Friday, September 10, 2021
entertainment interview gardening history culture fashion puzzles
Weekend
Sailor’s Valentine Page 14
Rhapsody in blue Theodore Elyett partners with Bahama Hand Prints for resort collection pgs 08 +09
02 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, September 10, 2021
entertainment
Ending summer in style The Cove partners with Absolut for swanky closeout event By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
Photos/Farreno Ferguson
W
HAT’S a vacation without the right spirits to get one through all the amusement and fun? Atlantis aimed to offer its guests the perfect cocktail of entertainment choices when it partnered with Absolut Elyx to host its final luxury summer event that merged swanky fun with upscale poolside relaxation at The Cove. Last weekend’s two events, ELYXer Speakeasy and the Garden of Elyx, provided guests with enough ‘Instragrammable’ memories to mark the American Labour Day weekend. The two events wrapped up the Summer Solstice event series that was new to the resort this year. At check-in on Friday, guests were greeted with Absolut Elyx specialty Moscow Mule cocktails designed in-house by The Cove’s mixology team. Both events prominently featured the popular spirit brand of Absolut Elyx. The first event was designed as an upscale speakeasy experience at the Sea Glass Lounge. Guests were greeted by a golden “Goddess of Elyx,” who swanned her way through the lounge, breaking out in dance to music of DJ AI. Guests also partook in unlimited drinks from the signature Elyx cocktail menu. There was also a menu of light bites, cigar rolling on the back patio, among other entertainment. This excitement carried over to The Garden of Elyx on Saturday, at The Cove Pool, featuring Absolut Elyx branded cabanas and specialty cocktails. Guests were treated to the culinary delights from Sip Sip by Chef Julie Lightbourn, a gold henna tattoo lounge, a picturesque floral hedge wall and walkway, and a pop-up boutique featuring the luxury brands YSL, Gucci and Escape at The Cove. This poolside fun featured a live deejay, a fashion show featuring Theodore Elyett designs and temporary Henna Tattoos by Dani. Michael McDonnell, vice president of Food & Beverage at The Cove, said they want to keep providing new and exciting events to really elevate the guest experience. Vice President of Operations at The Cove Carlton Russell said events such as these are important for The Cove. “Thirty-nine percent of our guests are return clients and many of them plan their trips around these events. So they look forward to these and the events help us to offer them a great time when they return,” he said.
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Friday, September 10, 2021
Weekend Inside
Interview 4 – 5 Educator and gospel singer Kenya Ferguson wants to offer comfort and encouragement in these trying times
Puzzles 6 Culture 7 Bahamian experts to unite virtually with curators and researchers across the Caribbean for special conference
Fashion 8 – 9 Award-winning local designer partners with iconic Bahamian company for new resort collection
Gardening 10 Something to consider before raking and scraping
NEW THIS WEEK: ‘KATE,’ ‘COME FROM AWAY’ AND MTV’S VMAS By The Associated Press
Books 11 Local author releases ‘edu-fun’ book series for youngsters
Literary Lives 12 – 13 An author of Haitian heritage who gave the world unforgettable adventures
Forgotten Facts 14 The history behind Sailor’s Valentines
Animals 15 Tips for settling into a new home, plus Pet of the Week
Cover I Farreno Ferguson
Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
FILM
“Come From Away,” a filmed version of the Tony-nominated Broadway musical, is connected to two eras of adversity for New York. Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s musical is about the 7,000 people who were stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, when all US flights were grounded after the attacks. A live performance of the production was staged and filmed in May at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater for an audience that included 9/11 survivors and front-line workers. It debuts Friday on Apple TV+. Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars
in the brutal assassin thriller “Kate,” streaming Friday on Netflix. Winstead has co-starred in action films like “Gemini Man” and “Birds of Prey” in recent years, but she takes the starring role in French director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan’s “Kate.” In it, her assassin character is poisoned on a mission in Tokyo, giving her 24 hours for revenge. Woody Harrelson co-stars. AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
MUSIC
The MTV Video Music Awards will get a dose of “Bieber fever” for the first time in six years. Justin Bieber returns to the VMA stage for an all-star caliber event held Sunday at the Barclays Center in New York. The pop star leads this year’s show with seven nominations, including video of the year and artist of the year. Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, BTS and Drake are other top nominees. Other performers include Lil Nas X, Camila Cabello, Chloe, Kacey Musgraves, Shawn Mendes, Olivia Rodrigo, Machine Gun Kelly and Doja Cat — who will also serve as the show’s host. K-pop sensation BTS are set to appear on a special
episode of YouTube Originals’ “Released.” The band will be joined by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin on the weekly music series that will premiere on Friday at midnight. An intimate conversation will be held about their shared experiences as musicians and BTS’ inspiration for the #PermissiontoDance challenge. AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr.
