Friday, July 2, 2021
celebrity interview art gardening history food puzzles animals
Weekend
A star in the making Page 10
Art from the heart Inspired by natural beauty, new exhibit highlights mental health
pgs 08 +09
02 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, July 2, 2021
celebrity
The Weekend Fashion Report BET Awards 2021
With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt
HIT
FAIL
FAIL
SPLIT
HIT
Lil Nas X
Taraji P Henson
Big Latto
Saweetie
Jennifer Hudson
Karin says: “He appeared on the red carpet looking like a modern-day Marie Antoinette, complete with huge side bustles and a print that combined Renaissance and modern-day imagery. And he made it sexy by leaving a huge cut-out for his bare chest. At only 22, he sure knows how to play this game.”
Karin says: “I’m am not sure what is going on here. OK, first, I love the extra long hair. But the outfit…sheesh. I like what we see of the printed material, but overall it looks like a Frankenstein ensemble. Two wildly different concepts that were sewn together and now clash horribly.”
Karin says: “The high plateau shoes just barely went out of style and now they are back again…sigh. The dress is nothing special (although the tangerine is nice), except she stuck some rhinestones on to her chest. The gloves look cheap and are hideous. They only thing I really like is her purple hair.”
Karin says: “Saweetie came cosplaying as Princess Jasmine from ‘Aladdin’. She seemingly wants to be provocative, but there is no vision or creativity here and it just ends up looking like a cheap Halloween costume.”
Karin says: “This is actually really cool. Jennifer has taken the classic little black dress and made her own; made it rock n’ roll, with just a broad gold metal belt and chain. The oversized cape is fabulous and I absolutely adore her hairstyle.”
Cara says: “Lil Nas was definitely the hot topic of the show and this ensemble kicked off his statementmaking evening. I love the print; it reminds me of those old Delft Blue China plates or those curtains in English drawing rooms (the halter top underneath was quite as fetching).”
Cara says: “This just falls short of being a hit. I love the long straight hair and sultry makeup – very glam – then it just goes wrong. It’s a lovely print, but I don’t know why she paired it with that black seethrough bodysuit. It all looks a bit confusing.”
Cara says: “My initial thought was she looks like a bag of Skittles with the purple hair, pink gloves, and orange dress. Then I kept looking at her shoes, because they look like they’re on backwards to me. I feel we have seen this style of dress quite bit and its OK, but she doesn’t blow me away.”
Cara says: “The view side definitely does this ensemble a huge favour. I love the purple and gold, and the hair and the strappy shoes. But conservative me just feels it’s a bit …insert a nicer word than ‘sleazy’ here.”
Cara says: “Oh, this is cute, cute, cute! It’s that dramatic yet comfortable look. And her hair is giving me life. She has just the right amount of gold to stand out but not cheapen the look. This is how you do it! She looks like the queen of the red carpet.”
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Friday, July 2, 2021
Weekend Inside
My Perfect Bahamian Weekend Cherelle Cartwright
CEO of Mama Sassy’s Gourmet period pieces and dry English humour.” Q: Rum, wine, Kalik or a cocktail? “Wine, red wine to be precise… like a Chianti, Shiraz or Pinot Noir, depending on my mood.”
Interview 4 – 5
Kadesh Collie has stars in his eyes, but he knows being a successful, full-time actor takes a lot of work
Puzzles 6 Food 7
The famous celebrity hangout Sugar Factory opens its Nassau venue
Art 8 - 9
The pandemic inspired Monika Anne Cunningham to be very productive and now she is getting ready to showcase her ‘art from the heart’
Entertainment 10
At just 11 years old, Eleuthera native Javien Rankine has booked a Netflix show
Q: Beach or sofa? “Beach. I am a homebody, but the water calls me. I don’t even need to go in. Just sitting in the shade looking out at the water, hearing the waves and feeling that cool breeze is bliss.
Books 11
The lastest page-turners and must-reads
Literary Lives 12 – 13
The troubled life of an underrated master of comedy
Forgotten Facts 14 The tales of Captain J
07
Animals 15
The natural wonders of Central Florida, plus Pet of the Week
Gardening 16
Why won’t my mangoes grow?
WILL NICKI FINALLY FACE OFF AGAINST LIL KIM? By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
(Instagram, Nicki (AP PhotoChris Minaj) Pizzello)
SIF it were to happen, a musical ‘Verzuz’ battle between superstar rapper Nicki Minaj and the self-acclaimed ‘Queen Bee’ of rap, Lil Kim, would likely be the most viewed since the show’s inception. But whether hip hop lovers around the world and here in the Bahamas will be treated to such a never-before-seen spectacle all boils down to one thing: will Nicki take Kim up on her challenge? The hip hop world is holding their breath and keeping their fingers crossed. At Sunday night’s BET Awards pre-show, Kim re-ignited decadesold beef between herself and Nicki.
