Antilles: the weblog of the CRB

Sunday papers roundup

Links to some interesting reviews, columns, and features from newspapers in Jamaica, Guyana, and Antigua:

- The "Arts and Leisure" section of the Jamaica Gleaner includes Barbara Nelson's review of C. Everard Palmer's short novel A Time to Say Goodbye; as well as two short stories: "Street Boy", by Karlene Morgan, and "Relative Strangers", by Corinne Smith.

- The Gleaner also runs two art reviews by Anthea McGibbon, of Seven, a group show hosted by the Jamaica Guild of Artists; and of a show (and book) by photographer Peter Ferguson, collecting portraits of 101 "prominent male changemakers in Jamaica's history".

- In the Jamaica Observer, Herbie Miller looks back at the career of Don Drummond, who died 38 years ago, and tries to distinguish the reality of the doomed musician's talent from the myths that have sprung up around his memory. The Observer also reports that the first ever Caribbean Fashion Week Design Award will be presented to Trinidadian artist Peter Minshall in June.

- In the Stabroek News, in his weekly "Arts on Sunday" column, Al Creighton continues from where he left off last week, describing the "very rich" tradition of Indian music and dance in the Caribbean, focusing on the Nadira and Indranie Shah Dance Troupe's annual Nrityageet production, which "has earned its place as a tradition in Guyanese theatre".

- The weekend edition of the Antigua Sun reports on "Off the Shelf", a new literary programme launched by the radio station WINN FM in St. Kitts, in which actress Clare Yearwood reads "popular books and classics". First on the reading list is Jamaica Kincaid's Lucy, to be followed by Alice in Wonderland.

- And Agence France-Press reports on a press conference with Derek Walcott, who is visiting Venezuela, where he will participate in a discussion with Nobel laureate Mohamed Yunus:

The Caribbean's history is a very tragic one, but we live in a place of extreme beauty. The New World is optimistic and heroic.... The character of the Caribbean is a tragicomedy basically, it is not completely tragic.