GUYANA
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welve years ago, Poetry Night at the Upscale Restaurant was more of an intimate affair; the programme took the form of intense readings by the likes of David Dabydeen, Al Creighton and Ruel Johnson; and the crowd consisted of a handful of likeminded souls who wished for nothing more than exposure to a dying art. In 2008, Yaphet Jackman – a steady patron of the ongoing event – submitted his interest to the coordinators to undertake the venture and help it grow. As time went on, the crowd grew and came to include a diversified constituency of scholars, students and even curious onlookers. The range of performances expanded from traditional readings to the risqué and rhythmic forms of spoken word poetry. Soon, Upscale Poetry Night became a highly anticipated monthly event. Today, Jackman – now the Special Projects Coordinator of the Upscale Restaurant – feels like a “proud father” having seen the evolution of the 12-year-old social event. Speaking with Guyana Times Entertainment, he expressed immense pride in having personally been involved in its growth: “I have seen Poetry Night grow from a handful of people to a room that is bursting at the seams; I have seen poets sought after for external performances after having performed on stage. Upscale Poetry Night has played an integral role in providing a forum and allowing the art form to grow.” This forum has also provided for an upsurge in performances by phenomenal young writers, who before, would not have had the opportunity or the drive to come forth with their talent, Jackman said. He expressed joy in seeing the increase in free form poetry, stating that it allows for originality and contributes to the writers’ sense of identity. His joy contrasts with popular concerns from various schools of thought which purport that the overflow of free form poetry pays a lethal blow to traditional form, thereby contributing to the gradual decline of poetry altogether. Jackman strongly believes otherwise: “I refuse to say that traditional poetry is dying.
Issue No. 002
Friday, February 28, 2014
Free form is a form, people do not understand that. Even with the growth of new forms, writers are now tapping into the older forms and adding to it.” This innovation therefore creates a new window for writing, leading to poets seeking to learn the traditional aesthetics in order to package their work “in a more relevant and active way”. Regardless of its immense growth over the years, Jackman believes that, as in all things, growth has not yet peaked for poetry in Guyana and this is due in part to several factors. “People have idiosyncrasies that hinder the growth process. What writers need to do is appreciate the rest of people who are in the fraternity,” he said. He stated that one of the major downfalls in the local writing community – especially among young writers – is the tendency to pay more attention to the works of writers abroad rather than locally. He added that local writers also need to be more receptive to constructive criticism about their work; a practice that is yet to be adopted within the writing community. Support needed Opportunities for growth are also lacking at an institutional level, Jackman believes, as there is much room for more ventures aimed at honing the craft of writing among Guyanese. “Apart from the Children’s National Dramatic Poetry Competition, there isn’t much else which is done to encourage students to keep writing or to further their talent. So in school –from nursery, right up – English and Literature have just been given a grade and not been glamourised as a career,” he said. This unfortunate state of things therefore leaves no room for students or teachers to be encouraged as they will see “no success story” in the area of English unless one looks for such success outside of Guyana. “Our local writers are more recognised outside of Guyana because we do not have a cultural recognition of our own. So people who may be inspired to write Guyana’s story will not want to because no recognition is there,” he said. Continue on page 4
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With more support, young talent like Khrista Christina of North Ruimveldt Multilateral School can make it big in dramatic poetry