While walking the red carpet, Kim was asked by DJ Envy, of Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club morning radio show, if she would ever do an episode of the much-loved hip hop and R&B battle show ‘Verzuz’. “Yes,” she replied. And when asked who she’d like to do one with, she responded without hesitation: “Nicki.” When DJ Envy agreed that he’d love to see her and the Trinidadianborn rapper duke it out on the viral streaming platform, the veteran Brooklyn emcee assuredly said: “Yes, me too.” These two queens of hip hop have been
Q: What are you binge-watching? “ ‘Bridgerton’ or ‘Are You Being Served’, or maybe both. I have a thing for romantic English
battling it out for more than decade now. According to Paper Magazine, the feud began as claims surfaced that Nicki Minaj had imitated Lil Kim on the Young Money Entertainment artist’s mixtape, “Sucka Free”. On the cover, Lil Kim is seen squatting in underwear similar to Nicki’s “Hardcore” album cover. The two met soon after at a Lil Wayne show, where Nicki supposedly asked Kim if things were good between them. The story after that point has become a game of telephone, and there are so many versions of it. Nicki reportedly said things were fine, but Kim stated, “We good? I’ll ring her throat, snatch her larynx out.” A couple years after that, Nicki threw shade at Lil Kim on Diddy’s “Hello Good Morning” 2010 remix, which led to Kim responding while at a club appearance in Nicki’s home turn in Queens, New York. In 2018, however, Kim debunked the rumors that she and Nicki are still at odds. So far, Nicki has yet to respond to the challenge of going head-to-head
Q: If you could be quarantined with a celebrity who would it be and why? “Quincy Jones. As a professional singer, I just love his work. Quarantined, we could spend the time writing songs and creating great music. We probably could have created a whole album.” Q: If you could take a COVID-free trip, where would it be and why? “An Africa continent tour of Nigeria, Morocco, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Botswana, Namibia, Tunisa, Mauritania Madagascar, and if I can squeeze in the Maldives, that would be great.”
with the Kim on a ‘Verzuz’ battle. But that hasn’t stopped Bahamian hip hop fans from making their predictions. “Nicki would definitely leave Kim in the dust. She is, hands downs, a better, rapper, lyricist and even more entertaining to listen to,” said Alicia. Tramaine said: “Isn’t this a mismatch though? Nicki and Kim are from two different eras so I do not see how it would even be a fair match to watch. I just think Lil Kim is picking a fight.” On the other hand, the battle may finally answer the question of who better lyricist is, said Deangelo said. “I doubt Nicki would agree to this battle. But boy, wouldn’t this be a battle to see. There will be so much tension. But they will finally get to hash it all out on the mic. If Nicki is confident in her skills, then in relation to Kim she should agree.” Melissa added: “My bet is on Lil Kim. Nicki may be more animated and popular, but when it comes to the raw hot lyrics that hip hop music is all about, Lil Kim has that hands down.”
04 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, July 2, 2021
interview
Kadesh Collie He may not be following in the footsteps of Sir Sidney Poitier quite yet, but this young actor is not afraid to dream big. He tells Cara Hunt that he is more than willing to put in the work to make his passion into a viable career.
I
t took pretending to be an actor during a church stage play to make Kadesh Collie realise that he wanted to become one in real life. “I got my start in church (productions). I knew the moment I stepped off the stage that I would be doing acting for the rest of my life. Everything else went to the back burner and I decided to focus all my energy to being an actor full time,” he told Tribune Weekend. The particular role that lit a fire in the budding actor was as the presenter of a monologue. “The play was about a play, so my character was like this Hollywood wannabe who was auditioning for the role of Pharaoh, and I did it and that was it. I felt really connected to acting because of that role,” he said. And now he is living out his dream, to make a living as a professional Bahamian actor. Acting is often a labour of love; it can be extremely hard to make a living at it, particularly when you come from a small island nation like the Bahamas with limited local opportunities.
KADESH ran into ‘9-1-1 Lone Star’ actor Rob Lowe while scouting schools in New York
The Tribune | Weekend | 05
Friday, July 2, 2021
However, he Kadesh said this fact doesn’t deter him at all. “I have a very distinct personality and so when I want to do something I do it all the way, 100 percent. So acting was not something that I wanted to do on the side, I wanted to go into it full time. I know that it can be very difficult to have a career in the creative fields, but I was determined to reach my potential,” he said. Kadesh soon discovered that voiceover work was a great way to pursue his passion while making an income. “I discovered voiceover work over the internet. It was during a time I was trying to find a means to earn money as an actor while living in the Bahamas. I did all the research I could to learn about the profession. I found a cost-efficient set-up that didn’t require me to spend thousands of dollars. After that I spent a lot of time investing in my education on voiceovers. Through that, I learned about sound design, marketing and work ethic a voice artist needs to succeed,” he said. And it seems his investment has paid off. “I’ve fortunately had the opportunity to do work locally with clients such as ALIV, Royal Fidelity and Kalik, as well as work on an animated show coming out called ‘Nassau Rock’,” he said. “Nassau Rock” isa half-hour adventure series by Streetlight Studios set in the Bahamas. The series centers around the lives of three teenagers who discover legendary fabled Junkanoo armour that bestows unlimited supernatural powers. Meanwhile, on the international stage, Kadeshhas been able to do promotions for churches, the IVR answering machine brand and indie documentaries,. “I’ve recently joined Choice Model Management. They represent Bahamians locally and abroad, now with a new branch in Jamaica, which is awesome. It’s ran and operated by Stephanie K Nihon, who herself is a photographer and model featured in Vogue magazine. I am looking forward to the great things we will be able to do together,” he said. Kadesh is interested in anything that expand his skill set. “I invested in my acting career by learning social dancing at NjB Social Dance,” he said.
