Haiti In Ink And Tears: A Literary Sampler

nytimes.com:

Today is a good day to remember that in Haiti, nobody ever really dies. The many thousands who've had the breath crushed out of their bodies in the earthquake, and the thousands more who will not physically survive the aftermath, will undergo instead a translation of state, according to the precepts of Haitian Vodou, some form of which is practiced by much of the population.

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[roshni]

11:04 AM on 01/17/2010

I would highly recommend Madison Smart Bell's trilogy on Haiti. He is a lyrical writer and the subject matter is eye opening. Also, I had the pleasure of meeting Edwige Danticatt at a book reading some years ago and I love her writing.

[lasublime]

01:57 AM on 01/17/2010

Thanks for the article, they wonderful examples. I for one will be seeking out some of these books.

[Balzac]

11:01 PM on 01/16/2010

From the article: "Spirits of the Haitian dead — sa nou pa we yo, those we don’t see — do not depart as in other religions but remain extremely close to the living, invisible but tangible, inhabiting a parallel universe on the other side of any mirror, beneath the surface of all water, just behind the veil that divides us from our dreams."

I like this about Haitian culture. Often I feel a similar sense of closeness to the dead. Spirits as a psychological presence in the mind are real enough for me.

[DallasDon]

09:15 PM on 01/16/2010

At the end of the day, and at the end of life, we're all equal.

Regardless of what we think of these people based upon where they live or who runs their country, they deserve the same care and compassion as anyone.

A catastrophe could happen right where you're sitting.

If an earthquake ruined your home and your life you'd want people to care and to help. If nothing else, we can all show compassion for these poor, unfortunate people.

Whenever we vilify and degrade any life, we're all diminished.
Our lives on this planet are too short, the work to be done too great, to let this spirit flourish.

Perhaps we can remember, if only for a time,
that those who live with us are our brothers and sisters,
that we share this same short moment of life,
that we seek nothing but the chance to live in purpose and in happiness,
winning what satisfaction and fulfillment that we can.

At the end of the day, and at the end of life we're all the same. In the end, everyone's equal.

[Beatriz09]

06:51 PM on 01/16/2010

Thanks for the article.

[vippy]

06:38 PM on 01/16/2010

I don't see much difference between Haiti and Katrina. A good cluster screw up. We have the food at the airport yet the food cannot get to the people. Yeah, it needs organisation but in the meantime people need water. 3 days without water and most perish! Seems to me that a SOP should be implemented for each country, just like some companies have them so we know how to proceed when nature lashes out. By the time they organize most people have given up hope. I would fight with a machete, too, if nothing materializes and I am hungry. Ever been hungry, one gets very angry. Been 4 days now and all they do is talk describing how bad it is. Oh and the hospital to arrive next Thursday,
while it will help some, most don't have to worry about it anymore. Isn't Haiti just a cat jump from Florida?