Friday, November 19, 2021
fashion interview drinks gardening history beauty puzzles animals
Weekend
The glam life Page 07
Step out in style Local fashion house makes bold statements
pgs 08 +09
02 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, November 19, 2021
leisure
Photos/Donavan McIntosh
Raise a glass
New event series highlights different wines each month By CARA HUNT | Tribune Features Writer | cbrennen@tribunemedia.net
A
s the holiday season approaches and curfews have been lifted, now is the perfect time to turn your attention to restocking your liquor cabinet for the jolly days ahead. Like so many of us, you’ve probably neglected it during the last year and a half. And why not add to your liquor repertoire by trying some new wines that may have slipped under your radar and/or stock up on old favourites? That is the idea behind the new ‘Make Time for Wine’ event, which
will be held monthly at Jimmy’s Wines and Spirits. “The purpose of the event is to expose our customers to a wine of the month. Each month, we will select one brand and have tastings where our customers can learn more about the wines, and what they can be paired with. And then if they wish to purchase that brand, we will have special discounts on the brand so they can stock up,” said Susan Warren, the Wines and Spirit Portfolio Specialist at Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company.
The ‘Make Time for Wine’ event, she added, is also perfect for those who may struggle when it comes to picking a wine or want to be sure they like it before they commit to buying a full bottle. This can be particularly useful for more expensive brands. For November, Jimmy’s chose a brand that has a low price point and is very familiar to most Bahamians. “This month’s wine is Obikwa. It is a South African brand and comes in Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Moscato, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay,” said Ms Warren.
“And the wine has particularly found a home in the Bahamas, where it is most popular in the region.” She added: “This a really great time to stock up on this wine at the discounted price because it is so popular and perfect to have on hand in advance for people coming over for the holidays.” Ms Warren said that while the brand’s sweeter wines tend to be a bit more popular, she wanted customers to experience some of the drier varieties as well.
The Tribune | Weekend | 03
Friday, November 19, 2021
Weekend Inside
Interview 4 – 5
The ‘Singing Bishop’ is more passionated than ever to help provide for society’s less fortunate
Puzzles 6 Beauty 7
Mom-of-three lives the ‘glam life’ with new makeup line
Food 8 – 9
Local fashion ‘haus’ seeks to make an impression
Drinks 10
New cocktail brand offers a taste of paradise
Gardening 11
Notes for November
Literary Lives 12 – 13
One of Canada’s most controversial writers
Forgotten Facts 14
How the salt trade impacted the Turks and Caicos islands
Animals 15
A message from the rainbow bridge, plus Pet of the Week
A BAHAMIAN THANKSGIVING By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemdia.net While technically, not a local holiday, Thanksgiving has become a staple occasion for many Bahamians, especially the dinner aspect of it. After all, why give up a chance to eat pumpkin pie and express gratitude? Here are some great ideas to help you if you are thinking of hosting your own meal for family and friends. Thanksgiving is held on a Thursday, and it is obviously not a day off here like it is the US. With the kids in school and the adults working, you may wish to serve your turkey on a Sunday when you will have time to savour the meal. A great way to “add some Bahamian harvest” to the meal
is of course to combine the traditional American dishes with some local fare. Consider stuffing your turkey with crawfish or conch. Use Eleuthera pineapples for your ham’s glaze and supplement your pumpkin pie with guava duff or a coconut tart. Perhaps serve some conch and grits or peas n’ rice? And of course, top off your menu with a Bahamian Radler, some switcha or rum punch. The best part of Thanksgiving, like the name implies, is that it is all about giving thanks. And considering the impact the pandemic has had on the country, being grateful for the good things in your life is always a great thing. So allow your guests to go around the table and say what they are grateful for. Younger guests can draw
pictures of what they are thankful for, or perhaps ask each guest to bring an item that can be donated to the less fortunate. Happy Thanksgiving!
BARBER THRIVES IN PANDEMIC WITH SOME COOL CUTS By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemdia.net Growing up, L’renz Burrows always wanted to look fresh and sharp, so it perhaps didn’t come as too much of a surprise when he decided he wanted to be a barber. “I learned to cut and groom my hair on my own and then I also used to do the same thing for my friends and family. That is what inspired me to decide to become a barber,” he told Tribune Weekend. In 2016, he took the first steps to make his dreams of starting a business
L’renz Burrows
EXAMPLES of L’renz’s sharp cuts
a reality, ignoring the naysayers who doubted that he could be successful. “People tried to down me and tell me that I couldn’t do it, but I just always knew that I could and that I would be successful,” he said. And he was right. His mobile salon Kooli Kutz has had steady business,
even during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I make house calls for my business and so COVID really didn’t affect me. I think people felt much more comfortable not having to go out and mingle with more people at a shop. They were comfortable because it was only me coming,” he said.
He says the popular styles for men this upcoming season will be a return to facial hair, with groomed and stylised beards being popular, as well as the “sponge look”, which he says is using a gel like Gorilla Snot to bring out the texture and fades. Other top trends include uniform buzz cuts, curly afros, drop fades and line-ups.