KADESH and actress D’Adra Smith in the short film ‘The Burning Bridge’ by Bahfari Films
‘NASSAU Rock’, an animated adventure series, is just one of the many projects Kadesh is working on While most budding actors head to California for a chance to to make it in Hollywood, Kadesh has been scouting acting schools in New York City, because he feels the Big Apple is the perfect match for him. “I looked at LA as well, but there is just something about New York and its fast pace...because my mind is always racing and so New York as
the city that never sleeps just appeals to me. There are many actors whose work he admires, past and present. “I would say Sam Rockwell, Marlon Brando, as well as Joaquin Phoenix; I think he is fantastic,” he said. Kadesh sees himself as a dramatic actor.
“I think that’s my preference. I just get an incredible feeling when I’m acting in dramatic scenes that I hope my viewers can sense,” he said. Looking to the future, Kadesh is excited about a new YouTube show he is working on called “Never Have I Ever”. “ ‘Never Have I Ever’ is a YouTube series that I’ve started on in the hopes of promoting the unique selling point that the Bahamas ...that it is more than sandy beaches and hotels. I want to show the weird the unique aspects of Bahamian life. I do that while simultaneously taking on challenges I’ve never done before, but always wanted to, including eating the world’s hottest pepper, Carolina Reaper, creating my own music video or simply learning to swim.” Kadesh said he would encourage anyone who has ever considered a career in acting to go for it, but warns that there is a lot of work to be done first before you get to the actual screen. “You have to keep making the steps towards your goal. And you have to take responsibility for every aspect of your career. It’s not just walking on set and acting,” he said. “It’s memorising your lines, it’s networking and being easy to work with...with people on set, so that people want to hire you and work with you.”
26 Every other flute Eli gives source of energy (4) 27 Descendant finds prosperity with gold (9)
06 | The Tribune | Weekend
attire (5)6 Unattractive; 7 Wrest; 10 Coherence; 13 Plant; 14 Midget; 16 Friday, Swarm; 20 Own.
e e r t B l AoA
Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
● The Target uses words in the main body of Chambers 21st Century Dictionary (1999 edition)
HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? in making a word, each letter may be used once only. each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. no plurals. Verb forms ending in s permitted’. TODAY’S TARGET Good 27; very good 40; excellent 53 (or more). Solution tomorrow
Yesterday’s call 0907 181 2585 Sudoku Answer for today’s target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.
BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Paperhanger who mails his account? (10) 6 Wager about a pound (4) 10 This French lake has a man’s name (5) 11 Jack took a break outside then went back to work (9) 12 Recording a call that’s gradually fading (8) 13 A journal whose days are numbered (5) 15 Reproduce? (7) 17 Yelled out in the hangar (7) 19 Increase the rate (5,2) 21 Church Times is ordered by a scientist (7) 22 State electricity? (5) 24 Bill for example that is unusually desirable (8) 27 I’m in a state of exhilaration (9) 28 State aid distributed by school centre (5) 29 At the end of the day it’s equally balanced (4) 30 Rare design for the Guards (10)
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Yesterday’s Easy Solution
Down 1 Support a play Across: 1 Fervour, 5 Knack, or a player (4) 8 On the town, 9 Owl, 10 Ruse, 2 Though a pound short, 12 Helsinki, 14 Dreary, 15 Loving, 17 Valletta, 18 Agog, 21 Air, victualler may be 22 On the wane, 24 Eaten, making a profit (9) 25 Stratum. 3 Vegetables taken by Down: 1 Floor, 2 Rut, 3 Open, doctors (5) 4 Rooted, 5 Kingston, 4 A diner’s ordered fish (7) 6 Abounding, 7 Killing, 11 Smell 5 Flag officers? (7) a rat, 13 Freetown, 14 Deviate, 7 More in another edition (5) 16 Status, 19 Gleam, 20 Lear, 23 Act. 8 Current appointment changes at midnight (6,4) 9 Staunch supporters of a hot record (4,4) Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution 14 Sign that a professional person is ready to do Across: 1 Spanish, 5 Habit, business (5,5) 8 Stockings, 9 Yap, 10 Laps, 16 Team with genuine 12 Curtains, 14 Castor, line-up of stars (8) 15 Etudes, 17 Nowadays, 18 Test match? Yes 18 Owls, 21 Fur, 22 Office boy, and no (5,4) 24 Rasps, 25 Ladders. 20 PM has about a thousand Down: 1 Sisal, 2 Ado, 3 Inks, 4 Honour, 5 Hesitate, 6 Bay in support (7) window, 7 Typists, 11 Passwords, 21 There’s possibly nigh 13 Road hogs, 14 Conifer, on a hundred worn 16 Eyeful, 19 Styes, 20 Iced, in the hair (7) 23 Bee. 23 Complain when I get in difficulty (5) 25 Epic story written up in some of the dailies (5) 26 Many come up for sale at auctions (4) Down Across 1 Intersect 1 Blow with open repeatedly (5-5) 6 7 8 hand (4) 6 Smile 2 Lack of broadly (4) 9 knowledge (9) 10 Engage in 3 Use up (5) swordplay (5) 11 Fatally destructive 4 Rectify (7) event (9) 5 Give a shock 12 Degree of 13 to (7) slope (8) 7 Recover (5) 13 An artificial 8 From time fabric (5) 18 15 Comprising to time (3,3,4) several items (7) 9 Attractive (8) 17 Manifest (7) 14 Fellow19 First in rank (7) countryman (10) 21 Music of Scott 16 Make more Joplin (7) cheerful (8) 22 Hard to cut (5) 25 24 Fit together 18 Get rid of (9) neatly (8) 20 Emit rays (7) 26 27 For the most part 21 Income (7) (2,3,4) 28 23 Absolute (5) 28 Firm hold (5) 25 Not easily 29 Agreeably sharp to taste (4) obtainable (5) 30 Bitter feelings (10) 26 A moral stain (4)
EASY PUZZLE
FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off. Solution tomorrow 1
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● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to your text DXBEAT to 84901. Texts cost £1 plus your usual
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TARGET Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.
