Josaphat-Robert Large

Josaphat-Robert Large
Born	November 15, 1942 Jérémie, Haiti
Occupation	Poet, novelist, art critic
Notable works	Les terres entourées de larmes
Notable awards	Prix littéraire des Caraïbes (Caribbean literary Prize) in 2003, nominated for the Haitian grand Literary Prize of 2004

Large, 8 years old

Josaphat-Robert Large (born November 15, 1942 in Jérémie, Haïti) is a Haitian-American poet, novelist and art critic. His novel Les terres entourées de larmes [Shore surrounded with tears] won the prestigious Prix littéraire des Caraïbes (Caribbean literary Prize) in 2003. He was nominated for the Haitian grand Literary Prize of 2004, together with Edwidge Danticat, René Depestre, Frankétienne, Gary Klang, Dany Laferrière and Leslie Manigat (Ex President of Haiti, the winner of the Prize). Large was also one of the finalist at the Ushant' (Ouessant in French) Literary Contest in 2002.. He writes in both French and Haitian Creole. Josaphat-Robert Large is a member of " La Société des Gens de Lettres de France" (Society of French intellectuals), of the "Association des Écrivains de langue française" (Association of writers of French origin) and of the PEN Club America. Josaphat-Robert Large's work is becoming more and more important in the French literary world. The Society of French and francophone teachers of America has organized two colloquium on his literary production (specially his novels), one at Florida International University in 2001 and one at Fordham University in 2006. . Large also participated in the famous festival Étonnants-Voyageurs in 2007 and in 2008, he was one of the author in the great literary opening organized in Port-au-Prince by the Presses Nationales d'Haiti (National Press of Haiti).

Exile

Josaphat-Robert Large (September 2007)

Josaphat-Robert Large left Haiti at the end of 1963, after being arrested during a student strike against the regime of Papa Doc Duvalier. In New York, he studied English at Columbia University and photography at New York institute of Photography. He is a founding member of La Troupe de Théâtre Kouidor (Theatre group Kouidor) and frequently writes for Haitian newspapers such as Haiti Progres, Haïti en Marche, Le Nouvelliste and Lire Haiti.

Selected works

• Nerfs du vent – Compilation of Poems, Paris, 1975. Rev. ed. Publisher: Ruptures, Washington DC, 2013
• Chute de mots – Compilation of Poems, Paris, 1989
• Les sentiers de l'enfer – Novel, Paris, 1990
• Pè Sèt ! – Compilation of Poems Written in Creole, Miami, 1994, reed. 1996
• Les récoltes de la folie – Novel, Paris, 1996
• Les terres entourées de larmes – Novel, Paris, 2002
• Keep on Keepin'On, English translation of Pè Sèt ! by Jack Hirschman, iUniverse, 2006
• Rete! Kote Lamèsi – Novel written in Haitian Creole, Port-au-Prince, 2008.
• Partir sur un coursier de nuages – Novel, Paris, 2008.
• Échos en fuite – Compilation of Poems, Paris, 2010
• Istwa Nanm Mwen – Compilation of Poems Written in Haitian Creole, Port-au-Prince, 2010
• Jérémie et sa Verdoyante Grand'Anse – Photography and Poems, Coconut Creek, 2012
• Le Domic'île – Compilation of Poems, New York, 2012
• Rekot Powetik – Poems from Students of Ecole Normale de Marfranc, in French and Haitian Creole, Edited by Josaphat-R Large, Ruptures, Washington, 2013
• Mississippi Blues – Novel, published by Ruptures, Washington, D.C., 2015

Compact Discs

• Eko Dlo [LaGrandans debòde] – Poems in Creole with background music by Haitian pianist Eddy Prophète, Montréal, 2006
• 5 Années de Textes et de Chansons des Vendredis littéraires, Poems in French and in Creole by Frankétienne, Lyonel Trouillot, Claude Pierre and Josaphat-Robert Large, August 2000.