TELEVISION “Lucifer” is coming to an end? The devil you say! But Netflix, which rescued the show after it was canceled by Fox, has cautioned that it’s “real this time.” The six-season journey of Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), who traded his digs in hell for Los Angeles, will wrap with 10 episodes out Friday. Issues to be settled: why is Lucifer balking at taking over for now-retired God, and how will he respond as a godless world frays at the edges. Ex-LAPD detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German), now Lucifer’s consultant, is along for the final ride. AP Television Writer Lynn Elber
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Friday, September 10, 2021
interview
Kenya Ferguson After providing much-needed comfort to people from around the world during the pandemic by posting videos of her singing online, this educator is ready to take it to the next level. She tells Cara Hunt about the imminent release of her first single, “I Will Sing”, which she hopes will offer encouragement and inspiration in these difficult times.
G
ospel singer Kenya Ferguson feels truly passionate about inspiring people, whether it be through her role as a religious knowledge educator or leading through praise and worship. Music and faith have always been major components in her life, she told Tribune Weekend, and now she is about to expand upon her two passions with the release of her first single, “I Will Sing.” “I have always loved to sing. In school, I always sang in the choir. At 15, I gave my life to the Lord and was encouraged to sing in church by my mentor Shirean Symonette,” she said. “For some reason that first time, I was really scared to do it. I think it was the fear of rejection because I felt like I just was not going to be able to do it. Normally I have a very soft pretty voice, but when I sing for God somehow, He brings out a roar and a strength in me that is not normally there. It blows my mind.” Overcoming her initial timidity of performing in front of people, she has been singing ever since, with her praise and worship team and alongside other performers. Kenya is also deeply passionate about education and chose the career path of becoming a religious education teacher after being inspired by the caring nature of several of her own teachers. “I really want to be there for my students and help them develop their own personal and strong relationship with God,” she said. She currently teaches at the SC McPherson Junior Hight School But she says four years ago, God placed a song in her heart, that she knew she was meant to sing. “I was driving, and I just heard the lyrics to the song in my head and I knew that it was I wanted to record. I played around with it for years. I was a bit fearful to release it, but it wasn’t until now that everything fell into place and God made all the provisions, such as the finances so that we could complete the project,” she explained. Kenya is extremely grateful for all the love and support she received for this endeavour. “I am also grateful to my family. Growing up, we may not have been rich, but we were rich in love. I am also grateful to my church family as well.” The song couldn’t have been timelier, she said, given the turmoil the world is currently in. She explained that the song is meant to encourage people to remain strong and praise God, even when there they are going through difficult times.
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Friday, September 10, 2021
I remember last year I had to quarantine because I thought that I had COVID. In my mind I just knew I was sick, and I worked myself into such a state that by the time I was done, I was feeling every symptom. So I just got into a spirit of worship and immediately I felt better and more at peace.” “When all else fails, God is there, and He will provide for you. He will be that friend that you need, or provide the finances that you need,” she said. Kenya feels very inspired by Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Tasha Cobbs, who is best known for songs such as “Break Every Chain”, “You Know my Name”, “Put a Praise on it”, and “I’m Getting Ready”. “I would love to record a duet with her, or possibly Donnie McClurkin. What I love about them is that they both have a heart of worship. “Believe it or not, worship is a weapon that you can use against the enemy,” she said. “It can also provide comfort through whatever you are going through, if you can have a song in your heart.” And Kenya is speaking from personal experience. “I remember last year I had to quarantine because I thought that I had COVID. In my mind I just knew I was sick, and I worked myself into such a state that by the time I was done, I was feeling every symptom. So I just got into a spirit of worship and immediately I felt better and more at peace,” she said. Throughout the pandemic, Kenya has done her best to help others find that peaceful worship spirit by posting videos of her singing on social media. She has received some very emotional responses from people whose lives she touched with her music. “There was a lady who heard one of my songs in Jamaica and she messaged me to tell me that she had been contemplating killing herself and her children because things were so bad, and my song gave her some encouragement to not give up and to hold on. And that just made me break down in tears when I heard that,” she said.