T R A C E Y C H B X D T T E L K U A L A R M S F L D Y A W K I N G S I Z
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The Tribune | Weekend | 07
Friday, July 2, 2021
food
Sweet like candy
World-famous Sugar Factory opens in Nassau By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net
T
HE famous brasserie which is a favourite with celebrities like The Rock, Drake, Bruno Mars and Pitbull, and a beloved backdrop for Instagram influencers, is now open at its newest location right here in the Bahamas, at the Baha Mar resort. The colorful Sugar Factory, which is known for its over-the-top sundaes and cocktails, boasts a full-service restaurant, café, confectionary shop, retail store, and carousel bar overlooking the resort’s fountains. Chef Pierre Tumlin, Sugar Factory’s culinary liaison for South Florida and the Bahamas, told Tribune Weekend it feels really good to welcome Bahamians to want he hopes will become the new cool hangout spot on the island. “We opened about three weeks ago and I think we are trying to keep it the same, all cohesive and on brand with the rest of the Sugar Factories; somewhere you can celebrate your birthday, and if you are six or 60, you can come and have a good time and that is what we are mainly about,” he said. “We have had a lot of locals, more than I thought, that are coming in to enjoy…We really do want to emphasise taking care of the locals and making this a local hangout. We are here for you to have a good time.” Sugar Factory owner Charissa Davidovici noted in a press release that the new restaurant will be unique to its tropical location, yet stay true to the signature charm of the brand. For those not aware of what the brand is all about, Chef Tumlin said the Sugar Factory is much more than just a candy shop. The restaurant dishes up signature menu options like its Monster Burgers, as well as colourful sliders. And, of course, there are the famous celebrity approved alcoholic beverages served in smoking goblets. Other favourites include the chicken and waffles, the pan-roasted prime rib eye paired with a crispy brick of Havarti cheese, and the roasted lobster mac and cheese for two. For those celebrating a special occasion, try ordering the famous King Kong Sundae, which serves up to 12 people with 24 scoops of ice cream topped with sprinkles, gummy bears, caramel sauce, fudge sauce and giant whirly pops. Sugar Factory’s signature 64 oz alcohol-infused smoking candy goblets come in different flavours, including the popular Lollipop Passion, garnished with lollipops and candy necklaces, and the Watermelon Mojito featuring rapper Pitbull’s Voli 305 Vodka and sour watermelon dummies. Patrons can also enjoy celebrity-approved goblets like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Soul Man with the actor’s Teremana Tequila; 50
Cent’s Candy Shop with Branson Cognac; Mario Lopez’s Monster Hurricane with Casa Mexico Silver Tequila; Travis Scott’s Strawberry Hustle with Cacti Agave Spiked Seltzer; Snoop Dogg’s Strawberry Lemonade Smash and Tropical Fruit Punch with his INDOGGO Gin; Bruno Mars’ Watermelon Piña Colada and Mai Tai made with SelvaRey Rum; Nick Jonas and John Varvatos’ Strawberry Cadillac Reposado Margarita made with Villa One Tequila, and The Drake, crafted with the Canadian rapper’s Virginia Black Whiskey. Additionally, there is the Sugar Factory confectionery shop which offers a floor-to-ceiling candy wall with more than 500 types of candy. The adjacent café will offer coffee, hot chocolate, frozen hot chocolate, homemade specialty rainbow doughnuts and pastries, in addition to homemade gelato. Coming soon will be the CandyOcean feature, which is expected to include life-size sculptures of dolphins and sharks blowing bubble gum and flamingos frolicking on cotton candy clouds.
