The Writer’s Life: Looking at “the outsider” with an open mind

25 Sunday Feb 2024

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Janet Jagan nee Rosenberg – President of Guyana (1997-1999)

Since I’ve already posted Chapter Eight of my work in progress, featuring “Winifred Gaskin: A Political Woman,” I’m moving on to Chapter Nine that portrays another political woman and the first female president of Guyana (1997-1999): Janet Jagan nee Rosenberg. The white American-born wife of Cheddi Jagan—co-founder of the left-leaning People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Guyana’s first political party to garner massive support—was regarded as an “outsider” among the ruling British and local elite at the time.

When I started this book project, I did not plan on including Janet Jagan among the influential women in the formation of my social and political consciousness. As a young devout Christian, I viewed her not only as an outsider but also as a threat to religious education in our parochial schools. Though I did not share her communist ideology, I would be remiss in not acknowledging her influence in empowering Guyanese women to speak out against oppression and injustice by those holding power or authority within the home, workplace, and public spaces. In retrospect, she may well be the driving force for my rebellious attitude towards those in authority: A criticism I received from my religious superiors as a young Catholic nun.

As Cheddi’s wife and political partner, Janet’s remarkable journey is also an interesting case of what can be achieved when the male and female work together as equal partners. Here in the United States, we are still plagued by the patriarchal dominator model of organizing our society. As the world’s greatest democratic nation, we lag behind other countries, advanced and developing, in electing a woman for the top position as president. Since the 1872 elections, several American women have tried and failed. Isn’t it ironic that the first American woman to hold the position did so in a foreign country? Hillary Clinton came close in the 2016 elections. Does Nikki Haley stand a chance in 2024? We have no shortage of remarkable American-born women capable of leading our nation.

We left Guyana for Brazil in 1987 before the PPP returned to power in 1992, after spending 28 years in Parliament as the major opposition party. With her husband as Executive President, the 72-year-old Janet became First Lady of the Republic of Guyana. She was 77 years old when she was elected as Executive President, following Cheddi’s death.

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“Archipelagos” – Poem by Jamaican American Poet Geoffrey Philp

18 Sunday Feb 2024

Posted by in Anthropogenic Climate Disruption, Poetry

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Jamaican American Poet Geoffrey Philp
Photo Credit: Vanessa Diaz / National Library of Jamaica

My Poetry Corner February 2024 features the title poem “Archipelagos” from the poetry collection Archipelagos by poet and novelist Geoffrey Philp, published by Peepal Tree Press (UK, 2023). Born in 1958 in Kingston, Jamaica, Philp left the Caribbean Island nation in 1979 to attend the Miami Dade College in the United States. After graduation, he studied Caribbean, African, and African American literature. As a James Michener Fellow at the University of Miami, he studied poetry with Kamau Brathwaite and fiction with George Lamming.

Philp is the author of seven books of poetry, two books of short stories, a novel, and two children’s books. In 2022, he was awarded the Silver Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica for outstanding merit in literature. That same year, he also received the Marcus Garvey Award for Excellence in Education. A retired Miami Dade College professor, he lives in Miami, Florida.

The publisher Peepal Tree Press describes Philp’s poetry collection Archipelagos as “a call to arms that opens out the struggle for human survival in the epoch of the Anthropocene to remind us that this began not just in the factories of Europe but in the holds of the slave ships and plantations of the Caribbean…. Philp’s powerful and elegant poems span past and present and make it very clear that there cannot be a moral response to the climate crisis that is not also embedded in the struggle for social justice, for overcoming the malignancies of empire and colonialism and the power of global capitalism—the missions of the West that always had and still have at their heart the ideology of white supremacy and a capitalism endlessly voracious for the world’s human and natural resources.”

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We Can No Longer Have It All

11 Sunday Feb 2024

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Storm Damage from mudslide – Studio City – City of Los Angeles – Southern California – February 5, 2024
Photo Credit: David Crane / Associated Press

The sun is out again. Alleluia! Beginning last Sunday and throughout Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the Pineapple Express atmospheric river unloaded its burden across California. Don’t get me wrong: We need the rain to replenish our state’s depleted reservoirs after years of drought. Is it asking too much not to have the rain all at once? Consider downtown Los Angeles. Within just four days, the area was drenched with more than 8 inches (20 cm) of rain. That’s more than half of the area’s normal annual rainfall of 14.25 inches (36 cm).