“I have so many more songs that I want to sing, to encourage persons to worship and trust in God. I am open to what God will do in my life.” Kenya fully trusts in God to provide her with the lyrics to her songs. “All of the songs God has given me, the words, and it is usually when I am in that worship mindset. It has happened in all kinds of places. I can be doing household chores and driving, and the words of a song will come into my head, and I am scrambling to write it down,” she said. For now, she is very excited for people to hear her new single, “I Will Sing”, which is set to be released on digital platforms on September 27. The song is dedicated to Shirean Symonette. The song’s producer, Junior Scott, told Tribune Weekend: “It’s always exciting when working with new artists and seeing what they add differently to what already exists in the gospel arena. We are always looking for a new sound, new music, and to develop gospel music locally. “We are excited about the project and how it would bless other people’s lives. Just to be able to create music and use our God-given gifts, hearing your own authentic words and sound, is a blessing.”
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Friday, September 10, 2021
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.
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
I OL TUD QBE
QBE 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.
lAST SATURDAY’S SOlUTION aloha bath bathe blah both hale halo halt hate heal heat helot hole holt hotel howl lath lathe loath loathe loth oath obeah thaw thew thole wealth whale WHAleBOAT what wheat whet whoa whole
TODAY’S TARGeT Good 18; very good 27; excellent 35 (or more). Solution next Saturday.
CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Timely sort of police raid (10) 6 Sign on the staff (4) 10 Recess would be pleasant about the end of March (5) 11 It’s extremely handy for a sort of sketch (9) 12 What a fisherman may do though rattled (8) 13 One bargain appears the best possible (5) 15 Crooked dealing straightened out (7) 17 Doctor has an attempt to take on a cavalryman (7) 19 At Rio? No - maybe in Canada (7) 21 It holds its fire (7) 22 Stylish to help lift country (5) 24 They care for others (8) 27 Out of form? (9) 28 A revolting individual (5) 29 Back we come with an Irish boy maybe (4) 30 Fresh sand please for use by the sea (10)
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Down 1 Break up vessels (4) 2 Oddly satirical, he may see things in black and white (9) 3 Patent feature of a hover train (5) 4 Gave voice when I damaged a tendon (7) 5 After a strike Edward was up against it (7) 7 Permission to go (5) 8 One is all in when such a portrait is completed (4,6) 9 Abandon royal dignity (8) 14 Important question of the elder offspring? (5,5) 16 Gives information which could lead to making an arrest (8) 18 Source of food designed to deter boys (6,3) 20 Fifty set out perhaps to find means of escape (7) 21 Advice on clues in anagram form (7) 23 She’s from Indianapolis (5) 25 Run it out of town (5) 26 Additional indication (4)
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Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Bewitch, 5 Plain, 8 Tin lizzie, 9 Sag, 10 Hail, 12 Brass hat, 14 Scotch, 15 Knotty, 17 Unctuous, 18 Scam, 21 Too, 22 In the lead, 24 Rusty, 25 Mercury. Down: 1 Botch, 2 Wan, 3 Twig, 4 Hazard, 5 Pressing, 6 Aesthetic, 7 Nightly, 11 Iron Cross, 13 Scrutiny, 14 Saunter, 16 Custom, 19 Muddy, 20 Bear, 23 Emu.
Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Nearing, 5 Ahead, 8 Oil heater, 9 Ida, 10 Espy, 12 Fearsome, 14 Arabia, 15 Office, 17 Monogram, 18 Clod, 21 Eli, 22 Navigator, 24 Sofia, 25 Shylock. Down: 1 Noose, 2 Awl, 3 Idea, 4 Gutter, 5 Aircraft, 6 Editorial, 7 Deadeye, 11 Plaintiff, 13 Virginia, 14 Aimless, 16 Calves, 19 Derek, 20 Ugly, 23 Too.
