practice more global than soccer."  Likewise academics like Laurent Dubois have weighed in on the importance of soccer as a not only a global phenomenon, but also one that is particularly useful for parsing out the dynamics of empire and postcolonial politics in his book Soccer Empire:  The World Cup and The Future of France.  Sports in general can serve as cultural markers of belonging help to foster solidarity, and promote awareness about different causes as the match on Saturday clearly indicated.  What was most encouraging for me was to witness this level of enthusiasm and passion not only in the context of the game, but in terms of the force of this particular community’s love for Haiti.  Granted, I am not the biggest sports fan (please don't judge me too harshly), but what moved me more than the match itself was the joyful spirit of those in attendance.   --RMJC

Joyeux anniversaire!

Tande fête son premier anniversaire aujourd'hui! Nous vous remercions du support que vous nous avez apporté jusqu’à présent et souhaitons que nous saurions continuer a vous interpeller en discutant de la culture haïtienne.


D’après les statistiques du site, on a des lecteurs de par le monde: en Haiti et aux Etats-Unis, certes, mais aussi en France et en Allemagne, aux Pays-Bas et au Brésil, au Royaume-Uni et en Australie, au Japon et au Canada, en Afrique du Sud et en Norvège, en Mauritanie et en Russie. 


Nous aimerions savoir qui vous êtes, ce qui vous intéresse, et comment vous avez trouvé le blog. Laissez-nous donc des commentaires. Nous vous prions aussi de répondre aux questions ci-dessus pour que nous puissions enrichir les conversations -- et pour satisfaire notre curiosité! 


(Remember to use Google Translate if necessary! Sonje sèvi ak Google Translate si w ta bezwen l!)

Ayiti toupatou

Depi yon mwa, mwen enstale nan vil Pari nan peyi Lafrans. M toujou renmen vwayaje, ki se yon okazyon pou mwen dekouvri lòt kilti, rankontre lòt moun, louvri pèspektiv mwen sou plizyè sijè. Vwayaj sa a pèmèt mwen fè tou sa. Men, gen anpil bagay tou ki raple m lakay. Gendelè, m gen enpresyon Ayiti toupatou.

Lòt jou, pandan m ap mache pou m tounen nan apatman m, m remake yon liv nan vitrin yon libreri : Tifi en Haïti. Se pa yon libreri ki spesyalize nan literati ayisyen. Ni li pat ekspoze plizyè liv sou Ayiti. Sèl liv sa a ki te  nan vitrin lan, pami yon bann lòt. Ki fè m kòmanse poze tèt mwen kesyon sou plas Ayiti vin genyen nan imajinè abitan peyi Lafrans.

Haiti: écrire en état d'urgence et ensuite? 

Salon du livre vil Pari a te fèt mwa sa, ant 18 ak 21 mas. Plizyè otè ayisyen te patisipe, sa kap viv ann Ayiti kou sa k ap viv aletranje. Nou kapab site Kettly Mars, Marvin Victor, Makenzy Orcel, Lyonel Trouillot, Dany Laferrière, Robert Berrouet-Oriol… Anplis omaj ki ti fèt pou Ayiti ak pou powèt Anthony Phelps ki te la, te gen yon rankont sou edisyon ann Ayiti, ròl li, fonksyonnman l, defi l rankontre. Emmelie Prophète, Hérard Jadotte, Rodney St. Eloi, Anaïse Chavenet ak Willems Edouard te patisipe nan rankont sa a. Mwen te byen kontan wè nan Salon an te gen anpil liv ayisyen ki te disponib, pami yo liv ki pibliye ann Ayiti.

La reconstruction: l'avenir de l’édition 

haïtienne

Madi 15 mas, m te patisipe nan yon rankont ki te fèt Lekòl Nòmal Siperyè sou tèm frankofoni : kisa li ye ? kijan moun etidye l, pale de li an Frans, ozetazini, ann Ayiti ? Youn nan pwoblèm mwen te soulve se kesyon aksè liv yo. Wi, ann Ayiti, li kapab difisil pou nou jwenn aksè liv otè lòt peyi frankofòn, sitou lè yo pa pibliye an Frans. Nou pale de sa isi a deja. Men pwoblèm aksè a poze nan lòt sans lan tou. Anpil fwa, lè moun aletranje ap pale de literati ayisyen, y ap pale de detwa otè yo konnen ki pibliye Kanada oubyen an Frans oubyen ozetazini. Yo pap pale de liv ki pibliye ann Ayiti. Donk, gendefwa, prezans ayisyen an la, men se yon prezans ki pa vrèman reprezante tout richès ki genyen nan domenn lan. 

Mwen isi a kòm pwofèsè envite nan inivèsite Pari 8. Mwen te fè yon kou sou nouvèl ayisyen, avèk anpil fotokopi ! pou m te ka etidye tèks otè tankou Paulette Poujol-Oriol, Cynthia Bastien, Virginie Sampeur, Claude Dambreville ak Christophe Charles. Etidyan yo te montre anpil enterè pou tèks yo nou te fè anpil diskisyon enteresan. Mwen swete enterè sa a ap kontinye devlope. Pou l devlope, fok li jwenn zouti, nan ka sa a liv. Ki ta parèt fasil, men ti tan m pase isi a montre m bagay yo pa senp konsa. Nou kapab poze tet nou kesyon tou pou n konnen nan ki sans enterè sa a ap devlope. 