04 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, November 19, 2021
interview
Bishop Lawrence Rolle Born into poverty, the ‘Singing Bishop’ remembers what it’s like to not know where your next meal is going to come from. He tells Cara Hunt about his work over the last 30 years, and especially his efforts during the pandemic, to help lighten the burden for those most in need in the Bahamas.
B
ishop Lawrence Rolle, also known as the Singing Bishop, has devoted the past three decades of his ministry to helping those in need in the community. Over the years, thousands of Bahamians have been fed both physically and spiritually by the charismatic pastor who is known for his dancing and singing of popular songs such as “Too Much Murder” and “It is Well With My Soul.” And while his theatrical style of ministry appeals to many, it’s the work he does for society’s less fortunate that makes him stand out. Bishop Rolle is tireless in donating to the poor, whether it be by cooking vast pots of food himself, or by soliciting companies and sponsors to donate grocery items to ensure that people don’t go hungry. He has doubled his efforts during the past two years, answering the calls of individuals who found themselves out of work and unable to feed their families because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also posted several videos during those difficult months encouraging people to not lose hope and have faith that things will get better. He firmly believes that God will always provide for His people and says he is willing to do whatever he can to help. “I came out of poverty,” he told Tribune Weekend. “So I understand the hurt the people are going through, I understand their cries, and that is why for the past 30 plus years I have done what I can to feed them and help them.” Growing up, he said, he knew what it was like to “be so hungry you would eat out of the garbage” and to not have toothpaste to brush your teeth. “The COVID pandemic has really affected people and people are struggling. And while it is good that the country is now opening up, more jobs need to open up so we can get the people back to work,” he said. Bishop Rolle was not always a man of the cloth. In his younger years, he was more interested in going to the club than going to church. However, he said the Lord touched his life in such a way that he knew his purpose was to be a blessing to others. He took that calling that and run with it, ensuring that his church, International Deliverance Praying Ministries, located on 2nd Street in the Grove, was known as a place where people could be blessed and have their basic needs fulfilled.
The Tribune | Weekend | 05
Friday, November 19, 2021
“I came out of poverty. So I understand the hurt the people are going through, I understand their cries, and that is why for the past 30 plus years I have done what I can to feed them and help them.”
STACKS of boxes containing groceries and other necessities piled up at International Deliverance Praying Ministries, ready to be distributed to the less fortunate - church members and non-members alike.
Every week, people flock to his church to get a hot meal, a carton of groceries, clothing or financial assistance. “All are welcome. Anyone can come in you don’t have to be a member of my church. We are here to help anyone in need,” he said. But operating his ministry does not come cheap, and over the years many corporate sponsors and charitable organisations have stepped up to the plate to provide donations. They do this because he has a built solid reputation over the years for faithfully using the funds for the needy. “It costs thousands of thousands of dollars, but the Lord will always provide for His people,” he said. Bishop Rolle is always willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that his feeding ministry can continue, even if that means he has to use his own salary to ensure that the supplies are maintained. When Tribune Weekend visited the church last Sunday, Bishop Rolle was about to start an afternoon service for the community. The front of the church was packed with hundreds of food items. Bishop Rolle is currently trying to give out about 1,000 boxes of groceries to the community, packed with enough food to give them many meal options. Before the end of that service, more than 200 families were provided for. “We have a little bit of everything; grits, sugar, tea, tuna, rice, flour, corn beef; we have soda and water,” he said. “I just celebrated my 32nd pastoral anniversary and my congregation gifted me with money, but I told them that I could not take that money for myself when I know that the people out there are hurting, and so we took that money and added it to the funds to buy food for the people.” As the Thanksgiving and Christmas season draws closer, Bishop Rolle is asking anyone who can to assist in his ministry’s efforts to help people have a better holiday. “We need clothing and food and water, money, things for the kids’ Christmas, anything that you can donate, we can use,” he said.
significant way (7) 28 Widow has bet after party (7)
06 | The Tribune | Weekend
22 Exhilarating gas 11 wasted 10 Associate; Entice; K B E L E W X B P 27 Dispel; 15 Requisite; day (5) 12 F E G E L R R G P 17 Egg; 18 There; 19 Tract; A H D N D 2021 L S T Q Friday, 19, 24 Developing wartsNovember on the 21 Mysteriously. S T U I D B N I T 1 Invertebrate; tube (5)down: 2 Pit; 3 Refuse; A P J F U L Z T G 4 Effective; 5 China; 6 Intelligibly; 7 Might; 10 Architect; 13 Pleat; 14 Bitter; 16 Query; 20 Ado.
PAP e t l u e r
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 24; very good 36; excellent 48 (or more). Solution tomorrow
Yesterday’s call 0907 181 2585 today’s target solution Sudokufor Answer *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.
BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Appeals with an attempt to produce jocularity (10) 6 Disagreements in the ranks (4) 10 Capital jewellery (5) 11 He may be seen at the courts practising (9) 12 Made an off-peak call (8) 13 The colour of gold in the plant (5) 15 They supply brewed drinks on tap (3,4) 17 Fragmented result of cutting through a wood (7) 19 In opera maybe such events can’t be covered (4-3) 21 Stirred to a rich stew (7) 22 Food and drink to someone (5) 24 Not a civil description of soldiers (8) 27 Pretty tight, though in good running order (4-5) 28 Animal that’s a knock-out to the French (5) 29 Amphibian went astray (4) 30 We may bet on them to give us hydrogen (10)
1
2
3
4
Down 1 The important part - but not of an orange (4) 2 Not at all simple to work out in detail (9) 3 Climb on a fish’s back (5) 4 Small items of consuming interest (7) 5 Screen depicting colour in a variety of rose (7) 7 Alfresco party is best (5) 8 The plight of the penitent? (5,5) 9 Very serious internal trouble? (5,3) 14 Took defeat lying down? Quite the reverse (5,2,3) 16 Some response shown for fashion creation (8) 18 Doubtless one isn’t (9) 20 A walker or a climber perhaps (7) 21 A day off for Billie (7) 23 License for a pound down (5) 25 Youth leader took out foreign capital (5) 26 Platform is said to be unstable (4)
5
6
7
8
9 10
11
12
13
14 15
16
17
19
22
20
23
24
18
21
25 26
27
29
28
30
Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Graphic, 5 Filch, 8 Out of turn, 9 Kit, 10 Sink, 12 Santiago, 14 Beggar, 15 Cornet, 17 Swindler, 18 Stir, 21 Fee, 22 Hush money, 24 Let up, 25 Run-down. Down: 1 Gloss, 2 Art, 3 Huff, 4 Cougar, 5 Function, 6 Like as not, 7 Hotfoot, 11 Negligent, 13 Hardship, 14 Bashful, 16 Censer, 19 Rayon, 20 Amen, 23 Neo.
Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Spin-off, 5 Relic, 8 Electoral, 9 Nun, 10 Post, 12 Break off, 14 Spoken, 15 Keener, 17 Cocktail, 18 Oral, 21 Bee, 22 Angle iron, 24 Token, 25 Related. Down: 1 Sleep, 2 Ice, 3 Oath, 4 Furore, 5 Released, 6 Landowner, 7 Conifer, 11 Spot check, 13 Restrain, 14 Sackbut, 16 Finger, 19 Lined, 20 Tell, 23 Rat.
EASY PUZZLE
Across 1 Lack of necessary power (10) 6 Portent (4) 10 Lag behind (5) 11 Fatally destructive event (9) 12 Suitable (8) 13 General purport (5) 15 Escort warship (7) 17 Church tower (7) 19 To make believe (7) 21 Postpone (7) 22 To risk provoking (5) 24 Huge (8) 27 Enrage (9) 28 Sensitive (5) 29 Mastery (4) 30 Area of six northeast US states (3,7)
Down 1 Infinitesimal amount (4) 2 Suspension of hostilities (5-4) 3 Infectious viral disease (5) 4 An analgesic (7) 5 Anti-riot weapon (4,3) 7 Italian city (5) 8 Expression of great urgency (3,2,5) 9 Movable personal property (8) 14 Disconcerting (3-7) 16 An opening (8) 18 For each person (3,6) 20 State explicitly (7) 21 Take over duty from (7) 23 Civilian clothes (5) 25 Colloquial language (5) 26 Heavy soft metal (4)
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
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10
A
2
B
2
C
1
D
2
E
4
F
0
G
2
H
1
I
4
J
2 2
2
2
1
3
1
3
O R D Q O P U
S I M A O R G
S O E J G P J
M C S U Z M C
O O P E R A T
T S A K R L E
Y U L V U R N
T M U A R C E
I U A B W I T R A V I M
O B N F A X P L L O L B
B L E D F U K U W A J M
I S Y H E E M O P V Z Q
THE ALPHABEAT
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.
