Creative Writing Workshop
Saturday, March 29, 2014 / 9:00 a. m.–12:00 M.
Richardson Seminar Center, English Department, Saint John University
Dr. Opal Palmer Adisa, a well-known Caribbean writer, a charming woman from Jamaica. Opal now divides her time between St. Croix, Virgin islands and Oakland, California where she is a professor at the California College of the Arts. She has been a resident artist at the McColl Center for Visual Arts, North Carolina; the Sacatar Institute in Brazil; and El Gouna, in Egypt.
Up to this day, she has published fourteen books of poetry, stories and essays. You can reach her or read more about her on www.opalpalmeradisa.com
Opal Palmer Adisa, una artista natural. Poeta, ‘performera’ encantadora que logra inspirar con sus dones y talento. Posee la habilidad de hacer que la gente se conecte con su ser interno y lo pueda desbordar, compartiendo ese momento íntimo que acaba de aflorar, en la creación de la pieza que se está trabajando en ese momento.
“Estábamos maravillados. Qué deleite, qué suculento manjar el que compartiste con todos nosotros. Lo que provocaste en cada uno es pura vibración de lo profundo”.
Tus elocuentes historias transportan, así como se desplaza el sonido en la distancia, esperando encontrar un oído receptor que lo acoja, que lo acune y finalmente logre crear sonidos propios que resuenen nuevamente en las distancias. Gracias por los mensajes ocultos y por los develados con tu pasión. El equipo de STANZA te agradece, por todo lo compartido, por lo aprendido…
(Nota: Para el significado del vocabulario contenido en el resto del artículo, ver el glosario incluido al final.)
Adombe, gangá, mondé
Workshop exercises
First exercise: Poem
“About the way you want to be kissed and never had been before”
Reflecting on That Kiss, a poem by Sandra García Rivera, Puerto Rican writer, Caribbean Exotica
What I want
A kiss…
That’s what I want you to bring me.
I know what you are able to create.
You can make me a masterpiece.
Like my favorite symphony
The sound of a flute
like a bird singing.
Build me a honey sweet kiss.
Keep it safe till we kiss,
If you need to write about it,
please do so.
If you have to go to sleep,
dream it, do so.
If you have to fly far, far away,
get your wings purpled feathered
and depart from my side, but…
Don’t wake me up yet.
Let me sleep,
let me dream that I am at the port
where you will be touching the land
you just dreamed.
I’ll be waiting for you.
Bring me the kiss I want.
Bring it in a little embossed silver box.
Open it
pour it all over me,
and kiss me with the kiss you just brought.
Stay with me,
keep me company.
Second exercise: Prose
“Imagining an intense-intimate scene with a stranger in a public space”
Inspiring and reflecting on Tangelo, a story by Michelle Remy,
Caribbean Exotica
‘Actually, I wasn’t ready’
Actually, on a Sunday, church day… I wasn’t ready for hunting. I was entering the book-shop when my cellphone started ringing. As I answered the call I looked at the book isles and there you where, looking at me, watching my moves. Actually, on a Sunday, I wasn’t ready, but I fell for it. I looked at you and in a glimpse, I took in all the details I could, to begin tasting a kind of experience I had never had before.
I said to myself, don’t fight it. Even on a Sunday afternoon? I like you and I know you desire me. I see it in you. The way you are moving now, from one isle to another, faking interest in the books. But my phone conversation goes on and on, even though I hesitate to end it… that I did. I just let the caller know I was compromised and couldn’t continue on the phone. We said goodbye and…
…there I went, I walked toward you. You smiled at me and I answered with a deep look at you, getting closer and closer. When I was near you, I introduced myself. How are you doing? You answered, I’m fine, I hope you are too…
GLOSARIO
1.cumbancha - fiesta
2.Burundanga – mezcla de cosas heterogéneas
3.calalú – sopa negra hecha de quimbombó y vegetales, comida del santo
4.funche – plato a base de harina de maíz
5.calenda – Baile sensual de los negros esclavos de las Antillas
6.candombe – baile y fiesta de negros
7.bembé – reunión o fiesta de los negros mayomberos, se prepara la comida del santo
8.bámbula – danza negra
9.bomba – baile de negros
10.rumba – baile cubano
10.bachata – fiesta, juerga
11.balele – fiesta de negros de Fernando Póo
12.adombe, gangá, mondé – ahora vamos a bailar, ahora vamos a comer
13.junjún – tambor tradicionalmente acompañado por el djembes (se le conoce como el tambor sanador) uno de los más poderosos tambores junto al ashiko, un tambor de frecuencia más suave
14.carato – refresco hecho de la pulpa de la guanábana
15.mana – poder, fuerza sobrenatural
16.mariyandá – baile de negros
17.muñanga – alma, espíritu, poder mágico entre los negros
18.parejero – presumido, se aplica al mulato que pretende lo que no es
19.ñeque – tener fuerza sobrenatural positiva
20.coquí, cocó, cucú – voces onomatopéyicas
21.tucutú, tocotó, tumcutum – voces onomatopéyicas
22.cafolé – café au lait, café con leche, lo mulato
*Un brindis por ti Opal, coquí, cocó, cucú o mejor dicho tucutú, tocotó, tumcutum. Todo el equipo de cafolé, los café au lait (mulatos) de STANZA.
Richardson Seminar Center, English Department, Saint John University
Dr. Opal Palmer Adisa, a well-known Caribbean writer, a charming woman from Jamaica. Opal now divides her time between St. Croix, Virgin islands and Oakland, California where she is a professor at the California College of the Arts. She has been a resident artist at the McColl Center for Visual Arts, North Carolina; the Sacatar Institute in Brazil; and El Gouna, in Egypt.