We were well warned ahead of the onslaught. To ensure our city had the required resources to respond to the storm’s impacts, on Monday, February 5th, our Mayor Karen Bass signed a Declaration of Local Emergency throughout the City of Los Angeles. Flooding, fallen trees, and hundreds of mudslides were merciless to everything and everyone in their path. I give thanks that our neighborhood was spared from such devastating blows. At our apartment complex, the lawn and garden plots are fully saturated. Some plants thrive in such weather. Others, like some of my succulents, not so much.

Extreme climate change events have become more frequent and severe. How the gods must laugh at human ineptitude in connecting the dots between our behavior and our environment! We can no longer have it all. Yet, we persist in our self-destructive ways of being and doing. Drill, Baby, Drill!

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Thought for Today: The Friction of Being Visible

04 Sunday Feb 2024

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Front Cover: The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo

Living through enough, we all come to this understanding, though it is difficult to accept: No matter what path we choose to honor, there will always be conflict to negotiate. If we choose to avoid all conflicts with others, we will eventually breed a poisonous conflict within ourselves. Likewise, if we manage to attend our inner lives, who we are will—sooner or later—create some discord with those who would rather have us be something else.

In effect, the cost of being who you are is that you can’t possibly meet everyone’s expectations, and so, there will, inevitably, be external conflict to deal with—the friction of being visible….

Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening, Red Wheel Publishers, USA, 2020 Edition, Excerpt pp. 19-20.

MARK NEPO is a poet, teacher, storyteller, and “an eloquent spiritual teacher.” His #1 New York Times bestseller, The Book of Awakening, has inspired readers and seekers worldwide. He has published twenty-two books and recorded fifteen audio projects. In 2015, he received a Life-Achievement Award from AgeNation. In 2016, Watkins: Mind Body Spirit named him one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. That same year, OWN also selected him as one of their SuperSoul 100—inspired leaders using their gifts and voices to elevate humanity. In 2017, he became a regular columnist for Spirituality & Health Magazine.

The Writer’s Life: How the Church and State shaped my young identity

28 Sunday Jan 2024

Posted by in Guyana, Religion, The Writer's Life

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Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)
Photo Credit: Vatican Archives

In Chapter Seven of my work in progress, I tell two stories that played vital roles in shaping my young identity. These involved critical turning points within the Roman Catholic Church and the end days of European colonialism. What an interesting time to witness history in the making!

Beginning on October 11, 1962—after ninety-three years since the convocation of the First Vatican Council on December 8, 1869—between 2,000 and 2,500 Catholic cardinals, patriarchs, and bishops from all over the world, assisted by 460 theological experts, convened in Rome for the Second Vatican Council. For the first time, Protestants, Orthodox, and other non-Catholic observers were invited to assist. In attendance as observers were forty-two lay and religious men and women.

Meanwhile, in what was then British Guiana, our parents and grandparents were embroiled in the struggle for independence from Britain. Our country’s independence in May 1966 went way beyond constitutional change and self-governance. No longer socially inferior subjects of the former Mother Country, we the people also had to undergo the psychological process of “mental emancipation.” As I observed during my adolescence, the Church and State often disagreed on the means to achieve such profound changes of being and doing.

When I first drafted this chapter in 2017—yes, this project is years in the making—the MAGA administration of our 45th president held power in the White House. As I understood then, this rallying cry to “Make America Great Again” meant a return to the 1950s when the white male held power over non-white bodies and the female stayed at home to raise the family and serve her husband. I had visions of a return to life in colonial British Guiana. It meant a return, too, to my mother’s unhappy life as a stay-at-home working mother of five children and an abusive husband.

What a turn of events in the world’s richest and most powerful nation!

I imagine that this is not an easy time to be a young person in the United States. In addition to laws and regulations dictated by the Church and State, they must also contend with bullying and conspiracy theories on ubiquitous Social Media platforms. Added to that is gun violence in schools, colleges, and the public spaces where they socialize. For girls and young women, rights won by their mothers and grandmothers, through years of political activism, are being dismantled.

During my adolescent years, my steadfast faith in the teachings of the Catholic Church grounded me during those transformative years from a colonial country to a cooperative socialist republic. Moreover, as a young woman, I witnessed strong and courageous women lead the way forward. I feature three of these women in Chapters Eight to Ten.

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“In a Time of Peace” – Poem by Ukrainian American Poet Ilya Kaminsky

21 Sunday Jan 2024

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Ukrainian American Poet Ilya Kaminsky
Poet’s Official Website (Photo Courtesy Georgia Tech, 2022)

My Poetry Corner January 2024 features the poem “In a Time of Peace” from the poetry collection Deaf Republic (USA, 2019) by Ilya Kaminsky, an award-winning poet who was elected a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in January 2023. Such literary recognition earned him a position at the Lewis Center for the Art’s Program in Creative Writing at Princeton University in New Jersey, where he now lives with his wife.

