Poetry
Poetry
Featured Poem
Essays
Books
Rain Darling
Angel
Assorted Books
Interpretative
RainDarling
Rotten
Pomerack(Seduction)
Merle Collins
About Merle
Interview
Bio
Curriculum Vita
News
Releases
Archives
Grenada
Grenada Bio
Grenada Info
Gallery
Grenada Links
Links
Writing
Links
Other Links
Contact
Webmaster
An
Interview With Merle Collins
by Tamika Jackson
This informal interview took place at the University of Maryland next to Ms. Collins' office in a teachers lounge. Ms. Collins being a bit camera shy we don't have any pictures... so feel free to use your imagination :)
What is the significance of your name "Merle"?
"My name my parents gave me, it didn't really have any special significance. I think that they just like the name Merle. Later on I found out that Merle actually means Blackbird, and that I like."
Why did you decide on a Ph.D in Government?
"It's not really a deviation, you know, because I always had an interest in history, government, and politics. So there is always history, government, politics, and literature- that is the combination. So the literature, politics, history interest is there. Mainly after all of the tensions in Grenada I became interested in politics."
How do you feel about the U.S involvement in Grenada?
"I don't like involvements in political situations around the world generally. So, I generally oppose it. Where Grenada was concerned. . .I still cannot say that I welcome invasion because I am concious of how that kind of invasion can put people in a subservient role. I oppose any colonialism, British colonialism, so I don't want to see another chop down situation. It is in that sense that I cannot welcome invasion."
What is the difference between teaching in the U.S and teaching in Grenada?
"For one thing, I taught in high school in Grenada and then I taught university level in London and here it's just very different."
Can you describe, very briefly, your experiences with the African Dawn?
"African Dawn was a group that did poetry and music. I first met African Dawn in London, in 1980. I joined the group in '85 and members of the group were from various places-Senegal, Zimbabwe, someone from Sierra Leone, someone from Uruguay, me myself from Grenada. It was for me just a tremendous experience when I saw them perform, blending poetry with music. I spoke to them afterwards and told them that I was really excited by their work and they told me that they had heard me perform and they were excited too. So in order of that mutual excitement we decided to get together. We performed a lot throughout Britain and Europe on tours and such."
We learned that you were in the play The Trial of Dedan Kimathi. Why did you decide to act?
"That was also another interest from the time I did amateur theater in high school drama groups and later on University theater groups. I guess it's also linked to my interests in poetry and performance. I went to a couple of auditions and I had just found something in Greek Theater when I heard about this play that Ngugi wa Thiongo, the Kenyan writer, was doing. So I went to audition and I got that too and I decided I'd go for that."
Did you enjoy it? Is it something that you'd want to do again?
"Tremendously, if your directing something you can just let me know" (laughs). How do you feel about those who condemn the use of dialect? "Well, I think that 'No Dialects Please' really says it. What happened with that poem was there was actually a competition, in London, and there was at the very bottom of the page "No Dialects Please. Send your poem or essay to�" etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. So of course that irritated me and it made me want to respond. I think it shows the condemnation of dialects and it shows really a lack of knowledge f the history of languages. What is referred to as English today was once very much a dialect."
What influenced you to become a writer?
"First and foremost I think love for language. I just absolutely loved anything I was presented with in any language. So I guess that is where it all started, and later on I realized that I enjoyed storytelling. I went to the University of the West Indies and met Edward Braithwaite, who was then a lecturer in History, and his own works of poetry had just come out. I heard him read this absolutely beautiful poem. I was a young undergraduate student at that time, and he performed his poem 'The Dust', it was the first time in my experience that I heard what he called 'Nation Language'. The way he was using what we call dialect, what he now calls Nation Language, in poetry, and the rigor, the movement, the music of his voice reading his own work did tremendous things for me."
Do you have any favorite authors or writers?
"I don't like to name people. There are so many people who influence you along the way and you get something from each of them."
Where do you think the influence of your work is felt more? The United States, Britain, or Grenada?
"It is hard to say. I still know the English public better than I know the US one. In terms of numbers, when you read in Grenada your reading to smaller groups. When you read in England, you are reading to a slightly larger group of people. Then when I go to a college here I find myself reading to much larger numbers."
Do you have a favorite quote or saying?
"Something that I used in Angel, probably. 'Don't live on anyone's eyelash, so when they wink you'll fall'. You'll see it in Angel in the Caribbean dialect."
What advice do you give to aspiring writers?
"Really the most important thing is to read, to see what styles you're interested in. I also think that workshop situations could be good too. It's always a motivation for writing, but mainly read."