Plizyè kolèg pale m de etidyan yo genyen k ap prepare tèz sou Ayiti nan diferan domenn : nan literati, nan istwa, nan ibanis ak achitekti. Sanble tout kote mwen gade, moun enterese nan Ayiti. Se premye fwa m vin an Frans, m wè Ayiti toupatou konsa. Se vre kontèks la diferan. Apre 12 janvye 2010, Ayiti vin pi prezan lan lespri anpil moun. Kapab tou, se mwen  kap gade yon lòt jan kounyè a. Kòm map travay sou Ayiti nan domenn inivèsitè a, se nòmal pou m rankontre moun ki gen menm enterè a.

Kan menm, m ta renmen chèche konprann kote enterè sa a prale, ki kote l ap abouti.  Edisyon Karthala fè konnen liv J’apprends le créole haïtien vann anpil. Nou tout konnen, depi kèk lane, men plis toujou depi  janvye 2010, gen yon prezans etranje masiv ann Ayiti. Pa gen anyen ki di sitiyasyon sa a pral chanje nan lane kap vini yo. Kidonk, fòk nou kapab travay pou gen yon lòt kalite prezans, ki baze sou echanj ki ekilibre, kote youn pale ak lòt kòm egalego, kote gen yon brasaj lide ak enfòmasyon tout bon. Fòk enterè ki genyen pou Ayiti kounyè depase stad sipèfisyèl la, ale pi lwen pase yon bagay ki alamòd. 

Ayisyen kou etranje gen tandans di peyi Dayiti se yon peyi apa, pa gen lòt tankou l. Se kapab vre, men listwa montre nou tou ke sitiyasyon nou abitye viv ann Ayiti pa tèlman diferan pase sa moun atravè lemonn ap viv. Nou kapab wè sa nan Tinizi, nan Kotdivwa, nan peyi Japon. Li lè pou Ayisyen kou etranje kòmanse reflechi Ayiti yon lòt jan, reflechi sou sa ki fè l san parèy, men sa l pataje tou avèk lòt peyi. Gen anpil vre koneksyon ki kapab fèt, ki ta dwe fèt.

NM

Paulette Poujol Oriol (1926-2011)

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Here at Tande we mourn the loss of Paulette Poujol Oriol, one of Haiti's literary foremothers who died of a heart attack on Friday March 11, 2011.  Born on May 12, 1926 Oriol was celebrated for her literature, artistry and activism.  She received the prestigious Prix Henri Deschamps for her novel Le Creuset in 1980.  In addition to her work as a novelist Poujol Oriol was also a playwright and a performer, having founded the Piccolo Teatro, a school of performing arts where she inspired dedication to drama for a generation of Haitian youth

In addition to her contributions to Haitian arts and literature, Oriol was also a fervent feminist, a commitment that was evident in her literature, her non-fiction writing, and leadership of the Ligue féminine d'action sociale.  Her important contributions to the feminist movement in Haiti continue to inspire a generation of women in Haiti and the diaspora such as Kettly Mars, Edwidge Danticat, and Myriam Chancy. The former was partnering with Oriol to write an exhaustive anthology of Haitian women.

As stated in her obituary in Le Nouvelliste on Friday, Poujol Oriol was an extraordinary Haitian Women featured by filmmaker Arnold Antonin among others such as Viviane Gauthier, Micheline Laudun Denis, Odette Roy Fombrun, Madeleine Desrosiers et Emerante De Pradines in the documentary film "Six femme haitiennes exceptionelles."  

For her formidable literary contributions, her passion for the performing arts, and her unwavering feminist spirit, we give honor and respect to this fanm vanyan.

RMJC

Happy International Women’s Day!

Today is the 100^th anniversary of International Woman’s Day and I have been thinking quite a bit about what this day means in Haiti, how we celebrate it and why.  One of the reasons why this has been on my mind is certainly because Manolia Charlotin, the fabulous editor of the Boston Haitian Reporter has asked me to write a piece for that paper about the most pressing issues facing Haitian women today.  But also because like so many others I have been following the presidential race and campaigning between Mirlande Manigat and Michel ‘Sweet Micky’ Martelly with marked interest, wondering what it would mean for Haiti to join the ranks of states with women leaders. Full disclosure here:  I am not saying that I support either candidate for president, but rather merely considering some of the cultural implications that Manigat's presidency would raise.  