EASY PUZZLE
Across 1 Fix a date for marriage (4,3,3) 6 To barter (4) 10 Excessive enthusiasm (5) 11 Musical medley (9) 12 Keep up (8) 13 A call (5) 15 Belonging to earlier times (7) 17 Attentive (7) 19 Admit (7) 21 A part (7) 22 Make suitable (5) 24 Compassion (8) 27 Compose extempore (9) 28 Improve (5) 29 Earthly paradise (4) 30 The direct opposite (10)
Down 1 Deprived of feeling (4) 2 Island borough of New York (9) 3 Sequence (5) 4 Atone for (7) 5 Word of opposite meaning (7) 7 Articles for sale (5) 8 At very close range (5-5) 9 Memento (8) 14 Sickly sweet (10) 16 Interrogate (8) 18 Disloyal (9) 20 Meeting of a legislature (7) 21 City buried by Vesuvius 79AD (7) 23 A treeborne fruit (5) 25 Disconcert (5) 26 The chances (4)
Yesterday’s
Yesterday’s
Sudoku Answer
Kakuro Answer
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Friday, September 10, 2021
culture
Bahamians to virtually connect with experts for the Museums Association of the Caribbean’s annual conference
M
useum professionals from across the Caribbean will virtually connect in early November to reflect on cultivating resiliency and what it means during a global health crisis. The Museums Association of the Caribbean (MAC) is devoting its
annual conference and general meeting on November 3 to 5 to the theme “Cultivating Resilience in Museums and Cultural Heritage Sites.” In more than 15 concurrent sessions, museum professionals, including curators, educators, scholars, and researchers, are uniting to discuss themes related to historical
sites, indigenous peoples, and social justice. The MAC conference is essential to the Caribbean region because it unites museum “and other cultural heritage” professionals who would otherwise be disconnected. Over 15 countries are represented in the programming, including St Maarten, Bermuda, Bahamas, Panama, Haiti, St Lucia, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, United States, and the Netherlands. MAC is the only museum service organisation that caters to the entire Caribbean, said Board President Joanne Hyppolite. “It is really important for our region because we come from smaller nations that don’t have museum training programmes like the bigger countries (Western countries).” Ms Hyppolite is of Haitian heritage and is the African Diaspora curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC. “Until now, the stories of our diversity in the Caribbean, at least for the French islands, are displayed in different spaces, and it’s like we’re living different histories. We have to talk about all the different histories in the same space,” said Katarina Jacobson, an archeologist and ceramics specialist who oversees the collections department at Guadeloupe’s Édgar Clerc Museum. At the MAC conference, all Caribbean identities are represented. Her presentation, “Challenges Around Preserving and Interpreting
a Former Slavery Site: The Fidelin Sugar Pottery Manufactory” discusses the purchase of a historical building by a Black/Creole owner. Alexa Wynter, a professor at the School of Visual Arts, describes the narratives of Indigenous Caribbean heritage as “scarce,” especially for students who are from the Island Arawak diaspora living in US cities like New York. Her presentation, “A Healthier Future for Taino Children Through New Arts-Led Indigenous Museum Education”, covers the lack of indigenous representations in museums and some of the possible solutions. Verónica Forte, vice president of the Society of Friends of the West Indian Museum of Panama (SAMAAP), and her fellow panellists address the challenges and lessons learned through the lens of the pandemic. Panel sessions allow attendees to gain in-depth knowledge on a variety of subjects; however, the conference also offers opportunities to connect socially. Board President Hyppolite also highlights plenaries featuring chefs from various islands, the popular speed networking event, guided meditations, “mix and sip” social mixers led by Caribbean mixologists, and a virtual museum tour of cultural heritage spaces in the Bahamas. The conference will close with a live musical performance by Barabbas and The Tribe, a Junkanoo band.
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Friday, September 10, 2021
gardening
Rake and scrape
I
magine walking through the garden of lore, the garden utopia of dreams, and being part of a balanced and healthy world where all creatures are thriving, and all natural processes are taking place without human disruption. When we get out of the city island of New Providence into our incredible chain of islands, one is reminded that life is far simpler than we choose to make it most of the time in the hamster wheel of city living. We can slow down and absorb the natural wonders of life and we can forget the endless tick of time and be present in a place of peace and serenity. Hold on though, we can also create this in our own backyards! Although we humans have a particular way of disturbing the natural
balance of the world around us with our mechanical methods and noise pollution, just as we are capable of sustaining places of peace and beauty where the natural world flourishes as it has been doing since the dawn of time. You may be aware of my dislike of lawn grass by now, even though in limited settings it is beautiful. Another peeve that grinds my gears is the excessive use of a rake. Such a simple tool when in the hands of someone who wishes to look busy is a destructive one. It’s all about the topsoil. The Dust Bowl of the American Depression of years past is slowly being recreated as farmland, is overused and scraped away, as much as it is blown away by the winds or washed away by floods. It is more than the natural cycles of the earth can sustain. The person on the