P X U A F Z D
L G I P R H Y F O T C U
1
3
1 x Battleship
3 x Destroyer
2 x cruiser
4 x submarine
2
cAn you crack the Alphabeater? each grid thE alphapuzzlE number represents a letter – or black square. across: Mawkish, Helm, Aloud, As in Alphapuzzle, every letter of theOver, alphabet Deficit, Debut, Routes, Dental, West, Jiffy, Ruinous, e is used. But you have to complete the grid too! Mulch (clue), Sigh, Bondage. Worms, Anon, use the given letters anddown: blackBazaar, squares below Questing, Kedgeree, Sodium, the grid to start. the gridFiasco, is ‘rotationally Perfumed, Excavate, Slag, Motor, Louche. symmetrical’ – in other words, it looks the * same if you turn the page upside down. Solution tomorrow
targEt
cartridgE aged cadge cadger cage caged cagier CARTRIDGE cigar crag dirge drag gait gaited gaiter garret garter gate gated gear gird girder girt gite grace graced grad grade grader grate grated grater great grid grit rage raged regard ridge tiger tragic trig
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
4
22
34
38
7
35
32
20
16
20
34
12
34
31
32
30
17
27
18
10
6
30
27
8
17
33
4
35
3
33
17
26
31
28
29
2
7
36
10
22
4
30
7
30
18
3
33
34
35
24
12
27
21
26
6
17
37
25
4
Answer 1Kakuro 7 28 37 8
20
18
26
12
21
15
28
19
39
6
16
7
32
13
6
17
18
34
15
7
12
3
26
27
8
24
1
29
5
19
32
14
34
30
17
1
1
7
18
24
3
2
26
37
11
31
30
8
32
19 Yesterday’s 26 17 13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
W
M
■■■
● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to text DXBEAT to 64343. Texts cost £1 plus your
KEIJO 1 4
2 2
1
2
3
2
3
3
4
4
4
1
1
3
The Tribune | Weekend | 07
Friday, November 19, 2021
beauty
Mom-of-three lives the ‘glam life’ with new makeup line By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net
L
ATARA Pratt believes life should always be “bold and beautiful”. To this end, the makeup artist and owner of Glam Life Beauty Studios decided to launch her own makeup and skincare line, Raj Beauty. The brand, whose name is inspired by her daughter, Jaraji, offers face powders, lipsticks, lip glosses, highlighters, facial cleansers, toners, moisturisers and more. “I’ve always been interested in the cosmetics industry, as I always enjoyed dressing up and looking in the mirror. The birth of my daughter also really got me in the mindset of wanting to show her what women can be in business,” she told Tribune Weekend. Latara’s Glam Life Beauty Studios, located in the Darfield Plaza on Madeira Street, offers makeup application for all occasions, as well as full body waxing, facials, eye brow tinting, and mink lashes. “What I love most about the beauty field is that there is a style for everyone regardless of the budget. I love to see the confidence beauty gives to a woman. The most memorable client I had thus far was the Prime Minister’s wife, Mrs Ann Marie Davis. I got the opportunity to make her up on a few occasions and she’s a beautiful lady inside and out,” she said. Like the global beauty trends at the moment, Latara tends to focus on natural makeup looks, but during the upcoming holiday season she knows the “red lipstick look” will be popular. She said overall her most popular client requests of 2021 have been for the “fresh face” look. Because she owns her own business, Latara said she gets to spend more time with her kids. “My personal life can be a Lifetime story, but through God all things are possible. I’m a mother of three - two boys and one girl who keep me active and young looking. I’m a strong activist for women empowerment and self-growth. I believe that women are the backbone of a nation and can do anything,” she said. “Being a young mother, I was forced to focus on providing while still trying to better myself. And now that I’m able to call my own shots, I can take time for my kids. Although my boys are now young men, I can still be a good listener (for them), and with my little girl, who is just two years old, I can be that protector and mother that I desire to be for her, especially during these kinds of times.”
LATARA Pratt launches her Raj Beauty makeup and skincare line.
She believes having a positive mindset is the only way to make it when running your own business. “I’ve also became a person that most of my clients confide in and vent to because we built that kind of relationship. Most of my clients are like family, and when they are happy, I’m happy,” she said.
10 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, November 19, 2021
drinks
A sip of
paradise By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net
T
he “Bahamian experience in liquid form” is what Shauna Ferguson hopes to offer her customers with her new brand of cocktails, Bahamadise Cocktails. Like so many Bahamians, Shauana - who is mainly a makeup artist and hairstylist - was forced to get creative and came up with this new business venture last year during the height of the pandemic. “This idea of Bahamadise was born at the peak of the pandemic in the spring of 2020 where I started to mix drinks for my family just for fun.
As time went on, they gave me the motivation to dive into it more and it turned what started out as pleasure into a business,” she told Tribune Weekend. The brand, whose name is a play on the words Bahamas and paradise, hopes to offer just that: a taste of paradise in a glass. Bahamadise Cocktails offers six specialty cocktails as well as rum cakes. While the cocktails began solely with the ‘Sky Juice’ flavour, Shauna has expanded the business to include specialty flavours such as pumpkin spice, eggnog, Bailey’s,
BAHAMADISE’s Peaches and Cream coffee, peaches and cream, and guava duff. “What makes our product stand out would be the basis of our ingredient, coconut rum… which that stands out in each flavour and makes the cocktails even more special,” she said. But beyond the coconut rum, Shauna believes the secret ingredient which has been keeping customers come back for more is the love, creativity and passion she puts into creating each drink. Shauna hopes to one day see her cocktails sold at the hotels, on cruise ships and airplanes, and in local and international markets. To find out more about Bahamadise Cocktails, contact Shauna at (242) 824-4328 or e-mail her at bahamadisecockBAHAMADISE owner Shauna Ferguson tails@gmail.com.
