Hello Gentle Reader,
Haiti is a Caribbean country that summons notions of chaos, violence, voodoo, and a history of slavery and revolution. This complexity of history, African diasporic perspective, and contemporary chaos were refracted continuously through artistic, literary and dramatic expression by the nations foremost master of letters, Frankétienn, whose debut novel (“Dézafi,”) was written exclusively in Haitian Creole, and has since died at 88 years old at his home in Port-au-Prince. Frankétienne was a prolific writer, poet, and painter, and three often intertwined themselves within a single work, which often embraced and made shape to the chaos of the small tumultuous Caribbean nation, whose defining atmosphere is often described as violence, disorder, and anarchy. Yet, when discussing the notion of chaos, Frankétienne took a poet turned philosopher perspective, waxing on chaos being the progenitor of light, but aired caution to the Haitian problem, whereby the chaos reported by the world, was not necessarily chaos in its primordial form, but a lack of management which was ultimately the problem. While not well known within the English language, Frankétienne was a renowned figure in French and Creole readers. Frankétienne’s debut novel “Dézafi,” which is translated as “Cockfight,” proved to be monumental in capsulating Haitian Creole as a codified literary language. The novel is experimental, spiraling, and looping in form, taking inspiration and practice from the 1960’s Haitian literary movement, Spiralism, which was founded and promoted by fellow Haitian writers René Philoctète and Jean-Claude Fignolé. The goal of Spiralism was to orchestrate and self-perpetuate a sense of personal chaos to ignite and reignite a sense of creativity. Additionally, the novel incorporated elements of magical realism and oral storytelling. “Dézafi,” remains a milestone for Haitian literature for capturing Haitian Creole, but also for its political and allegorical dimensions, and practice of Spiralism, which informs the culture and political attitudes of Haiti. The play “Pelin Tet,” was a biting critique of Haitian dictator Baby Doc. Despite political authoritarianism and natural disasters which pommeled the nation, Frankétienne remained as Haiti was both muse and home, and in a self-prophesying manner, Frankétienne understood his work were to complex and Baroque to both or get the attention of the autocratic government. Readings, interviews, and events involving Frankétienne were equally regarded for their sporadic and performative nature, which further expanded and exemplified the writer’s interest in channeling personal chaos and redirecting it to a new creative expression. Frankétienne was also viewed as a dark horse candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, often whispered about as an obscure writer which the Swedish Academy had a certain proclivity to award and recognize, much to the chagrin of others. Frankétienn’s death will inevitably leave a large gap within the Haitian literary community, but the writers work—both in literary and artistic mediums—will continue to inspire a new generation.
Rest in Peace Frankétienne.
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
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