PUT down the rake, create compost heaps rake is the guilty party in today’s discussion. I deal with a lovely property in Eleuthera, and no matter what, I cannot get it through the head of the person responsible for the workers to stop raking and scraping everything away. The damage being done is that a large area of the property is consistently being raked to keep it free of leaf debris, but the person responsible does not realize or recognise that they are doing more harm than good to that garden bed. What is left on a weekly basis is consistently depleted amounts of topsoil, and nothing but a shallow sandy base that to some may look good, but it is a dead piece of ground. Dead. There is no life in it, nutrients are not being placed back into the soils, there is no debris for wildlife to shelter in or to consume and put back into the ground, the roots of the plant material is laid bare to the air and the sun, and the ground is infertile and depleted. This is destructive. This is not regenerative or beneficial. The plan is to replant the area with material that will cover the entire area and discourage the rake and scrape. I will add limited nutrients, and I will mulch the area heavily to allow decomposition and regeneration of the soil health. When leaf debris is left on the ground, it gives back to the ground. The natural process of decomposition and regeneration will be
sustained, the birds, the bees, the butterflies (and caterpillars!), the lizards and the earthworms will have a place to carry out their favours to us all. Put down the rake, create a compost heap, use mulch, and let leaf debris remain to encourage the natural processes that plant material and creatures need to thrive. Now, it is getting to that time of year where gardeners are getting antsy and seeking to replant vegetable gardens. While for me it is a bit early yet, there are the go-hards who are well ahead of it and already tending to their veggie patch. I will be transplanting my first batches of vegetable plants in the next week or so. Now is the time to get into the garden and to clean up the veggie patch, turn the weeds back into the soil, and cover the ground with a groundcover fabric to sterilize it from weed seed prior to replanting. If you prefer growing in containers, then now is the time to prepare them. You may need to add some fresh potting media, or maybe turn the compost pile one more time before adding it to containers or to the garden patch. The veggie growing season is fast approaching and every week that we delay is another week without those gorgeous homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers! It is still a bit hot, so some shade is likely a benefit for the next several weeks. Use the shade of trees or set up a small area with shade cloth to help keep things a slight bit cooler until the nighttime temperatures start dipping a bit. As always, I wish you happy gardening! Put down the rake. • 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.
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Friday, September 10, 2021
books
Local author releases ‘edu-fun’ book series for youngsters
“C
hildren often learn by doing, and they primarily do what they see,” says Teri M Bethel, the author of a newly released children’s book series, Bahama Kidz Edu-Fun Books. Published by Inspire Publishing in the Bahamas, the first two books in the series, “Polly’s Little Secret” and “A Goat Called Billy”, are colourful rhyming picture books geared to teach children (ages 4-8) foundational elements for their personal grooming and courteous behaviour. With 17 published books under her belt in several genres, mostly related to family enrichment or skill development, Mrs Bethel is a proponent of strong families. As a ghost-writer and publisher, so many heartwrenching stories have crossed her path regarding the mistreatment of children. She believes it’s never too early to teach children life lessons and let them know they are valuable. Noting that each child was born for a purpose, as adults, it is our responsibility to lovingly guide them to fulfill their destiny. “This begins with foundational elements to be built upon,” the author said, “but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun learning them.” Among the topics covered in the book series are bullying, personal hygiene, overcoming bed-wetting, mistreatment of animals, balancing playing with reading/schoolwork, and much more. Mrs Bethel believes that many of the lessons will encourage children to think about how they treat others and themselves. A father of two compared the books to the Royal Readers series—something that is sorely lacking yet much needed with children acting out against civil society. He found the topics necessary as a parent and believed the lessons would positively impact children early in life. Colleen Aitken, a former pre-school teacher, homeschooling mom and writer, said the collection was cleverly penned, noting that the stories were “easy to digest, easy for kids to remember, and just all-around cute.” Veteran Language Studies professional and Homeschool Facilitator in Eleuthera, Marguerita Matera, said “both books not only capture a practical lesson for young children but clearly are stories that present valuable content.” What she really enjoyed were the intriguing poetic features that cause the
AUTHOR, TERI Bethel reader to take note. Though they touch on sensitive areas in today’s society, Mrs Matera believed the stories were tactfully written. Mrs Bethel said her books, in which she writes about timeless, relatable stories, can help parents, grandparents, guardians and
teachers to strengthen families and build healthy communities. “This series helps to build character in children and to reinforce good habits,” Mrs Bethel said. The first two books in the series are available at Logos Bookstore and Nassau Stationers in Nassau, the Office General in Governor’s Harbour, and by ordering on Amazon.com.