The Tribune | Weekend | 11
Friday, November 19, 2021
gardening
November notes Good day, gardeners! The slight dip in temperatures and the decreasing daylight hours are a trigger for some fruit trees to put on a final growth flush of foliage, if they are thriving. Healthy citrus and mango can give a push of leaves in mid-November, typically followed by the setting up of the flowering stage. It is almost getting a bit late to prune either of these, but I continue to do so until the end of November, although I am only pinching new buds if a pest gets to the point of causing leaf damage. Mature trees have mostly finished their last flush but many trees around the island are particularly full of foliage this year due to the lack of any serious winds, thankfully. This may create a need to thin trees out to create more light for plants underneath, or to increase airflow through the tree. I have been doing one last pruning for plant or tree branching structure this week, setting the pattern for desirable outward or upward growth instead of inward or downward growth, unless, of course, that is desired (espalier, reducing height of fruit to pick). Generally, inward or downward growth is detrimental to overall plant or tree strength and structure. Cutting to the correct node is important then pruning fruit trees, and also for tomato plants. Nodes are the point of branching on a stem, where the leaf is attached to the stem and new buds emerge from. The direction that the leaf stem points, is generally the direction that the bud will also grow in. If a leaf is pointing outwards, new growth will grow outwards. If the leaf is pointing inwards, new growth will grow inwards. I top pinch my indeterminate tomato plants to control the height, to increase strength of the main stem, and to promote fruiting lower down towards the center of gravity (less need for supports). When walking past tomatoes, I pinch off the growing part of the plant above the highest flower cluster or leaf node at around waist or shoulder height (depending on growing conditions, ground, container, trellised, tied up, etcetera). This allows for a sturdier plant and yields more than enough tomatoes for my purpose, per plant. Seed packets or
ROOT vegetables like onions can now be planted vendors can tell you whether your tomato is determinate or indeterminate. Determinate is a bush type tomato that can be far more manageable for folks with minimal time to tend the plants. Indeterminate tomato plants will require support to remain upright, many of the favorites are indeterminate and will take a little more attention than determinate types. Fruit trees require less water now than a few months ago, but the winds that we get through the winter months will hasten drying rates on fruit trees, veggies, and landscape plants. Supplemental watering may be required, although at less of a rate than in the hot months. Mulch is beneficial to trees and tomatoes alike, as it helps prevent the ground or containers from drying out as fast and it places organic matter back into the soil. I am hustling to get nutrients onto plants that are flushing with a last push of new growth or that have used up the available nutrients applied a few months ago to make the best of this
growth flush, but at a reduced rate, before things slow down through the winter months when less nutrients are being used. Growing your own vegetables, herbs and edibles is much easier at this time of year. Root vegetables are happy being planted now, carrots, beets and onions, for example. Sweet potato and cassava can be planted anytime. Remember to keep a regular schedule for watering tomato plants. Irregular watering or overwatering leads to calcium being locked up in the soil and unavailable for use by the roots for transport to the fruit, which in turn leads to blossom end rot. No, Epsom salts do not cure this. There cure is found in adjusting watering schedules to maintain a not dry but a not saturated planting media, or by changing or amending the media to a more suitable mix whether in the ground or in containers. Annuals ought to be thriving by now, I am running behind on annuals due to supply issues of media and pots. When planting annuals, think towards March or
May when the sun is higher in the sky, most annuals prefer a bit of shade, and it helps to extend their life cycle. What is in the shade now, may not be shaded once the vernal equinox passes in the third week in March. Tender leafy greens and vegetables thrive from mid-November until around May. Leaves will stay a bit more tender when grown in a little shade as compared to the full sun. As always, I wish you happy gardening. • 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. at gardening242@gmail.com.
12 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, November 19, 2021
literary lives - Marian Engel (1933 - 1985)
The woman who wrote the ‘most controversial novel’ in Canadian history Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about the Canadian novelist who was a founding member of the Writers’ Union of Canada, but broke conservative tradition and wrote a controversial tale of erotic love between a librarian and a bear. - Marian Engel
“Remember that it is not enough to have everything around you beautiful, remember that there must also be change and flux, because it is through change that we pretend that we can make decisions, and keep our pride, and go on pretending that both change and choice exist.” - Marian Engel Marian Engel was born Marian Ruth Passmore on May 24, 1933, in Toronto, Canada, and lived the first years of her life in foster care before being adopted by Frederick Searle and Mary (Fletcher) Passmore. Her father taught auto mechanics, being given teaching positions at schools stretching across southwestern Ontario. Her family moved constantly and Engel spent her childhood in Port Arthur, Brantford, Galt, Hamilton and Sarnia. Influenced by her father, she graduated from the Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School, but in 1955 obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Language Studies at McMaster University, and completed a Master of Arts in Canadian Literature at McGill University in 1957. Her Master of Arts supervisor at McGill University was the Canadian author Hugh MacLennan, with whom she corresponded until her death. “Happiness is a fragile thing and alcohol, as I know from the house I grew up in, is dangerous to it.”
