Stories about Jamaica from October, 2006
Jamaica: Mediocrity
“We are the people of the plateau—we work as much as is necessary to reach a flat, safe place,” says Jamaican novelist Marlon James of his compatriots. “Then we stay there for thirty years.“
Jamaica: Striking it rich
Francis Wade considers what could happen if Jamaica were suddenly to strike it rich.
Jamaica, UK: Bob lived here
JT at the Caribbean Beat weblog notes the addition of a plaque honouring reggae superstar Bob Marley to London's list of blue plaques designating landmarks associated with well-known figures: “It's been an interesting week for reggae in London, as officialdom takes a sudden new interest in the music. On Wednesday,...
Jamaica: Five Questions with Marlon James
The latest installment in Geoffrey Philp's “Five Questions” series is an interview with Jamaican novelist Marlon James.
Jamaica: Butterflies
Flickr user Honey Monster has a lovely photoset featuring Jamaica butterflies.
Jamaica: Firefox party
There'll be “Firefox parties” taking place throughout the world this weekend, reports Leon Robinson, including Jamaica.
Jamaica: When Prime Ministers doodle. . . .
Ria Bacon offers an update to an earlier post in which she discussed the matter of a close-up photograph of the Prime Minister's notepad taken during a debate on a no-confidence motion, and run on the front page of one of Jamaica's news dailies: “The upshot is that journalists will...
Jamaica: Chutzpah and politics
Jamaica-based Linguist Ria Bacon uses the example of the Jamaican Minister of Information's statements about a recent political scandal to demonstrate the meaning of the Yiddish word “chutzpah”.
Jamaica, Dominica: Jean Rhys's “remarkably screwed up life”
After seeing a play based on Dominican writer Jean Rhys's “remarkably screwed up life”, Jamaican novelist Marlon James wonders: “Must every great artist have a self hating streak? Didn't Jean Rhys transfer hers to writing and Naipaul to everybody just like him? Is happiness a false goal for an artist?“
Jamaica: Pam Mordecai
Jamaican writer Pam Mordecai is the subject of the second installment in Geoffrey Philp's “In My Words” series.
Jamaica: Work with passion
“While our system of education has tragedy written into its script, with a 16 year old having to choose four subjects on which to “concentrate” to the exclusion of others, there is a wider travesty occurring daily in our societies,” writes Jamaica Francis Wade in a post exploring the effects...
Jamaica: Rising stars
Stunner gives a post mortem of the Rising Stars television talent show recently concluded in Jamaica.
Jamaica: The 1970s
“Before my ninth birthday I knew IMF was screwing up the economy, socialism was just an appetiser for the communist meal, gunmen would kill you for sporting the wrong colours and Reggae was the music of nasty people,” says Marlon James of growing up in Jamaica in the 1970s. “Still...
Jamaica: Opposition blunder
Xamayca outlines the details surrounding an incident involving an accusation of corruption made by Jamaica's leader of the opposition against the ruling party.
Jamaica: Colin Channer
An interview with Jamaican writer Colin Channer is the latest in Geoffrey Philp's 5 Questions series.
Jamaica: Rastafari influence
Geoffrey Philp starts a survey: How has Rastafari — and Bob Marley — influences our lives? powered by performancing firefox
Jamaica: Can blogging effect change?
Presenting the results of his “Can blogging effect change” poll, Jamaican writer Geoffrey Philp highlights some of the ways he's benefitted from blogging.
Jamaica: Belonging
“I love being honked at by people I barely know. I enjoy feeling that I belong to something even when the guy selling newspapers, and the one hawking hub-caps, and the nearby gardener all ask me for school-fee money for their kids,” writes Francis Wade of the daily interactions that...
Jamaica: Finding a balance
Geoffrey Philp touches upon the complicated relationship Jamaicans have with the land, and how it influences the country's ability to find a balance between “economic progress and a healthy ecology”.