KING Kong Sundae
STRAWBERRY Cadillac Margarita Goblet made with Villa One Tequilla by Nick Jonas and John Varvatos
SUGAR-Factory-Baha-Mar-bg
10 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, July 2, 2021
entertainment
Bahamian child actor snags role in Netflix series By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net
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LEVEN-year-old Bahamian actor Javien Rankine is living the dream. He has scored an exciting role in a Netflix
series. The young Eleuthera native will be the voice of a character in an animated show that will air on the global streaming service in February 2022. At this time, Javien said he can’t name the show he has been working, but he did give Tribune Weekend a hint. “I can’t say exactly what it is because my episodes haven’t aired yet. They come out in February of 2022. I’m so excited. I can say though the animated character looks like me
“
I really didn’t know what to expect, to be honest, this was my first time doing anything like that, so it was kind of scary, but fun.” and he likes water just like me too,” he said. When he received the news that he had landed the role, Javien was understandably ecstatic. “I was like, ‘Woo, wait! Really? What? Yah! Woohoo!’ ” Javien found out about the casting call for the Netflix show through Choice Model Management (CMM), a local modelling and talent agency. His agent, Stephanie Nihon, made
BAHAMIAN actor Javien Rankine
JAVIEN in the studio
him aware of the opportunity and encouraged him to audition. “I simply auditioned and got a callback,” Javien told Tribune Weekend. Javien is no stranger to acting, as he stars in the locally produced show “Goombay Kids”. “Goombay Kids” is the country’s first ever children’s TV show and strives to show the Bahamas from a fun, wholesome and cultural perspective. It stars Bahamian children and airs on OurTV. But working in this new capacity for Netflix as a voice actor is very different from being on set. “Being in animation is so different than being on a set, especially in the Fall of 2020. To do a voice-over to a character was so cool…to see that character come to life with my voice. It’s kind of crazy,” said Javien. And doing this during the pandemic meant that he received a lot of his feedback virtually.
“In the studio it was just me and the sound guy. Everyone else was on Zoom,” he said. While it was totally new experience for him, Javien was more than up to the task. “I really didn’t know what to expect, to be honest, this was my first time doing anything like that, so it was kind of scary, but fun,” he said. “I had to use my own voice, but with a bit of an accent. You have to watch it. So while I had my headphones on, I was standing in front of the microphone, with my script in front of me and all the great people that are involved were on Zoom with me. We went over each line with the animation. It was really cool.” This opportunity, the young actor added, showed him just how much work goes into creating a television series. “It is a lot of work,” he said. “A lot of people are involved, and it takes a long time to see the final project. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.’
The Tribune | Weekend | 11
Friday, July 2, 2021
books
New must-reads this week •This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined -it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri’s unique family lineage. When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for tinctures and elixirs, Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them. One of the visitors is Marie, a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends, only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community. There is more to Bri’s sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it . . . until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir. Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on
earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family. •The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J P Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American. •Thanks for Waiting: The Joy (& Weirdness) of Being a Late Bloomer by Doree Shafrir
Doree Shafrir spent much of her twenties and thirties feeling out of sync with her peers. She was an intern at twenty-nine and met her husband on Tinder in her late thirties, after many of her friends had already gotten married, started families, and entered couples’ counseling. After a long fertility struggle, she became a first-time mom at forty-one, joining Mommy & Me classes where most of the other moms were at least ten years younger. And while she was one of Gawker’s early hires and one of the first editors at BuzzFeed, she didn’t find professional fulfillment until she co-launched the successful self-care podcast Forever35—at forty. Now, in her debut memoir, Shafrir explores the enormous pressures we feel, especially as women, to hit particular milestones at certain times and how we can redefine what it means to be a late bloomer. She writes about everything from dating to infertility, to how friendships evolve as you get older, to why being pregnant at forty-one is unexpectedly freeing—all with the goal of appreciating the lives we’ve lived so far and the lives we still hope to live
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Friday, July 2, 2021
literary lives – Kingsley Amis (1922 – 1995)
A troubled and underrated master of comedy Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about the English novelist, poet and critic best known for his satirical comedies in the second half of the 20th century.
years at Swansea he was in a depressing rut. He started looking for another post and became a Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge – a regrettable move as he found it an academic and social disappointment. He resigned in 1963 intent on leaving England and moving to Majorca. However, he moved no further than London. In 1963, Hilary Amis found out that her husband was having an affair with the English novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard. They separated in August that year and Amis went to live with Howard, divorcing Hilary and marrying Howard in 1965. In 1968, they moved to Lemmons, a house in Barnett, North London.
“I’ve been trying to write for as long as I can remember. But those fifteen years didn’t produce much of great interest. I mean, it embarrasses me very much to look back on my early poems – very few lines of any merit at all and lots of affectation.”
Amis is mostly known for his comic writings of mid to late 20th century Britain. He wrote poetry, essays, short stories, anthologies and novels – including science fiction and mystery. At first, Amis followed the work of his close friend Philip Larkin and published several volumes of verse before switching to novels. His first novel, Lucky Jim (1954), satirises the highbrow academic set through the eyes of a young history lecturer at an unnamed university. It reacted against conventional British life, and his three other 1950s novels: That Uncertain Feeling (1955), I Like It Here (1958), and Take a Girl Like You (1960) drew from his personal experiences with temptations to adultery and remain grounded in sex and love in modern life.
– Kingsley Amis Kingsley Amis was born on April 16, 1922 in Clapham, South London – the only child of William Robert Amis and his wife Rosa Annie. The Amis grandparents were wealthy – Amis’s father being a glass merchant who lived in Surrey, and his grandmother “a large, dreadful, hairy-faced creature” whom Amis both hated and feared. Amis was raised in Norbury, as he later said “not really a place ... an expression on a map”. In 1940, the Amises moved to Berkhamstead in Hertfordshire. He was educated at the City of London School, as his father had been, on a scholarship, and in April 1941, was admitted to St John’s College, Oxford, also on a scholarship, where he read English. He met Philip Larkin at Oxford – the future English poet, novelist and librarian – with whom he formed the most important friendship of his life. In June 1941, Amis joined the Communist Party of Great Britain – but broke with communism in 1956. He was called up for National Service in 1942 and served in the Royal Corps of Signals. He returned to Oxford in October 1945 to complete his degree and earned a First in English in 1947. By then he had decided to spend most of his life writing. In 1946, he met Hilary Bardwell. They married in 1948 and had three children: Philip (1948), Martin (1949) and Sally (1954). He was a lecturer at the University College of Swansea from 1949 to 1961.
