a318: Corbett comments on J.Michael Dash book: CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF HAITI

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF HAITI by J. Michael Dash
	Westport, Conn.:  Greenwood Press, 2001.  156 pages.
ISBN # 0-313-30498-X

Comments by Bob Corbett
January 2001

J. Michael Dash's book is one of the best overviews of Haiti today I have
ever read, and the next time I teach a course on Haiti this will be a
central text.

Dash's treatment comes in 8 chapters.  First is a chapter called "context"
in which he lays out the basic history of Haiti.  Next he deals with the
people and society, emphasizing the dominant class and color split which
has dominated Haiti in all periods save the revolution of 1791-1803 and
the U.S. occupation of 1915-1934. In those two periods Haitians pulled
together putting aside the dominant class and color issues to enter into
unity in which nation and race became the central rallying value allowing
them to resist outsiders.

In chapters 3 through 8 he tackles such central issues as:  religion,
social customs, mass media and cinema, literature and language, the
performing arts and finally a marvelous chapter on the visual arts and
architecture.

In the literature and language chapter Dash gives a clear and fascinating
overview of the literary history of Haiti, but says only a few words on
language.  Similarly, in the last chapter he gives one an essential
outline of the dominant schools of art from the 1930s on, but shuffles
architecture to a few concluding paragraphs.  I doubt it deserves more.

The book is very well written.  Clear, not assuming any prior knowledge
and providing marvelous sketches and outlines which more serious readers
could fill in on their own.  This is a book for the neophyte, not for the
Haitian scholar.  He is not trying to provide new information, but give an
overview of Haiti for those who don't know her.   The book is part of the
"Culture and Customs Of Latin American And The Caribbean" series.

Dash's expertise is in literature and two earlier books, LITERATURE AND
IDEOLOGY IN HAITI (1915-1961), and HAITI AND THE UNITED STATES:
NATIONAL STEREOTYPES AND THE LITERARY IMAGINATION, would
certain account for his ability to do such a clear and useful account in
the section on literature.  However, his overview history of the
contemporary post-1940s art world in Haiti is as good an overview as I've
ever seen in print, perhaps the very best one yet.  Clear, organized,
thorough and informative.  One can't get it much better in just 15 pages.

Despite the fact that I've read virtually all the primary sources which
Dash used in writing this book, I found it a wonderful, entertaining and
informative read.  I would recommend this book for everyone from the learned scholar
to the neophyte making his or her first journey to Haiti.  It is a job
well done.

Bob Corbett