Jamaica Gleaner Arts &Leisure

Published: Monday Sunday | July 19, 2009

Don't disrespect! - Mike takes on The Oxford Dictionary
ou perhaps didn't know about it, but there was a battle taking place over the past three months that saw a Jamaican going up against one of the largest and most respected literary institutions in the world. Guess who won. Read More...

SUNDAY SAUCE - The valedictorian
When the obviously proud principal introduces Kavan Tavaris as the valedictorian, his fellow graduands erupt in wild applause, some even imitating the sounds of gunshots. Kavan Tavaris skanks on to the podium, dipping to the left, and then to the right. Sweat runs down his half-bleached face, and his long-mouthed, white shoes sparkle in the afternoon sun. Read More...

Book review - Goosebumps anyone?
Welcome to a world of the unusual, where real people experience extraordinary things. Tek Mi! Noh Tek Mi! is a compilation of folktales from all over the Caribbean. retold by different authors, these stories belong to us - Caribbean people - and are traditional and modern at the same time. Read More...

Museums changing people's lives
I was asked to serve on the board of the Museums of History and Ethnography last year and my first thought was: "Whoa, isn't that the place downtown with the stuffed Manatee?" My second thought: "I served on the Council of the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) for over a decade in the '80s, is this a demotion?" Read More...

Local poet selected for prestigious US writers' programme
Millicent Graham, Jamaican poet and author of the book, The Damp in Things, has been selected one of 17 persons worldwide to receive full funding from the US Department of State to participate in the prestigious International Writing Program (IWP) at the University of Iowa, the premier centre for writing in the United States. Read More...

UWI notebook: Epilepsy: The falling sickness
Epilepsy is one of the earliest recorded human diseases. In Jamaica and the Caribbean, epilepsy is sometimes viewed very negatively and persons with this condition are often ashamed and try to hide it, even from family, friends and physicians. Read More...

Careers - Signed, sealed and delivered
You have clinched the interview, and the recruiters are impressed enough to give you verbal assurance of getting the job. But don't go out celebrating just yet. There is one crucial step left - actually getting the 'job offer' letter, and you returning that letter signed and sealed, cementing the contract with your new employer. Read More...