A few days after his daughter Sally was born Amis’s first novel Lucky Jim (1954) was published to much acclaim. It introduced a completely new style of fiction and caught the flavour of Britain in the 1950s. Not only were sales in England impressive, but the paperback edition sold over a million copies in the United States, and was translated into twenty languages including Polish and Hebrew. The novel also won the Somerset Maugham Award for fiction. “The rewards for being sane may not be very many, but knowing what’s funny is one of them.” – Kingsley Amis Kingsley Amis made the two visits to the United States as Visiting Fellow in Creative Writing at Princeton University, and as visiting lecturer in other American north-eastern universities. He returned to Britain and felt that after thirteen
By his own admission, Amis was a serial adulterer for much of his life. He was also a heavy drinker – notably absorbing, on his own, the weekly drinks bill of a whole table of the Garrick Club – even before he was elected. “When that ineffable compound of depression, sadness, anxiety, self-hatred, sense of failure and fear for the future begins to steal over, you start telling yourself that what you have is a hangover.” – Kingsley Amis Amis left the realism of his early comedic works in the 1960s and 1970s. He was addicted early to science fiction and developed that interest in his Princeton University lectures. These were published under the title New Maps of Hell: A Survey of Science Fiction. He was particularly keen on the works of Frederik Pohl and CM Kornbluth and coined the term “comic inferno” to describe a type of humorous dystopia in the work of Robert Sheckley. His Anti-Death League (1966) took science fiction liberties not found in his early novels, and this speculative bent continued in The Green Man (1969) and The Alteration (1976).
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Friday, July 2, 2021
A FAMILY of novelists – Kingsley Amis (far right) with his son, Martin Amis, and second wife, Elizabeth Jane Howard (Photo_Dmitri Kasterine) independent judgment on practically everything else.
Despite his addiction to alcohol, Amis had a disciplined approach to writing. He imposed a rigorous daily schedule on himself, separating writing and drinking. His mornings were spent writing, producing a minimum output of 500 words a day. Self-discipline was important to his prodigious literary output. His drinking began at lunchtime. “A bad review may spoil your breakfast, but you shouldn’t allow it to spoil your lunch.”
Amis admired Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels written in the late 1960s and wrote the popular James Bond Dossier in 1965. He also wrote The Book of Bond, or, Every Man His Own 007, an irreverent how-to manual about becoming a sophisticated spy, under the pseudonym Lt Col William “Bill” Tanner – the Chief of Staff in many of Fleming’s novels. Amis’s literary style changed dramatically after the 1970s. Critics found him old-fashioned and misogynistic, and said that his work lacked the humanity and compassion of his earlier works.
– Kingsley Amis Amis criticised the naive attitude of his readers to apply the behaviour of his literary characters to himself. He enjoyed drinking and spent a great deal of his time in pubs.
Amis and Elizabeth Jane Howard were divorced in 1983. His drinking ceased to be social and he became guilt-ridden with his remorse and regret over his behaviour towards his first wife.
“The first, indeed the only requirement of a diet is that it should lose you weight without reducing your alcoholic intake by the smallest degree.” – Kingsley Amis Throughout the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, Amis produced essays on criticism – some of which were collected in What Became of Jane Austen? and Other Essays (1968). Here, Amis’s wit, literary and social
opinions were conservatively displayed – panning Colin Wilson’s The Outsider, praising Iris Murdoch’s debut novel, Under the Net, and agreeing with William Empson’s Milton’s God. He was reverential to literary classics and traditional morals, but openly exercised his
“The booze got to him in the end, and robbed him of his wit and charm, as well as his health.” – Christopher Hitchens Amis was shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times for Ending
Up (1974), and Jake’s Thing (1978), finally winning in 1986 for The Old Devils. In Amis’s last years, arranged by his children, he shared a house with his first wife Hilary and her third husband Alastair Boyd, 7th Baron Kilmarnock. His son Martin Amis’s entertaining memoir Experience (2001) contains much of the life, charm and decline of his father’s career. “Only a world without love strikes me as instantly and decisively more terrible than one without music.” – Kingsley Amis Amis was knighted in 1990. In August 1995, he fell from a suspected stroke. After initially recovering, his condition worsened and he died on October 22, 1995, at St Pancras Hospital, London. His body was cremated and his ashes laid to rest at Golders Green Crematorium. • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; Memoirs (1991) by Kingsley Amis; and Experience (2001) by Martin Amis.