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Friday, September 10, 2021
literary lives - Alexandre Dumas
An author of Haitian descent who gave the world unforgettable stories of adventure Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about Dumas – one of the most widely read French writers whose works have been translated into many languages. His novels have been made into nearly 200 films. “There are some situations which men understand by instinct, by which reason is powerless to explain; in such cases the greatest poet is he who gives utterance to the most natural and vehement outburst of sorrow. Those who hear the bitter cry are as much impressed as if they listened to an entire poem, and when the sufferer is sincere they are right in regarding his outburst as sublime.” - Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas was born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie in 1802 in Villers-Cotter ts in the department of Aisne, in Picardy, France. He had two older sisters, Marie-Alexandrine (born 1794) and Louise-Alexandrine (born 1796). Their parents were Marie-Louise Élisabeth Labouret, an innkeeper’s daughter, and Thomas-Alexandre Dumas. Dumas’ father, Thomas-Alexandre, was born in the French colony of Saint-Dominique (now Haiti), the mixed-race natural son of the Marquis Alexandre Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie, a French nobleman and general commissaire in the colonial artillery, and Marie-Cessette Dumas, an enslaved woman of Afro-Caribbean ancestry. Dumas was brought to France by his father and legally freed there. Dumas’ father adopted the name “Dumas” from his slave mother after a rift with his father. Dumas was promoted to the rank of general when he was 31 years old – the first soldier of Afro-Antilles origin to reach that rank in the French army. “Youth is the flower of which love is the fruit; Happy the gatherer who picks it after watching it slowly mature.” - Alexandre Dumas
ALEXANDRE Dumas (1802 - 1870)
Dumas’ father’s aristocratic rank helped his son get work with Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, then as a writer, a career which spawned early success. As his father had done before him, he used his slave grandmother’s surname of Dumas. He began writing articles for
‘THE COUNT of Monte Cristo’ remains a beloved classic magazines and plays for the theatre. His first play, Henry III and His Courts, was produced in 1829 when young Dumas was 27 years old. It achieved surprising instant acclaim. His second play, Christine, was just as popular and allowed Dumas sufficient income to write full-time. In 1830, Dumas participated in the revolution that ousted Charles X and replaced him with the Duke of Orléans – Dumas’ former employer, who ruled France as Louis-Philippe, the ‘Citizen King’. France remained unsettled until the mid 1830s – when life slowly returned to normal. The improving economy and the end of press censorship were extremely rewarding for Alexandre Dumas’ literary skills. “The King! I thought he was a philosopher enough to allow no murder in politics. In politics ... there are
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no men – but ideas – no feeling, but interests; in politics we do not kill a man, we only remove an obstacle, that is all.” - Alexandre Dumas Dumas was a very organised and ambitious young man. After writing several successful plays, he switched to writing novels. Although involving himself in an extravagant lifestyle and spending a lot more than he earned, he had taught himself to be an astute marketer. Newspapers then were publishing serial novels, so he wrote one of his plays Le Capitaine Paul in 1838 as his first serial novel. He founded a production studio, staffed with writers who turned out hundreds of stories, all under his direction, editing, and choosing various editions. He was 36 years old and made more money that he had ever dreamed of making. From 1839 to 1841, Dumas, with the assistance of several friends and accomplices, compiled Celebrated Crimes, an eight-volume collection THE IRON Mask moun of essays on famous criminals and crimes from ted on a jail off the co ast of France near Cannes. European history that featured Beatrice Cenci, Iron Maks’ was the las Dumas’s ‘The Man in the Martin Guerre, Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia, t adventure of his Muske eers tas well as more recent events and criminals, including the alleged murderers Karl Ludwig Sand and Antoine François Desrues, who were executed. Dumas also collaborated with Augustin Grisier, his fencing teacher, in his 1840 novel The Fencing Master. The story is in fact Grisier’s accurate account of how he came to witness the events of the Decembrist revolt in Russia – when Russian army officers on December 26, 1828, led about 3,000 soldiers in a protest again Nicholas I’s assumption of the throne after his brother Constantine removed himself from the line of succession. The novel was banned in Russia by Czar Nicholas I, and Dumas was prohibited from visiting the country until after the Czar’s death. Dumas refers to Grisier with great respect in his memoirs, as well as The Count of Monte Cristo and The Corsican Brothers. Dumas used many assistants and collaborators in churning out his increasingly popular novels, of whom Auguste Maquet CHÂTEAU de Monte-C risto was the best known. Maquet took Dumas to court for using his written material in order to get recognition and more money for his unrecognised work. Dumas subsequently agreed to the increased payment – but not to authorial recognition. “What I’ve loved most after you, is myself; that is, my dignity and that strength which made me superior to other men. That strength was my life.” - Alexandre Dumas Dumas married actress Ida Ferrier in 1840, but continued to have many affairs with other women and is known to have fathered at least four children out of wedlock. This was in addition to the three natural children he had with his longsuffering wife. Many years later, in 1866, he had an affair with the well-known American actress Adah Isaacs Menken, who was at the peak of her success in Les Pirates de La Savanne in Paris.
