The Political Weaponization of Toni Morrison’s Beloved
In 1968 the Jamaican government banned books with “radical” content, including the Autobiography of Malcom X. Not long after my elder cousin Vivia Heron, an avid reader since early childhood and then a college student on the island, immigrated toRead the Rest »
Jamaica Dispatch III: The Road Home from Kingston to Montego Bay
The road from Kingston to Montego Bay was laced with fallen power lines. Many of the poles that once held them were twisted at strange angles—as if they couldn’t decide whether to lie down or just tilt over for rest;Read the Rest »
Jamaica Dispatch II
My heart dropped to my feet as the building manager of my new apartment in Montego Bay told me that the plant had been ravaged by the storm. There was, in his words, “lots of damage,” and most of theRead the Rest »
A Jamerican Reflects on Melissa Wreaking Havoc on Her Island
By the time you read this Hurricane Melissa will have clobbered the beautiful island of Jamaica. I repatriated here, if you can call it that—seeking refuge earlier this year from a mean, bigoted and incoherent America that is now unrecognizableRead the Rest »
American Runaway, Part II: the Caribbean
On Thursday morning I was doing laps in the pool, trying to get back into my exercise routine after a bruising several weeks. A few minutes in, I was stopped by an older white man in the next lane, whoRead the Rest »
How the Ugly American Became President—Again
Donald, who made his image as a reality star, looms large in a number of scenes: 1) May 2017: He shoves NATO leader Prime Minister Dusko Markovic of Montenegro out of the way before a picture taking session at theRead the Rest »
I Am Not Ready to Back Down: A Democratic Voter Remains Unflappable After Trump’s Assassination Attempt
On April 2, 2024, I reported Donald J. Trump to the FBI as an imminent threat to the President of the United States. Why? At a time when world leaders were sharing Easter messages of renewal, rebirth and love forRead the Rest »
Why I Refuse to Watch the Footage of Tyre Nichols
I made the decision not to view the tape of Tyre Nichols being beaten by police officers. A brutalized Black body as ratings and click bait for the infotainment complex and for those immune to violence is not entertaining toRead the Rest »
Tony from Santorini and Other Notes on a Trip to Greece
This past summer I was on Kamari beach in Santorini, Greece, with two friends, one old and one new. We were New Yorkers seeking respite from our city, our state and even our country when I met Tony. He, a BlackRead the Rest »
New Yorkers Must Pry Our State Out of the Reach of Seditionist Lee Zeldin
New Yorkers, you’re kidding me now! Liar and seditionist Lee Zeldin is within striking distance of our state’s highest office? How did this happen? Democrats are two to one Republican in New York. So, is it apathy, the idea thatRead the Rest »
Jamaica Farewell: A Jamerican Reflects on the Outsourcing of the Island
On my recent trip to Jamaica from New York, I was surprised by how much—or perhaps how much more—of the island has been sold to foreign interests since my last visit several years ago. Outsourcing is a global issue, butRead the Rest »