In 1960, Engel was awarded a Rotary Foundation Scholarship and spent a year studying French Literature at the Université d’Aix-Marseille in Aix-en-Provence, France. The following year she worked in England as a translator, and began work on her unpublished manuscript Women Travelling Alone. While in England, she met and married Howard Engel, a mystery novel writer and a radio producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. They married in England, but returned to Toronto in 1964 where they began to raise a family – twin children: William Lucas Passmore and Charlotte Helen Arabella. It was in Toronto that Engel decided to pursue a writing career. She separated from her husband in 1975 and divorced in 1977. “I have tried and failed to lead a conventional life. When I try to be like other people, I fall out of bed.” - Marian Engel Before returning to Toronto, Engel taught briefly (1957-1958) at The Study in Montreal, as well as at McGill University. She was writer-inresidence at the University of Alberta from 1977 to 1978, and secured a similar position at the University of Toronto from 1980 to 1982. Engel was a passionate activist for the rights of Canadian writers on the national and international stage. She was the first Chair of the Writers’ Union of Canada in 1973, hosting early meetings in her Toronto home. She also helped
instigate the Public Lending Right Commission as a Trustee on the Toronto Public Library Board from 1975 to 1978. She served on the City of Toronto Book Award from 1975 to 1977 and was on the Committee and the Canadian Book and Periodical Development Council. Pensions for writers and royalties from library loans were two of the issues Engel championed. She argued that authors are expected to live off that vaporous substance “prestige” and suggested that the uncompensated use of Canadian writers work was a violation of copyright. Marian Engel’s first published novel No Clouds of Glory was published in 1968; and later issued in the United States as Sarah Bastard’s Notebook (1974). The work challenged traditional notions of female identity by using a fragmented approach to the subjective narrative that mirrored entries in a notebook. Inside the Easter Egg (1975) and The Tattooed Woman were collections of short stories. Some of these had originally been written for Robert Weaver’s Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio programme Anthology. The novel JOANNE: The Last Days of a Modern Marriage was originally commissioned as a radio novel for CBC for the programme This Country in the Morning. In addition to her novels Engel wrote two children’s books: Adventures of Moon Bay Towers (1974) and My Name is not Odessa Yarker (1977). She was an avid journal keeper and she used them primarily as a repository for memories and details from which she drew her fiction. In later years this material was edited and published as Marian Engel’s notebook: ‘Ah, mon cahier, écoute ...’
The Tribune | Weekend |13
Friday, November 19, 2021 Engel’s most famous and controversial novel was Bear (1976), a tale of erotic love between a librarian and a bear. Her first editor at Harcourt Brace rejected the manuscript, noting that:
Almost all of Engel’s story takes place in or around an old, octagonal house on a small island – Cary’s Island – on a remote lake – north of Highway 17, past Fisher’s Falls near the Northern Ontario village of Brady.
She delves deeper into the library and discovers scraps of bear folklore and studies collected by the Colonel, which inspire her spiritually.
The octagonal house and island estate which previously belonged to the Cary family is called “Pennarth” (the Welsh Gaelic work for “Bear’s Engel wrote her novel Head”). As the during an uncomfortable, author explains, busy and tumultuous the octagotime in her life. In 1973, nal house was she had started the Writinspired by the ers’ Union of Canada writings of Orson in her home in Toronto, Squire Fowler and was elected as its and probably first Chairperson. She dates back to was raising twin children the 1850s. The and going through a orderly, and intripainful divorce. At the cately decorated time she was undergoing ‘Bear’ was released to acclaim and controversy in house contains an regular psychotherapy ses- 1976 extensive library of sions and worried about her nineteenth century mental health. books. Behind the house are several smaller buildings, including one She started writing hoping to contribute to a shed that is the lair of a large, semi-tame bear. collection of erotic work by other serious writers which, because of lack of funding, did not make The novel revolves around the 27-year-old it to publication. Initially she only had a 31-page librarian Lou, who has been given the job of draft but, in time, she developed it into the 141page novel. Part of the inspiration for the book documenting the entire library and contents of the was derived from the First Nations legend The house which has been donated to her employer Bear Princess, as recorded by folklorist Marius – the Heritage Institute. Withdrawing from a Barbeau. The story was then suggested to the humdrum and monotonous life in Toronto, Lou writer by the Haida artist Bill Reid. Early titles for savours the opportunity to work in the isolation of the book included The Bear of Pennarth and The Cary’s Island. She studies and catalogues the great Dog of Gods. library and becomes deeply involved with her work. Slowly and carefully, she begins to approach Although initially rejected by Harcourt Brace, the island’s resident bear, who was a pet of the late fellow Canadian author Robertson Davies praised Colonel. the book to McClelland and Stewart editors, and Engel started a lifelong friendship with company Lonely and detached, she begins an intermitpresident Jack McClelland. The first printing was tent sexual relationship with the estate’s caretaker, released in Toronto in May 1976. Homer Campbell. She also, aided by an elderly First Nations woman, gains the confidence of the * * * bear. Marian Engel’s classic book Bear takes place in “It gave her a strange peace to sit beside him. It the district of Algoma in northeastern Ontario. was if the bear, like the books, knew generations of It is a heavily wooded area with a natural mix of secrets, but he had no need to reveal them.” deciduous and conifer forests. This part of the Canadian Shield is a district that has many lakes - Marian Engel and rivers. Bear
- Marian Engel Bear
The novel was eventually published by McClelland and Stewart after being championed by the author Robertson Davies. It won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction in 1976. It was Engel’s fifth novel, and is her most famous. The story of a lonely librarian in northern Ontario who enters into a relationship with a bear.