DUMAS’ ‘Three Muske tee adapted numerous tim rs’ series has been es for film and televisio n
“Pure love and suspicion cannot dwell together: at the door where the latter enters, the former makes its exit.” - Alexandre Dumas Dumas’ novels, including The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, were incredibly popular and were translated into English and other languages. His writing and his book productions earned him untold riches, but he was frequently insolvent. He was a profligate and spent lavishly on women and good living. It is said that he had no less than 40 mistresses and had the stamina to handle them. In 1846, he built a grand country house outside Paris at Le Port-Marly – the enormous Château de Monte-Cristo (named after his successful serialised novel The Count of Monte-Cristo) - with an additional structure for his writing and literary productions. The château was usually filled with friends and strangers who sponged off his generosity. Only two years after he built his magnificent building, faced with financial ruin, he was forced to sell the property. Dumas was a productive writer and travelled widely creating travel books about his journeys – to Spain, Italy, Germany, the British Isles and French Algeria. When King Louis-Philippe was ousted in a revolt in 1851, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was elected president. He disapproved of Dumas, causing the author to flee to Brussels, Belgium as much to avoid political unpopularity as to escape his creditors. Two years later, in 1859, he moved to Russia where French was the second language, and where he was popular. He left in 1861 to go to Italy where Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed king. There, for three years, he befriended Garibaldi in the movement for Italian unification before returning to Paris in 1864, six years before he died. He was buried at his birthplace of Villers-Cotter ts in the department of Aisne. “There are two ways of seeing: with the body and with the soul. The body’s sight can sometimes forget, but the soul remembers forever.” - Alexandre Dumas Dumas’ death was overshadowed by the FrancoPrussian war. Changing literary fashions also decreased his popularity. However, in the late 20th century scholars have caused a critical and new appreciation of his works. His former country home, the Château de Monte-Cristo, has been restored and opened to the public as a museum. Researchers have discovered Dumas works in obscure archives, and in 2002, the bicentenary of Dumas’ birth, French President Jacques Chirac held a ceremony honouring the author by having his ashes re-interred at the Mausoleum of the Panthéon of Paris, where many of the greatest French luminaries are buried. Dumas is enshrined alongside two other great French authors, Victor Hugo and Émile Zola. • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; Alexandre Dumas, The King of Romance (1979) by FWJ Hemmings; and Alexandre Dumas, Genius of Life (1988) by Claude Schopp.
14 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, September 10, 2021
history
A SAILOR’s Valentine
Sailor’s Valentine
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the world and often would be at sea for a year or more. I could see the sailors walking along deserted reader sent me beaches and picking a photograph of up all sorts of seashells a Sailor’s Valenand, when they had a tine, wanting to sufficient collection, know whether it spending their off-duty is true that these hours gluing all sorts objets d’art used and sizes of shells onto to be made in the a plate-sized frame, Bahamas. That which they would cover picture brought with glass. back fond memoEach valentine was ries of Babbie a unique mosaic and Holt and her framed in an octagonal FORGOTTEN FACTS daughter Pam shape, about the size Dunn, who used of a dinner plate and to live in Lyford about two inches deep. Cay and had a stunning collection of Most of the designs show hearts, them. flowers, anchors and other nautical For a long time, I believed these symbols. Often there would be a splendid creations were sculpted by romantic message, spelled out with crewmembers of the ships that sailed small shells.