Play

• La voix du Bisaïeul – Play in French (Stage Director Max Kénol), New York July 1998
• Dany Laferriere en pyjama – Presented at United Nations (Stage Director Max Kénol), New York, February 2014
• Les colis de la traite – Play written for La Semaine des victimes de l'esclavage for United Nations, (Stage Director Max Kénol), NY 2014

Short Story

• Rosanna – Mystery fiction in "Haiti Noir", Edited by Edwidge Danticat, Akashic Books, New York, 2011
• Dark Days in Port-au-Prince, Exquisite Corpse, Part 5 by J-R Large, Part 2 by Ibi Zoboi,Part 1-6 by Roxane Gay, Part 3 by Jessica Fievre, Part 4 by K Ulysse, Akashic Books, Brooklyn, NY, 2014

Further reading

References & Studies

• Frantz-Antoine Leconte Josaphat-Robert Large, la Fragmentation de l'être. L'Harmattan, Paris, Collection Espaces littéraires, January 2009.
• Patrick Dorsainvil Josaphat-Robert Large, La grande première à New York.

DVD by Haitian Treasures, Brooklyn, 2010

Selected Articles

• Frantz-Antoine Leconte: Sur les traces de Josaphat-Robert Large, Colloquium at Fordham University, March 2006.
• Hugues St-Fort: Histoire et Discours dans les Terres entourées de larmes de J-R Large, Colloquium at Fordham University, March 2006
• Robenson Bernard: Un Roman ardent et lumineux, Le Nouvelliste, August 2008
• Jean-Claude Charles: Un vrai écrivain dans la fausse maison de Mickey Mouse, Haiti-en-Marche #13, March 1996
• Lyonel Trouillot: Lamèsi entre Rêve et Réalité, Le Matin, December 22–29, 2008

Large is able to notate his responses to Haiti's political and social oppression in fresh ways, and to reveal as well the ever-reincarnate fighting spirit of the Haitian people.

Jack Hirschman[1]

Awards

• Prix littéraire des Caraïbes 2003 [Caribbean literary Prize] given by L'Association des Ecrivains de langue française (The Association of French writers)
• Finaliste Concours Ouessant, 2002 (Finalist Ushant literary contest, in August 2002).
• Nominated for Haitian Grand Literary Prize in 2004, at the Miami Book Fair International of 2004.
• Finaliste Carbet Prize 2008 with Novel Partir sur un coursier de nuages

References

1. Hirschman, Jack (2006). Keep on Keepin'On, Preface. p. 7.

External links

• Official Site: with breath taking photos of a few cities in Haiti
• Author file at île en île (in French):
  with biography, bibliography, links and audio recording
• Poems by Josaphat-Robert Large and Félix Morisseau-Leroy translated into English, chosen by Mute Magazine of London to illustrate articles of Volume 2 #3 describing slums in places like Haiti and Brazil. Mute, volume 2 #3, August 2006.
• On a Publishers' Website in France :l'Harmattan

Videos

• Entretien avec Anthony Phelps on YouTube (Talk with Anthony Phelps) (in French)
• Bèl Fanm mewn an on YouTube (Reading of a poem in Creole by the author)
• La Plus Belle! on YouTube (Reading of a poem in French by the author)
• Entretien avec Gary Klang on YouTube (Talk with Gary Klang) (in French)
• Josaphat-Robert Large answers to the 5 questions of Île en île. A 33-minute interview with professor Thomas C. Spear of CUNY, at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, on December 9, 2009.

Sources

• Open Gate, An anthology of Haitian Creole Poetry, by Paul Laraque and Jack Hirschman, Curbstone Press, Willimantic, Connecticut, 2001. Literary criticism.
• Anthologie de la poésie haïtienne,[A Century of Haitian poets], by Rodney Saint-Eloi and Lyonel Trouillot, Mémoire d'encrier Montréal, 2003.Literary criticism
• Figures d'Haïti, [35 Poets for our time], by Jacques Rancourt, Le Temps des Cerises. Paris, 2005. Essay
• Who is Who in Haitian Diaspora, Féquière Vilsaint & Maude Heurtelou, EducaVision, Coconut Creek, 2008. Essay
• Josaphat-Robert Large, la Fragmentation de l'être, editor: Frantz-Antoine Leconte, l'Harmattan, Paris, February 2009. Essay.