When You Are Working On

Sometimes Family Members Will Ask To Be Kept Out Of Certain Things That I'm Writing, And I Try To Respect That. I'd Much Rather Have Relatives Than A Book.

This Was A "bad" Example For U.s. Slaves. Haiti Was Subjected To An Embargo From The United States, Which, Along With Many Other Countries, Refused To Recognize This New Republic.

People Often Think Of Haiti As A Place Where You're Not Supposed To Have Any Joy. I Wanted To Show That This Is A Place With Joy.

Often When You're An Immigrant Writing In English, People Think It's Primarily A Commercial Choice. But For Many Of Us, It's A Choice That Rises Out Of The Circumstances Of Our Lives. These Are The Tools I Have At My Disposal, Based On My Experiences. It's A Constant Debate, Not Just In My Community But In Other Communities As Well. Where Do You Belong? You're Kind Of One Of Us, But You Now Write In A Different Language.

I Also Know There Are Timeless Waters, Endless Seas, And Lots Of People In This World Whose Names Don't Matter To Anyone But Themselves. I Look Up At The Sky And I See You There.