Nov 26, 2023
The Bell Jar was a bit of a head scratcher for me. It was not what I had expected based on its renown in the literary canon of feminism. I experienced it as a rather depressing novel about a young woman’s struggle with mental health, with only a slight undertone...
Nov 19, 2023
Until now I have only read James Baldwin’s nonfiction works, which have largely been focused on racism and the civil rights movement in the United States. Giovanni’s Room therefore represents my first foray into Baldwin’s literary fiction repertoire....
Nov 12, 2023
As a native of Barbados, who grew up on the island until the age of eighteen, I feel I bring a different perspective to the experience of reading In the Castle of My Skin by George Lamming. The setting is not only familiar, but the dialect and the way of thinking...
Nov 5, 2023
As a preface to my review I would like to mention that I have been quite intrigued by Franz Kafka for many years, as he is a renowned and respected author, but I have not managed to get around to reading any of his writings until now. True story, I stumbled upon The...
Oct 29, 2023
Of the books by James Baldwin that I have read so far (The Fire Next Time, No Name In the Street and Notes of a Native Son), this was the one I enjoyed the least. Notes of a Native Son reads like a random collection of rants from Baldwin about his life growing up as a...
Oct 25, 2023
Today brings another installment of the series Supporting Aspiring Writers which will focus on how to go about finding a traditional publisher. Before I dive into it, there is one important disclaimer that I want to make. As of October 2023 I have not (yet) secured a...
Oct 22, 2023
“All these words from the seller, but not one word from the sold. The Kings and Captains whose words moved ships. But not one word from the cargo.” These words in many ways sum up the significance of the powerful message conveyed by Barracoon: The Story of...
Oct 15, 2023
Why Nations Fail is an enlightening book which offers plausible, although at times overly simplistic explanations for why some nations are more successful on an economical dimension than others. In short, the authors’ main thesis is that inclusive and...
Oct 8, 2023
Recently I had a conversation with someone who was born and raised in her formative years in West Africa, who said to me that she was curious about why people from the Caribbean, like myself, feel such a strong connection to Africa. My first instinct was to think that...
Sep 26, 2023
The Rebel is probably the most intensely philosophical book that I have read in my entire life. It packs a punch from the word go. As a result it took me quite some time to read and digest the contents of this gem from the legendary French/Algerian philosopher Albert...
