a1143: An appeal and encouragement for a broader range of postingsto the list: from Corbett

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

>From Bob Corbett:

Folks, having just come away from three days of many utterly delightful
and informative hours of reading the Danticat book I just reviewed, I come
to you with a plea. The book brought home to me a note I have been
wanting to write the list to encourage folks to share much more about
Haiti with us than just POLITICS.

In the Danticat book at least 10 of the 30+ authors of that volume
mentioned in their piece that political discussion -- of vehemence -- was
a dominant tradition in their own families, especially among the men.
Interesting that at least on this list women are deeply engaged as well.

But there is so much more to Haiti than just the political situation. Even
the response that nearly everyone wants to make to the suffering and
misery of Haiti is in fact made in Haiti by Haitians and non-Haitians
alike in ways that are not so overtly political and not concerned with
national politics, but with economic development, basic charity, education
and other modes.

After reading Danticat's book I would love to beg the many Haitians on
this list to share, as the author's in that book did, some of your own
personal experiences of exile, if one is in exile, or of surviving in
contemporary if one is doing that.  I recall in earlier years some of the
awesome pieces that Guy Antoine used to share concerning his growing up
in Dondon and some others shared other such things.

There is much that draws us all to Haiti which are Haiti's joy and
delights.  We hear so little about them.  What can you share with us of
the delights of the culture, the music, dance, art, literature?  Where are
these currents today?  What of that culture delights you from its history
or recent past?

Where are the beautiful places still to visit in Haiti, the natural things
to be seen?  Where are the great commercial spots?  The really neat and
less know shops, the restaurants or bars that delight, the places to see
and be seen?  All offer opportunities to share with each other the Haiti
that we love, no matter what the tragedies of the contemporary political
scene may hold.

I don't suggest for a second that we diminish the political debate.  Of
course we need to hear what is happening on that front.

Rather, this is a plea for a much broader Haiti to be represented here,
and broader ways of responding to Haiti's contemporary situation than just
the one of national politics.  This is especially an appeal to hear of the
memories of folks of a Haiti they miss and love, and of the joys of Haiti
which are alive and there for us.

Of course, this expansion would me more work for me.  To that I say:  Let
them flow.  It would be a work of joy and love to post such things and to
read them as well.

Looking forward to some expansion in our themes.....

Bob Corbett