Jako Books is pleased to invite the public to the official launching of Modeste Downes’ third book of poetry, A lesson on Wings, Wednesday 1 May 2019 at the VieuxFort Roman Catholic Parish Hall starting at 4:00PM.
The event will include book reading and signing by the author, presentations by Cas Elias, Dr. Jolien Harmsen, and Dr. Anderson Reynolds, and performances by several artists.
A Lesson on Wings has already begun to garner praise. Victor Marquis, former editor of the Voice and author of SEARCH said that the book “ is a compilation of extraordinary poetic work … an enthralling mixture of poetic genres …destinedto be heralded as one of the all-time great collections of Caribbean poetry …no home or school library should be without a volume of this work.”
Jolien Harmsen, author of A History of St. Lucia, Rum Justice, and A SocialHistory of Vieux Fort, said “Modeste Downes is a master of the craft that builds narrative tapestries … He embraces the entire palette of emotions and finds words to embody them all … His use of language is impressive … (and his) easy blend of Kweyol, Latin, ‘high’ English and profanity works like a dream … You cannot get more St. Lucia-in-your-face than this. It is a brilliant collection of poems. Buy it. Read it. Share it.”
And Dr. Anderson Reynolds, author of The Stall Keeper, Death by Fire, and The Struggle for Survival, said that “Modeste Downes has brought a whimsical, insightful, and beautifully crafted collection of poems that is not only reminiscent of the works of Derek Walcott but speaks well of the state of Caribbean poetry in the post-Walcott era … It is said first there was poetry, then poetry became words of wisdom, and then words of wisdom became words of God. Well, Modeste Downes’ poetry may have entered the realm of words of wisdom.”
Hailing from Vieux Fort, St. Lucia, Modeste Downes is no stranger to praise for his poetry. His debut collection of poetry, Phases, which propelled him into the top echelon of Caribbean poets, and which the late writer and cultural activist, Jacques Compton, characterized as “a nationalistic and romantic poet with echoes of William Wordsworth and Oliver Goldsmith and reminiscent of Mr. Walcott’s Another Life,” earned him the 2004 George Odlum Award for Creative Artists and the 2005 M&C main prize for literature. In similar vein, his second collection of poetry, Theatre of the Mind, was the winner of 2013 CDF National Arts Award for poetry.
As more proof of Modeste Downes’ position as a frontline Caribbean poet, in 2015 the Writer’s Forum bestowed upon him the honor of the St. Lucia Laureate’s Chair, joining such iconic and celebrated St. Lucian poets as Kendel Hippolyte, McDonald Dixon, and John Robert Lee.
Perhaps the most striking of Modeste Downes’ poems are those that give adepiction of Vieux Fort. In Phases, for example, his 7-page titlepoem presents a moving, epic poem of the history Vieux Fort, the likes of which not seenbefore. And in A Lesson on Wings,his poem titled Clarke Street, is no less compelling. Here is an except from the poem for your enjoyment.
Clarke Street, Vieux Fort
It’s an eel stretched its full length:
you enter its open mouth
into the womb of this town,
down to its fish-tagged tail
to where the old jetty lay.
Its customized eyes that see
all traffic that come and go,
suggests a second rebirth,
altogether dismissive
of a forgotten traffic
—north to the runway, and south
of the dissecting highway—
when sugar cane was king, and
whose rusting iron rails you’ll find
back of the square and beyond.
Save for Beane Field’s recent fuss,
all life seems compressed to fit
into this linear space,
like a string of black pudding:
petrol station, bank and school;
struggling boutiques, mini marts;
spot where Book Nook used to be—
pioneer bookstore for years;
a non-compliant array
of fish and produce vendors;
hucksters of second-hand goods;
watering holes, smoking stands of roast,
the creature’s belly swelling,
with bodies from Grace, Belle Vue,
bargain seekers from Soufriere,
when spending soars at week’s end.
.
.
.
The publication of A lesson of Wings is yet another addition to the growing body of VieuxFort literature that represents the best of what the island has to offer, and which is helping to raise the cultural and literary profile of this most southern of St. Lucian cities. So far the body of Vieux Fort literature includes Dr. Jolien Harmsen’s three books—A history of St. Lucia (2012), Rum Justice (2008),andSugar, Slavery and Settlement: A social history of Vieux Fort St. Lucia, from the Amerindians to the present (1999); Dr. Anderson Reynolds two novels and one creative nonfiction—The Stall Keeper (2017), TheStruggle For Survival: an historical, political, and socioeconomic perspective of St. Lucia (2003), and Death by fire (2001); CliveSankardayal’s novel—The Brown Curtains (2006);and Modeste Downes’three collections of poetry—A Lesson On Wings (2019), Theatre of the mind (2012), and Phases (2005).
Jako Books wishes to urge the public to continue supporting and celebrating our writers and artists giving artistic expression to our culture and giving voice to our voices. At the launch (4PM, Wednesday 1 May, Vieux Fort RC Parish Hall) all of Modeste Downes’ books will be on sale at special discount prices. The event is free and open to the public; come and enjoy an afternoon of poetry, art, and culture.