Born in 1977 in Odessa—in what was then the Soviet Union, now Ukraine—he was sixteen years old when his family was granted political asylum in the United States, settling in Rochester, New York. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at Georgetown University, Washington DC, and a Juris Doctor law degree at the University of California, Hastings College of Law (now UC Law San Francisco). After a career as a law clerk in San Francisco, the success of his debut poetry collection, Dancing in Odessa (2004), brought new opportunities of teaching creative writing and poetry in both undergraduate and MFA programs.

Kaminsky’s award-winning poetry collection Deaf Republic is structured as a two-act play set in the military occupied fictional town of Vasenka. The narrative begins with the tragic opening scene in “Gunshot.” While breaking up a protest, a soldier shoots and kills Petya, a young deaf boy enjoying a puppet show in the town’s square. The gunshot renders the entire town deaf (p. 11): The sound we do not hear lifts the gulls off the water.

In “Deafness, an Insurgency, Begins” (p. 14), the boy’s dead body still lies in the square. Our country woke up next morning and refused to hear soldiers. / In the name of Petya, we refuse…. / By eleven a.m., arrests begin. / Our hearing doesn’t weaken, but something silent in us strengthens…. // In the ears of the town, snow falls.

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More Praise for The Twisted Circle: A Novel

17 Wednesday Jan 2024

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Amazon Five Star Review: An excellent and important novel

“The Twisted Circle” by Rosaliene Bacchus is an exceptional and significant novel that left a lasting impression on me. Reading it was a delightful journey through an inspiring and thought-provoking narrative, characterized by fascinating characters, a meticulously researched plot, and a crucial story that demands attention.

The novel explores the heartbreaking plight of Sister Barbara, a young black nun ensnared in a vicious trap orchestrated by men in positions of authority. The narrative unveils the disturbing dynamics of power abuse and the insidious effects of gossip, skillfully portrayed through the malicious accusations of Sister Frances, an older white woman fueled by jealousy. The repercussions of gossip in a community are vividly depicted, along with the harsh reality that predators rarely transform into angels.

Set against the backdrop of the Catholic Church in the 1970s, the novel exposes an institution that shields its own, with devastating consequences for the innocent victims. Within this framework, misogyny, patriarchy, and racism are allowed to fester within the Church, where the priorities of man often overshadow the desires of God. The added complexities of political unrest and decades of colonialism contribute to the novel’s richness.

While initially challenged by the multitude of characters, their relationships, and backgrounds, perseverance is rewarded as clarity emerges. Unlike many novels, the strength and fluency of the writing improve with each turn of the page, creating a compelling narrative that captivated me.

The novel raises thought-provoking questions about the triumph of good over evil and the delicate balance between patient perseverance, saintly forgiveness, and the courage to confront and expose abuse and toxic harassment. The author skillfully weaves these questions together.

In conclusion, I immensely enjoyed “The Twisted Circle” and wholeheartedly recommend it to those seeking a powerful and immersive read. Rosaliene Bacchus has created a novel that not only entertains but also prompts reflection on the complexities of human nature and societal and religious institutions.

~ AMAZON REVIEW, JANUARY 12, 2024, BY DENZIL WALTON, A BRITISH-BELGIAN BLOGGER AT DISCOVERING BELGIUM. DENZIL LIVES IN BELGIUM WITH HIS WIFE, FOUR ADULT CHILDREN, AND TWO YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN.

Guyana’s Essequibo Region is safe…for now

14 Sunday Jan 2024

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An update of events following my blog article, “Guyana-Venezuela Border Dispute: Mounting Tensions December 2023,” published on December 10, 2023

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali & Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro – St. Vincent & the Grenadines – December 14, 2023
Photo Credit: Miraflores Palace/Reuters

What a relief! Venezuela did not invade Guyana’s Essequibo Region. After meeting with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali on December 14, 2023, in Argyle, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro agreed not to threaten or use force against Guyana. In the Joint Declaration of Argyle for Dialogue and Peace, the two leaders “committed to the pursuance of good neighborliness, peaceful coexistence, and the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean.”

To clarify a sticking point for the two parties, the Declaration also noted:

“Noted Guyana’s assertion that it is committed to the process and procedures of the International Court of Justice for the resolution of the border controversy. Noted Venezuela’s assertion of its lack of consent and lack of recognition of the International Court of Justice and its jurisdiction in the border controversy.”