Last fall I had a candid conversation with former Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis about being a woman politician in Haiti and what the small numbers of those who have actually held this role means for those who may want to hold it in the future.  Of course, being a female candidate does not necessarily mean having a feminist agenda.  I think that the candidacy of Sarah Palin in the USA taught us that the two are not bound to one another.  But it is nonetheless interesting to think about what having a woman in the highest office would mean figuratively for us as a nation, especially one with such a dominant tradition of masculine leadership beginning with the Revolutionary heroes.  When we consider the extent to which Haitian women’s history and participation in the public sphere is often framed in relation to silence, we are reminded of some of the barriers to leadership women may face.  Indeed Manigat would not be the first Haitian woman to occupy a political office.  Ertha Pascale Trouillot became the first woman to hold the highest office in the land albeit only briefly during her time as interim president.  Others like Claire Lydie Parent serve as mayor, and of course various ministerial posts such as the Minister of Culture and Communication held by Marie-Laurence Lassegue, and the Minister of the Condition of Women, a post once held by the late Myriam Merlet and now by Marjorie Michel. 

The idea of a woman president is especially compelling today given that recently many women have risen to power in countries around the world.  There are currently 19 female heads of state in the world: President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina; Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia; Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh; President Borjana Kristo of Bosnia and Herzogovina ; President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil; Prime President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica, Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor of Croatia; President Tarja  Halonen of Finland; Prime Minister Mari Johanna Kiviniemi of Finland; Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany; Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir of Iceland; President Prathiba Patil of India;  President Mary McAleese of Ireland; President Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstanl;  President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia; President Dalia Grybauskait of Lithuania; Prime Minister Iveta Radicova of Slovakia; President Doris Leuthard of Switzerland; and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago. 

These women's politics, policies and viewpoints range from conservative to liberal, but two in particular stand out for their commitment to transforming the lives of women.  For example, when Dilma Rousseff was elected as the first female president of Brazil, she made this commitment explicit.  "I am here stating my first post-election commitment: to honor Brazilian women so that this fact -- unprecedented until now -- becomes something normal and can be repeated and expanded in companies, public institutions, and organizations that are representative of our entire society…”  In her inaugural speech in 2005 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf concluded with a special message for the women of Liberia:  "My Administration shall thus endeavor to give Liberian women prominence in all affairs of our country. My Administration shall empower Liberian women in all areas of our national life. We will support and increase the writ of laws that restore their dignity and deal drastically with crimes that dehumanize them. We will enforce without fear or favor the law against rape recently passed by the National Transitional Legislature. We shall encourage families to educate all children, particularly the girl child. We will also try to provide economic programs that enable Liberian women - particularly our market women - to assume their proper place in our economic process." 

Reading this conclusion I am always moved by how singularly Johnson-Sirleaf focuses her attention to women, recognizing the trauma they endured during the war, acknowledging and thanking them for their unbridled support of her candidacy, and boldly promising to meet their needs in unprecedented ways.  These promises strike a resounding chord in my heart as a citizen of the United States when I think back to the inauguration of Barack Obama, which was met with rigorous enthusiasm of US citizens of African descent many of whom were waiting for similar acknowledgment.  Obama, it was often mentioned would be president to all of the United States and not only the citizens of African descent.  Whereas for Obama it was so important to foreground this aspect of his identity, for Sirleaf gender was highlighted and singled out as an aspect for her leadership. 

In some ways Manigat is similar to Johnson-Sirleaf:  both women have academic backgrounds and both Liberia and Haiti are esteemed for being firsts in the African diasporic imaginary because 1 [Haiti] is the site of the first successful slave revolt in the world and the other [Liberia] is the only place where freed slaves settled and created their own colony. The turnaround that Johnson-Sirleaf has been able to lead in Liberia could serve as an inspiration to the next Haitian president, woman or man...This year’s celebration with the theme of “Equal Access to Education, Science and Technology” officially began in Monrovia Liberia where UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet met with Liberian women instrumental in the rebuilding and reconstruction of the country after years of conflict. 

What would it take for Port-au-Prince to be next year’s site of official celebration? What would it look like to have a Haitian president who is not only a woman, but also an unapologetic feminist?  Understanding that feminism is simply the belief in equal rights for women, and the commitment to making women full partners and beneficiaries in a world for which they make up so much of the work.  What would this mean for development, especially considering that globally women do 66% of the work, earn 10% of income, and own 1% of property?  Yet when women and girls do earn income they reinvest 90% of it in their families as opposed to only 30-40% as men do?  How might a government commitment to educating, protecting, and empowering girls transform our culture? 

Today people in Haiti will gather on Place Catherine Flon to honor the feminist leaders lost in the earthquake, to highlight the contributions of Haitian women, and to continue the struggle against gender inequality.  As Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean has pointed out on this day “we must remember that the road to gender equality is still fraught with many obstacles.  We must keep the flame of hope and progress that many women have ignited.”   Haitian women are continuing this work where leaders like Myriam Merlet, Anne-Marie Coriolan and Magali Marcelin  left off.  Regardless of who the next president of Haiti is, it is my hope that on the 101^st celebration of International Women’s Day we will be able to see that more progress has been made to address the needs of women and move towards gender equality politically, socially, and culturally. 

RMJC

Conférences de Deborah Jenson a la Faculté des Sciences Humaines