As Lou approaches the end of her contractual work with the Heritage Institute the bear follows her to the riverbank. “It was the night of the falling stars ... They swam in the still black water. They did not play. They were serious that night. They swam in circles around each other very solemnly. Then they went to the shore, and instead of shaking himself on her, he lay beside her and licked the water from her body.”
Her bond with the bear is altered, and Lou leaves the island with a sense of renewal. *
*
*
The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that the book has been called “the most controversial novel ever written in Canada, and the notoriety around its subject matter brought Engel to national attention for the first time. Engel’s writing craft was admired, The Globe and Mail noting her “fine use of understatement, control and economy”. The book was received favourably outside of Canada as well; the Times Literary Supplement in London wrote a positive review. The 1976 Governor General’s Literary Award Jury, which included authors Margaret Laurence, Alice Munro, and Mordecai Richler awarded Bear its English-language Fiction Award, one of the highest literary prizes in the country. Marian Engel’s future writing illustrated contemporary life with a focus on the day to day experiences of women. She described her work as an exploration of “how to deal with an imperfect world when you have been brought up to look for perfection”. Doubled identities were commonly used to illustrate the challenge of traditional gender roles and the imagined possibility of the “other”. Engel went on to publish five other books: My Name is Odessa Yarker (1977); The Glassy Seas (1979); Lunatic Villas (1981); and The Tattooed Woman (1985). She died in Toronto of cancer on February 16, 1985. Elizabeth and the Golden City, the novel Engel was working on at the time of her death, was left unfinished. It was incorporated into Marian and the Major: Engel’s Elizabeth and the Golden City by Chrystyl Verduyn and published in 2010. • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; Lifelines: Marian Engel’s Writings (1995) by Christyl Verduyn; and Marian Engel by Jean Wilson: The Canadian Encyclopedia Historica Canada (2019).
14 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, November 19, 2021
history
How the salt trade shaped Turks and Caicos
S
everal readers have asked about the early history of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and I could think of no better source than the 2002 thesis The Politics of Salt by Patrice M Williams, Director of the Bahamas Department of Archives. Like it or not, the Americas came to the notice of Europeans with the landfall of Columbus. “His encounter with Amerindians was of mammoth importance to history, as it signalled the advent of written history…[but] due to a lack of written language, much of their history has been lost.” Jumping forward, Bermuda was settled before the Bahamas, but in 1648 a group of beleaguered British Puritans, who were fleeing from religious persecution such as prohibition against assembly and preaching in Bermuda, set sail for the Bahamas. These Eleutherian Adventures became the first Europeans to successfully occupy the Bahamas. In the 1670s, an unknown Bermudian captain ‘discovered’ the Turks Islands and claimed them for Bermuda. Their prolific salt ponds became an asset to Bermuda. Salt was used to cure leather, as a preservative and as a curing agent for fish and meat, worldwide. The Bermudian settlers sold their salt to Britain’s 13 colonies in North America.Because of its extensive fisheries, New England required large quantities of salt. “Between 1678 and 1710, hundreds of Bermudians migrated to the Turks Island to rake salt…at first, the visits were seasonal…salt rakers left Bermuda in April and returned in November.” The salt trade became very profitable, so the Bermudians established a small settlement on Turks Island. “Life on Turks Island was hard for the immigrants. In 1764, they occupied ‘little huts, covered with leaves; their whole wardrobe consists of a straw hat, a check shirt and a pair of ordinary trousers.” “During the 17th and early 18th centuries, there was no sort of government on Turks Island…the inhabitants paid taxes to Bermuda…
TURKS and Caicos islanders engaged in the salt trade. Late 19th-century postcard.
PAUL C ARANHA
FORGOTTEN FACTS POLITICS OF SALT the salt-rakers considered themselves subject only to the laws of Bermuda.” In a letter to the Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, John Tinker
(Governor of the Bahamas from 1741 to 1758), stated that the Turks and Caicos Islands were not included in the commission of any British governor, leaving them open for any country to claim. In 1740, Tinker had asked to have them included in his commission, but he was met with opposition from Bermuda’s agent.
