Music & Visual Arts – Volume 27 Issue
The Caribbean Writer publishes its Volume 27 issue, dedicated to highlighting music and visual arts
The University of the Virgin Islands announces the December release of Volume 27 of its international literary gem, The Caribbean Writer, a volume highlights music and visual arts.
Volume 27 boasts of literary content that covers a number of genres, including poetry, personal essays, short stories, one-act plays and book reviews. It is visually stunning, as well, with cover art entitled “Quelbe Dancers” by Cuban born, Madeliene Meehan, a resident of St. Thomas who has won many awards for her work and has been featured in The New York Times.
The volume also features the works of “Dove,” St. Croix’s celebrated street artist who passed away in 2002. The images of Dove’s work were donated to the Journal from private collections. It includes the works of another well-known Crucian street artist, Albert Jerry Simmonds, better known as AJ. The works of UVI art instructor, Cynthia Hatfield and UVI student, Baasil Abdulrashid are also included. Other local and regional artists include, Kristen Maize of St. John and St. Thomas resident, W.B. Thompson; Haitian artists Arlene Magliore, Bernard S. Hoyes; and others.
“We are pleased to continue in the tradition of excellence which both the University and The Caribbean Writer represent with this new volume of the journal,” said UVI President David Hall. “It is this spirit of excellence that has ensured the success and vitality of the journal for so many years.”
This volume of The Caribbean Writer is edited by Alscess Lewis-Brown, the author of several books for young people including, the Moko Jumbi Majorette series, Efa and the Mosquito and soon to be released, Footsteps to the Sunrise. She has served on the University’s part time faculty since 1990, teaching courses in writing and the humanities.
“I am honored and delighted to have been chosen to edit this volume,” Lewis-Brown said, reflecting on the approximately 800 submissions which were reviewed in order to select the pieces for final publication. She thanked the Journal’s Editorial Board whose members participated actively in the paring down process and who contributed greatly to this keepsake publication.
The Editorial Board includes UVI faculty members Patricia Harkins-Pierre, Vincent Cooper; Edgar O. Lake, local poet and novelist; and Carol O. Henneman, local poet, motivational speaker and former Daily News Columnist.
“We are pleased that this volume has drawn such an array of visual art and literature from across the Caribbean. Works have been submitted from countries in South America on up the Caribbean archipelago to the Bahamas, across the United States and from as far away as Japan, Great Britain and Spain—literally every place where the Caribbean experience is being lived or where Caribbean people and their descendants are living,” Brown added.
The issue also features two special sections. The first, “Who bin sen Yeh,” Crucian Music by Dimitri Copemann, provides historical and personal insights into the music and cultural dances of the Virgin Islands. The second section also features an interview with Barbadian, international performer, Rupee by Lia T. Bascomb.
“Of the special volume highlighting music and visual arts, Lewis-Brown said, “The works in this volume are a tribute to our collective imagination. They suggest that we live in a deeply reflective society so concerned with the truth of matters that affect us that we imbed them in our music and visual art— creating a regional and by extension a world conversation.”
The Volume features a number of writers who will be published in the Journal either for the first time or who are making repeat appearances: Joey Garcia, Shokry Eldally, Joanne C. Hillhouse, Diana McCaulay, Jannine T. Horsford, Gary Winters and many others. Local writers include Rosalyn Rossignol, Daisy Lafond, Lloyd Maynard, Shanara Mathew, writing from St. Thomas as well as Kate Melone and Amrey Mathurin, writing from St. Croix and LJ Swanson, writing from St. John. The journal also features book reviews by D. Giselle Isaac, Susan Wanlass, H. Nigel Thomas, Laurence Lieberman, and Elaine Savory among others. Local writers who contributed book reviews include Valerie Knowles Combie, Patricia Harkins-Pierre, S.B. Jones Hendrickson, Phyllis Gershator and Vincent Cooper.
Copies are $20.00 and can be ordered by emailing Alscess Lewis-Brown atabrown@live.uvi.edu or orders@thecaribbeanwriter.org. Orders can also be placed by visiting here