PAUL C ARANHA
When a seaman returned home, he would give his finished masterpieces to his loved ones. It was mind-blowing that so many seamen could craft such intricate and perfect art. But the truth will out, and it was discovered that these works of nautical art were created by professional artists and sold by Belgrave’s Curiosity Shop in Barbados, where they could be ordered with the buyer’s personal message. Benjamin Belgrave had created a thriving industry that catered to the crews and passengers on homeward bound ships. Does this deflate the romantic image? Hardly! A Sailor’s Valentine is one of those things of beauty that last forever. I haven’t seen such a valentine for several years, but when I look
BELGRAVE’s Curiosity Shop in Barbados, c. 1893 (Photo courtesy of Bowers Museum) at pictures, I still imagine myself sailing with Captain Flint on the Walrus, headed for Treasure Island and singing, “Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest. Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum.” • For questions and comments, please send an e-mail to islandairman@gmail.com
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Friday, September 10, 2021
animals
Settling into a new home By KIM ARANHA | Animal Matters (This happened couple of days ago) A few clouds around the plane - a bright rainbow off to the left. I am looking out the window...searching, looking for what? Then I hear myself saying, “Hey Chiefie, can you fly fast enough to catch up this plane?” It didn’t feel like a silly question. It just seemed right at that moment. Am I the only one to talk to their fur babies who have left them for the good life elsewhere? Three months have gone by, and I still think that I see five dogs around the house and not four. I have taken Chiefie’s advice and have put up his bowl (somewhere safe but out of the way). I still think of him every day and wonder how happy he would be in the new house. Knowing my boy and the way he behaved in Delray Beach a few years ago, I bet he would not be happy anywhere than where he came to as a puppy. Maybe he was fortunate that he left before the move. Elderly Buddy is happy here and loves that there are no steps. The other three have total control of the garden and have finally figured out what a plate glass door is, after a few head bumps! It really didn’t take them long to become territorial and bark at passersby; a sure sign they feel at home. There are two very chunky potcakes next door and the chats between them are not always polite. So in order to avoid too many angry conversations, I have put in a second fence a few feet away; no noseto-nose chain-link battles here. In the morning there are a few verbal exchanges, but the “social” distancing keeps things a bit more polite. Moving is a challenge, and emotional sometimes, for humans. But have you ever thought of what it must be like for your pets? They spend way more time at home than you do. Some pets never leave their property except to go to veterinarian. We go out to work, to school, to lunch or to dinner; almost daily we leave home.
I am going to share a few tips that I found helped me and might be of use to you if and when you move: . I made a point of taking them to see the new house first. We walked around the garden and they had an opportunity to “mark” it, so that when we returned to live in it a few weeks later they could say to themselves, “Aha, I have been here before!” It helps make them feel more confident and then on second sniff they realise that their family (human and four-legged) had been there before too. Don’t forget that most conversations (with dogs especially) revolve around what they smell. Their noses give them a huge amount of information. So a pre-move visit lays down the scents that give our fur family confidence. . On the day you move, you should have already identified a spot for each animal to feel safe in and have a little bit privacy from each other in. I had a bed for each one, plus an extra one. Don’t worry, they will not be lonely. If they want company they can share a bed or jump up on the sofa. . Try to keep some things normal. Feed them their usual dinner at the usual time and
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BELLA gets comfy in her new home give them their bowls in a quiet area. If there are lots of people everywhere, find a secluded dinner spot for them; no distractions or strangers running around. . The first night will be the worst. Wherever they used to sleep is no longer available. Try to duplicate some of the features. Make sure there is drinking water consistently available; make sure they are sleeping in the same “pecking order” as before. If Fluffy and Rover shared a space at night before, then they should be sharing in the new house too. If it worked before it will work very well in the new location.
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. Don’t change things too much at first. Try and make things consistent with their lives. Change is not exciting to an animal. In fact, it can be very scary and unsettling. You know your pets better than anybody else. You can read them and will understand the signals. The first few weeks they may protest and do some naughty things in the house chew something or have a“mistake” or bark incessantly. This is their way to let you know they are not pleased. However, with a little patience and understanding that will pass and they will revert to the good boy or girl they were in the past.
pet of the week and a human of his own would be his ideal. Being an only cat might be preferable but isn’t required. Odin’s quite chatty when he chooses to be, and he likes to lie high so he can watch what’s going on around him. Do you have a place for Odin? If so, come into the BHS or call 3235138 for more information. Odin looks forward to greeting you!
A divine friend By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY Odin, who is named after the king of the Norse gods, desperately wants to be a house cat. He’s spent some time living in the wild and he much prefers life indoors. Unfortunately, he was picking on the younger cats at the house he’d chosen - and he wasn’t allowed inside - so he’s ended up at the Bahamas Humane Society. Odin’s having a pretty good time chilling in the cat annex, but a home of his own
Photo/Linda Gill-Aranha)
•Need a cat or dog spayed or neutered? The BAARK/BHS Sunday Spay Days will be happening every other Sunday, September through November, with the first dates being September 12 and 26. For more information, and an appointment date, please call 427-7729.
16 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, September 10, 2021