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history
A VINTAGE postcard of Barbados
Captain J
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n the early 1960s, when I was flying an Aero Commander 560E for Neville and Dawson Roberts, I met a man called Captain J. I suppose he had a given name, but I don’t remember hearing it. At an Admiralty Marshall’s sale, the Roberts brothers had bought a cargo ship, loaded with agricultural cargoes for Barbados, Trinidad and Guyana, but abandoned in Nassau’s harbour after the engineer had totally disassembled the engine. They re-named the ship Bahamas Pearl and planned how to deliver its cargo, and that’s where Captain J entered the picture. He worked for a shipyard in Abaco and contracted to tow the Pearl to its destinations. All went well for the first 100 miles, then the tug’s engine broke down in the Atlantic Ocean, but was soon underway again, and this is where I entered the picture. I had to take Neville and Dawson to San Juan, Puerto Rico to join Captain J, expecting to meet the Pearl - which did not show up. J was there and plans were agreed to make sure that the Pearl made it to Barbados. J had brought a bulky package to the meeting and left it on the floor, near the door. I found out that J always carried the bulky package with him, like one carries a briefcase, and always left if at the door and on the floor, whether he was in a bar
(The Ba Ma Lounge on Frederick Street seemed to be his favourite Nassau hangout), a restaurant or hotel lobby. What was in that bag? Money! Lots of his employer’s cash – some $10,000 of it. In Puerto Rico, Captain J fetched his bag to pay for lunch and pulled out a wad of money that made my eyes bulge. We island-hopped to Trinidad to meet with the consignees before flying back home. I thought everything was FORGOTTEN FACTS settled, but a few weeks later I was told that the brothers had to go to Barbados again. “When?” I asked. We were airborne about 30 minutes later. For the first time I had filled the planes “extend-range” tanks, which gave us several hours of extra fuel. In Barbados, we discovered that the Pearl had been quarantined at the end of the port, far from the other ships, and the tug’s captain greeted us with the words, “The tug might go to Trinidad, the Pearl might go to Trinidad. But I am going back to Nassau!” Not too long afterwards, Captain J arrived and Dawson told him what had been said. Captain J
PAUL C ARANHA
rushed aboard the tug and after a short time re-emerged with the news that the ships were getting ready to sail. It appears that Captain J first came to the Bahamas to build a resort on one of the Abaco Cays and in the first week was “summoned” to the neighbouring cay to meet with the local constable, who asked how J planned to pay his workmen. When J said “with US dollars” the constable informed him that he would be breaking the law, that he had to exchange his US dollars into Bahamian pounds, at the official exchange rate of US2.80 to 1 pound. The first time J went to do the exchange, he sat down with the constable and counted out his US money and laid it on the constable’s desk. The constable laid out his Bahamian money, turned to J and said, “I think this heat has been sent to persecute me.” Whereupon he placed his hand on his stack of Bahamian pounds, reached for the chain and turned on the fan, blowing J’s dollars all over the room. The constable was quick to pick up the scattered bills, counted them and found that $200 was missing, and since Captain J had clearly miscounted, he had to add $200 to the pile. J’s tales about the local constable would fill a book. • For questions and comments, please send an e-mail to islandairman@gmail.com
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animals
The wonders of Central Florida By KIM ARANHA Animal Matters When people mention Central Florida many of us think of the Disney attractions or the space coast where rockets rumble at take-off and make the earth shake. There is so much more to this part of the state of Florida. For the last few days, I have been staying in a very rural area in Central Florida, less than an hour’s drive from the city of Orlando. The trees are all laden with Spanish moss and the wildlife is prolific; multiple lakes fringed with massive amounts of water foliage. One fascinating detail is that all the animals share a remarkable trust of humans. They cross the road at an almost disdainfully slow pace, looking at the cars with a cheeky glance. What makes my heart sing is that the drivers all stop for these wonderful animals to cross the road, no sounding of loud horns of thumping of loud music, just respect for the splendid wildlife that live in their peaceful community. At night, when we sat outside on the covered porch, I heard an unusual barking. My cousin told me that the alligators in the lake were calling to each other. Their sounds shattered the silence as they called back and forth, creating a somewhat eerie atmosphere. I was relieved to be on an enclosed patio as I imagined two large alligators establishing their territories or looking for love. I have huge respect for alligators of all sizes, and when my cousin suggested that we have a picnic on the grass near the dock, I hastily declined. The lakes also have a large and healthy population of water moccasins, strong swimming snakes, to be respected and avoided at all costs. Though they’reless aggressive
MOTHER and child - the sandhill cranes of Florida than the African snakes, they can do their share of damage. I have not been fortunate enough to see the snapping turtle who inhabits the area, but I have read that he averages 200 pounds and has the nickname “dinosaur of the turtle world”, as he sports spikes down the centre of his body and along his tail. His bite is 1,000 psi (a great white is 669psi) I guess size doesn’t always matter. I particularly fell in love with the sandhill crane. These magnificent birds have a wingspan of up to six feet across and build splendid topsyturvy nests atop trees, light poles, buildings, anywhere elevated that can accommodate their size. The sandhill crane mates for life, and
when their offspring are young, they follow their parents foot to foot; quite a treat to see. There is a permanent population of 5,000 of these cranes in Central Florida. They are particularly laid back, crossing the road and wandering across taking their own sweet time, looking at the drivers with interest. I am told that should you annoy them, they are quite likely to try and peck at you and they create a real challenge for golfers in the area when they decide that the player should not be allowed access to their ball. The Florida panther is also in the area... actually, a North American cougar. This splendid cat was down to a population of 20 in the 1970s and has now grown to several
hundred. I have not seen one, but I am told that there is a solitary male who is periodically seen on security cameras walking around the lake here. The preservation of his habitat is absolutely essential to his preservation. A few days ago, I thought I saw the neighbour’s dog, only to be corrected that it was a small deer at the bottom of the garden; no sign of mummy deer, but quite happily grazing and gambolling along. This is an area of lakes and nature preserves that supports and encourages the existence of wildlife and the reward of living so surrounded is unimaginable; every day there is a sighting of some sort. The last few nights we heard a plaintive screech that we assume is the call of a young owl who still needs to fine-tune his voice. Upon research, there are several species of owl who call this area home. There are many more animals to enjoy, including squirrels, wild hog, armadillos, bob cats, snakes, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, and possums that live in blissful harmony with man; so many lessons to be learned from this wonderful example of respect for nature. You do not have to travel far from home to see a completely different set of animals and still be able to visit Target or Walmart. What a treat to see that Central Florida has so much more to offer than just Mickey Mouse. Let’s hope that 40 years from now somebody will be able to write an article like this about our islands.