Up to this day, she has published fourteen books of poetry, stories and essays. You can reach her or read more about her on www.opalpalmeradisa.com
 |
| Desde el primer momento nos conectámos |
“Estábamos maravillados. Qué deleite, qué suculento manjar el que compartiste con todos nosotros. Lo que provocaste en cada uno es pura vibración de lo profundo”.
Tus elocuentes historias transportan, así como se desplaza el sonido en la distancia, esperando encontrar un oído receptor que lo acoja, que lo acune y finalmente logre crear sonidos propios que resuenen nuevamente en las distancias. Gracias por los mensajes ocultos y por los develados con tu pasión. El equipo de STANZA te agradece, por todo lo compartido, por lo aprendido…
 |
| Junjún y gongos |
Adombe, gangá, mondé
…“Por la cumbancha, por la exquisita burundanga, el calalú y el funche que nos serviste y que muy bien aprovechamos y digerimos en tan poco tiempo. Por la calenda, el candombe, el bembé, la bámbula, la bomba, la rumba y la bachata”.Ahora podemos decir, balele o como en una canción para bailarla, de los negros esclavos de Puerto Rico: adombe gangá, mondé (ahora vamos a bailar o ahora vamos a comer). Para ti, todos los gongos posibles tocan a tu ritmo una sinfonía de amor, y el junjún les acompaña junto al djembes y al ashiko que siempre resuenan unidos, para que te sirva de refresco, de carato, de oasis en tu travesía, y te otorguen el mana necesario para continuar tu mariyandá y siga levantándote, muñanga, sin lo parejero, con la autoridad de tu ñeque.
Workshop exercises
First exercise: Poem
“About the way you want to be kissed and never had been before”
Reflecting on That Kiss, a poem by Sandra García Rivera, Puerto Rican writer, Caribbean Exotica
What I want
A kiss…
That’s what I want you to bring me.
I know what you are able to create.
You can make me a masterpiece.
Like my favorite symphony
The sound of a flute
like a bird singing.
Build me a honey sweet kiss.
Keep it safe till we kiss,
If you need to write about it,
please do so.
If you have to go to sleep,
dream it, do so.
 |
| Don't wake me up, I'll be waiting for you. |
get your wings purpled feathered
and depart from my side, but…
Don’t wake me up yet.
Let me sleep,
let me dream that I am at the port
where you will be touching the land
you just dreamed.
I’ll be waiting for you.
Bring me the kiss I want.
Bring it in a little embossed silver box.
Open it
pour it all over me,
and kiss me with the kiss you just brought.
Stay with me,
keep me company.
 |
| Historias Íntimas compartidas |
“Imagining an intense-intimate scene with a stranger in a public space”
Inspiring and reflecting on Tangelo, a story by Michelle Remy,
Caribbean Exotica
‘Actually, I wasn’t ready’
Actually, on a Sunday, church day… I wasn’t ready for hunting. I was entering the book-shop when my cellphone started ringing. As I answered the call I looked at the book isles and there you where, looking at me, watching my moves. Actually, on a Sunday, I wasn’t ready, but I fell for it. I looked at you and in a glimpse, I took in all the details I could, to begin tasting a kind of experience I had never had before.
I said to myself, don’t fight it. Even on a Sunday afternoon? I like you and I know you desire me. I see it in you. The way you are moving now, from one isle to another, faking interest in the books. But my phone conversation goes on and on, even though I hesitate to end it… that I did. I just let the caller know I was compromised and couldn’t continue on the phone. We said goodbye and…
…there I went, I walked toward you. You smiled at me and I answered with a deep look at you, getting closer and closer. When I was near you, I introduced myself. How are you doing? You answered, I’m fine, I hope you are too…
 |
| Djembes, acompaña al junjún |
1.cumbancha - fiesta
2.Burundanga – mezcla de cosas heterogéneas
3.calalú – sopa negra hecha de quimbombó y vegetales, comida del santo
4.funche – plato a base de harina de maíz
5.calenda – Baile sensual de los negros esclavos de las Antillas
6.candombe – baile y fiesta de negros
7.bembé – reunión o fiesta de los negros mayomberos, se prepara la comida del santo
8.bámbula – danza negra
9.bomba – baile de negros
10.rumba – baile cubano
10.bachata – fiesta, juerga
11.balele – fiesta de negros de Fernando Póo
12.adombe, gangá, mondé – ahora vamos a bailar, ahora vamos a comer
13.junjún – tambor tradicionalmente acompañado por el djembes (se le conoce como el tambor sanador) uno de los más poderosos tambores junto al ashiko, un tambor de frecuencia más suave
14.carato – refresco hecho de la pulpa de la guanábana
15.mana – poder, fuerza sobrenatural
16.mariyandá – baile de negros
17.muñanga – alma, espíritu, poder mágico entre los negros
18.parejero – presumido, se aplica al mulato que pretende lo que no es
19.ñeque – tener fuerza sobrenatural positiva
20.coquí, cocó, cucú – voces onomatopéyicas
21.tucutú, tocotó, tumcutum – voces onomatopéyicas
22.cafolé – café au lait, café con leche, lo mulato
*Un brindis por ti Opal, coquí, cocó, cucú o mejor dicho tucutú, tocotó, tumcutum. Todo el equipo de cafolé, los café au lait (mulatos) de STANZA.
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