Guyana received lots of support from member nations of the Caribbean Community and Latin America. In addition to the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the main Interlocutors at the meeting included the Personal Envoy of Brazil’s President Inácio Lula da Silva, Prime Minister of Dominica and Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), President of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Also present were CARICOM Prime Ministers of The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago. Other Latin American participants represented Colombia and Honduras. Two representatives from the United Nations attended as Observers.

Pleased with the results of the meeting, President Maduro shared a copy of the Argyle Declaration on X, formerly Twitter, and added:

“Excellent day of dialogue! We did it!”

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The Writer’s Life: Year 2023 in Review

07 Sunday Jan 2024

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GLAWS 2012 Potluck Christmas Party
President Tony Todaro on the left. Hospitality Team Member Rosaliene in pink scarf.

I hate to admit it: I’m still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of 2020-2021. My writer’s life was disrupted and has never got back on track. I miss the monthly lunch meetings with our writers’ critique group. Long past resuscitation. What’s more, the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society (GLAWS), of which I was once an active member, continues to meet on the detestable Zoom. To make matters worse, the society’s co-founder and president, Tony Todaro, passed away in December 2023. It’s difficult to imagine GLAWS without him at its helm.

In July 2023, I lost another friend, Cyril Bryan, who also played an important role in my writer’s journey to publication. As the publisher of the Guyanese Online website/blog, Cyril promoted my blog articles, short stories, and novels, bringing my work to the attention of the Guyanese Diaspora worldwide. His invaluable contribution in connecting us and promoting Guyanese cultural events will be missed.

My personal loss is nothing compared to what families are facing in GAZA, Ukraine, Sudan, and other war-torn regions of our world. The plight of Palestinian women and mothers in GAZA was, and remains, my deepest sorrow in 2023. Their collective grief pierces the fabric of our interconnected consciousness. Such is the value of our lives to those who wield power in our world.

While the threat of a nuclear World War III lurks in the shadows, a planetary climate crisis and ecocide intensify with humanity’s inability to change course. The fossil fuel companies continue to use their political clout to forestall global efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050. No doubt, they’ve got their escape survival plans ready for execution, when needed. The rest of us will be on our own.

Seven years are just around the corner. Already, 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history. It turns out that our planet is heating up at a faster pace than predicted by our climate change models. Last summer, staying cool demanded daily vigilance. This aging body of mine no longer copes with excessive heat like it used to.

Change is a constant in our lives. As occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, some changes are very disruptive. In 2022, after reading Deep Adaptation: Navigating the Realities of Climate Chaos Edited by Jem Bendell & Rupert Read (UK/USA, 2021), I knew with terrifying clarity that a catastrophic change was already in motion. Dealing with such change would, indeed, demand a “deep adaptation,” unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. A shift in being.

Beginning in September 2022 and for ten months in 2023, as shared on my blog, I focused on the ideology that has led humanity on the path of environmental degradation and the remedy proposed by Jem Bendell. This shift in my way of being—still a work in progress—has amplified the way I see my interconnection with others and Mother Earth. My interactions with my blogger friends on WordPress are no longer the same. The stories I share are no longer the same.

I thank each one of you for the special gift you brought, and continue to bring, to my day. Without you, 2023 would’ve been filled only with isolation and grief. We may not agree on everything or share the same beliefs. Who does? There’s so much beauty in diversity. You give me hope that, together with those within our communities, we will overcome whatever comes.   

Song “Christmas Every Day” sung by the Brazilian Choir Menino Jesus

24 Sunday Dec 2023

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Natal Todo Dia / Christmas Every Day by the Choir Menino Jesus
TV Presentation – Uma Noite de Encantar – São Paulo/Brazil – December 15, 2022

My Poetry Corner December 2023 features the song “Christmas Every Day” (Natal Todo Dia) sung by the Brazilian Catholic Choir Menino Jesus of the Parish Senhor Bom Jesus in Matão, interior of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The music and lyrics was composed by Maurício Gaetani de Pinho.

Chorus (repeated twice):

If we can spread joy / Se a gente é capaz de espalhar alegria                     
If we are capable of all this magic / Se a gente é capaz de toda essa magia
I’m sure we could / Eu tenho certeza que a gente podia
Make it Christmas every day / Fazer com que fosse Natal todo día

The lyrics of the song in English and its original Portuguese is available on my Poetry Corner December 2023.

I wish each one of you a holiday season filled with joy and much laughter.