“In the 18th and 19th centuries, the nation that had naval supremacy benefitted in the New World.” To make their shipping safe, Britain, France and Spain sought possession of any strategicallylocated territories – including the Bahama Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands. “Between 1703 and 1713, the Bahamas was plundered and destroyed 34 times, by French and Spanish forces.” There were so many wars between various European powers and so many islands changed hands, more than once, until, in 1764, King George III (1760-1820) “issued an Order-in-Council which stated that the Turks and Caicos Islands were, geographically and politically a part of the Bahama Islands.” This ‘marriage’ of the two island groups was never a happy one and, as I wrote in Forgotten Facts of October 8, 2021, a ‘divorce’ was granted on Christmas Day 1848. • For questions and comments, please send an e-mail to islandairman@gmail.com
The Tribune | Weekend | 15
Friday, November 19, 2021
animals
Rainbow Bridge calling again
W
ell, this certainly has been a very busy period for us up here. Sadly, for you humans, quite a few fur babies have crossed over and put on their forever wings. Also, sad to say, so have quite a few humans (sad for you that is). The pets who are reunited with their owners are so excited that you would love to see how they greet each other, Mum… talk about happy. Once the human gets to the Rainbow Bridge, then of course the fur babies move on to heaven with the human and settle into eternity with them. Like everything else up here, it is all beautifully organised. Mum, we need to talk. I have caught you crying tears several times since my last report from here. I know it was not an easy time when I had to leave you, but Mum, you know that we dogs do not live as long as you humans. There are several reasons for this: Mainly because dogs are as close to perfect as you can get, so we do not need to be on earth for as long as you do, to do good stuff or create a legacy to leave behind. We have mastered the gift of unconditional love pretty well.We also do not carry grudges. Just look how a dog who has been treated badly by a human will still trust another human after the initial test of time. I explained to you that under normal circumstances we would be born with our angel wings, but it was decided many, many dog years ago that humans would have a really tough time getting their minds around us
PET OF THE WEEK
A mature lady as a comfort and companion By The Bahamas Humane Society
PHOTO/STEPHANIE HICKMAN
Animal matters Kim Aranha
having wings, so we keep them invisible until we get up here. Besides, they would get caught if we were to dig under a bush or run through hedges or the forest. We dogs frequently choose which humans to go to when we see what they need. Everybody needs a fur baby to hear their problems, share their joys, sit with when they are lonely. We don’t mind if you have make-up on or did your hair, we don’t care what party you vote for or if you did well in school. All we want from a human is that they treat us kindly, and we do need love. Love is essential for all pets. We will never reach our full
Hazel’s been at the shelter for a very long time. This lovely senior lady is fully housebroken and would love to find a new home of her own (she had one but her owner was unable to take her when they moved). She’s good with most other dogs, not so much with cats, but really wouldn’t mind life as a solo pooch. Have you considered adopting an older dog? None of those puppy antics to cope with! If so, call the Bahamas Humane Society at 323-5138 to find out more potential if we are not loved. We will survive, but you will never see out real personalities if you don’t give us that required love. I got so much love in my life that I became a real force to recon with. My personality shone, if I may say so myself. I made my mark everywhere I went and that’s what makes it so difficult for you to let go. Mum. (I know you are getting all teary while you write this for me). All those families out there who have lost a fur friend, I hear you, we are so special that when we are gone we leave a distinct hole in your lives. I get it. So do you know the best way
about Hazel. Hazel looks forward to meeting you! • Groceries. BPL. BTC. Geoffrey Jones. Cooking gas. Keshon’s Fashions. Kelly’s. Car gas. Aquapure. D’Albenas. Which of the ten fabulous prizes in the BHS Raffle are you hoping to win? You’ll need a ticket (or two or more) to have a chance! Get yours today at the BHS or at Fox Hill Nursery. Single tickets are $5 or a book of 21 for $100. To borrow a phrase, you can’t win if you don’t play! to honour our passing is to adopt a shelter pet who needs love and a good home? Please never feel that you can’t cope with the pain again. So you don’t want another pet…that is really not a good attitude. The greatest compliment you can pay a fur baby up at Rainbow Bridge is for us to see you looking for a new friend, we will be right beside you while you make the choice, we will even nudge you towards your new and right family member. I know, Mum, you still have my three “brothers” and one ”sister”, so I am not pushing you…. yet. I ask people to remember that the best dogs and cats ever come from shelters. We are smart, we are grateful, we know how bad things can get out there so we throw ourselves into our new homes with great enthusiasm and boy can we lov. Then the cycle starts again. We leave you for Rainbow Bridge and you save another needy shelter animal. Of course, the other thing that distresses me a great deal is that there are so many cats and dogs in our shelter in Nassau looking for homes. We have to get a handle on that soon. That is really for another message from the Bridge. Mum, dry those tears and remember I had an amazing life. I taught you many things. I was there to show you the true meaning of loyalty and forgiving. I was by your side when things made you sad and I wagged with you when you were super happy. I slept at you side, and loved you every day. It was wonderful, but my time had come.
16 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, November 19, 2021