pet of the week
Time for Tobias
Tobias is past the wild kitten kitten stage and settling into being a snuggly older cat. Do you need a socialiser in your life? Tobias might be the perfect companion for you! Call to 323-5138 for more information or come into the BHS to meet you. Tobias is sure to have a lot to say when you do!
By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY
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abby Tobias is about one year old and is very friendly, loving to rub up on the legs of any visitor to the adoption area at the Bahamas Humane Society. He’s quite chatty, too, telling visitors of his day and the weather and anything else of interest. He does take his turn to listen.
PHOTO/Linda Gill-Aranha
• The BHS Thrift Shop is open. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11am to 3pm and Saturday from 10am to 2pm. We sell gently used items to raise funds for the shelter. If you’d like to donate, we’d be grateful to accept your donation. If the shop is closed, please leave them in the main shelter. Thank you!
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gardening
Why isn’t my mango tree fruiting?
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his is the number one question when I get feedback from this column: Why isn’t my mango tree fruiting? I discuss the mango a lot because they are the most popular fruiting tree in our area, and I field many questions along the same lines. The first question that I ask in reply is, “how was the tree propagated?” Why do I ask that first and foremost? I ask it, because even though it may seem a simple thing to grow a superior mango tree from the seed of a glorious, delicious, “the best mango I’ve ever had” seed, this is not the case. There is a lot of work involved in creating a superior fruit tree, there are decades of propagation, breeding, cross pollination, and selection involved in any superior tree, especially a superior fruit tree, particularly a superior mango tree. It is creation by genetic manipulation, not discovery, that leads to new varieties most of the time in the modern world. I will mention again that mango is a twoway street when it comes to seed propagation; monoembryonic and polyembryonic. Monoembryonic seeds are those that have one embryo that produces one sprout which is a genetic mixed up potcake, as it is the offspring of cross pollination and carries genetic traits from two or more different trees. Polyembryonic are those that germinate with several sprouts formed from the presence of several embryos, with one of them being the result of fertilization (cross pollination) and that one is genetically variable and different from the mother tree, all others are a genetic replica of the mother tree (barring genetic mutations which do happen). Every plant starts as a seed, does it not? No. Some plants propagate by spores (ferns). For all plants there is either sexual propagation (cross pollination, self-pollination), asexual propagation ((division, layering (simple, serpentine, mound, air, tip), cuttings (root, stem, or leaf), grafting or budding, and vegetative propagation (cell division, bulbils, binary fission)). Asexual propagation guarantees the same fruit of a tree that is selected as superior, and specifically a monoembryonic mango tree, it is the only way to get the same tree as the “best mango ever” through grafting. Polyembryonic mango tend to originate from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India, and the surrounding regions, and they can be true to type unless the fertilized sprout is selected, then it is another few decades of selection after that to find the best of the batch! So, do you have a mango tree that was grown from the seed of a monoembryonic seed? If so, you have a great rootstock for top grafting, or a lovely shade tree, and not much else on your hands! Unless you are into decades of cross breeding and selection, that is. To guarantee the same fruit as the “best mango in the world” from Grammy’s yard, if the seed sprouts with only one shoot, throw it away (or grow it as a rootstock, but even that is a gamble as disease resistance is unknown,
to begin with). If the tree was propagated from a polyembryonic seed, unless you are unlucky enough to have the fertilized sprout, you will have the same mango as “the best”. How to get a mango tree that fruits quickly? There are three answers: grow the sprouts of a polyembryonic seed, buy a named variety from a grower or retailer, or graft a named variety onto the rootstock of that lovely shade tree that you wished would give fruit. Old tales will tell that
you ought to go out and beat the tree (such violence!) with a baseball bat, or soak the tree with a deep watering, or fertilize the daylights out of it. None of this will work if you have a genetic dud in the yard. Plant breeding and plant selection is a labour intensive, very drawn out, and very specific process. Time is money, and the best fruit trees take lots of time to grow and propagate! It all comes back to plant selection and source. There are guarantees available, and there are gambles available, I guess it all comes down to, how much time, property, and effort do you have to grow a superior fruit tree. Save yourself a lot of all the preceding and go out and get a named variety of mango, you will be smiling for miles once that first crop sets in a couple years’ time. Happy gardening all! • Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. You can contact him with any questions you may have, or topics you would like to see discussed, at gardening242@gmail.com.