Lasana M. Sekou

Lasana M. Sekou at CTO awards ceremony, New York, 2007

Lasana M. Sekou (born 12 January 1959) is a poet, short story writer, essayist, journalist, and publisher from the Caribbean island of Saint Martin.

Biography

Sekou has authored over 19 books and is considered one of the prolific Caribbean poets of his generation. Dr. Armando Lampe writes that "he’s considered the 'Walcott' of the Dutch Caribbean"[1] because of his prolific output, the range of subject matter and unique literary styling, which often includes the use of Caribbean Creole languages, Spanish, French, and Dutch — sometimes in one poem.

Sekou’s titles, such as the critically reviewed The Salt Reaper – poems from the flats[2][3][4] along with 37 Poems, Nativity, and Brotherhood of the Spurs have been required reading at Caribbean, North American, Italian, and United Kingdom universities.[5][6][7] The author is himself a graduate of Howard University (MA, Mass Communication, 1984)[8] and Stony Brook University (BA, Political Science/International Relations, 1982).[8]

Awards and honors include an International Writers Workshop Visiting Fellow (Hong Kong),[9] a James Michener Fellow (University of Miami), a knighthood (The Netherlands),[10] Recognition for literary excellence in the service of Caribbean unity (Dominican Republic),[8] Culture Time Literary Artist of the Decade,[8] and the Caribbean Tourism Organization Award of Excellence.[11]

Sekou’s poetry and reviews of his works have appeared in Callaloo,[12] The Massachusetts Review,[13] Del Caribe,[14] De Gids,[15] Das Gedicht,[16] Prometeo,[17] World Literature Today,[18] Caribbean Quarterly,[2] Postcolonial Text,[19] Jamaica Gleaner,[20][21] Caribbean Review of Books,[22] Boundary 2,[23] Harriet,[24] and Calabash.[25] His poems have been translated into Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Turkish, and Chinese.[8] Sekou has presented papers and recited his poetry at cultural and literary conferences and festivals in the Caribbean, North and South America,[26] Africa, Europe[27] and Asia. His recitals usually draw large crowds. In St. Martin he is often invited by schools, cultural organizations, and NGOs to recite his poetry and appears regularly on radio and TV discussing cultural, socio-historical, literary, and political issues.

The author’s writings are used in high schools and in carnival stage presentations.[28] He is the editor of National Symbols of St. Martin – A Primer[29] and The Independence Papers, Vol. 1;[30] and the producer of Fête – The first recording of Traditional St. Martin festive music by Tanny & The Boys.[31][32] Sekou can be heard reciting his own poetry on The Salt Reaper – Selected poems from the flats (Audio CD, 2009) with music produced by award-winning digital arts designer Angelo Rombley.[33][34]

Sekou founded House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP) in his dorm room at New York’s Stony Brook University in 1982, which has published his books (and others) since that time. He remains active as HNP’s projects director since establishing the small press in St. Martin in 1984. At House of Nehesi Publishers he secured the publication of literary luminaries and pioneers such as George Lamming,[35] Kamau Brathwaite,[36] Amiri Baraka,[37] Tishani Doshi, Shake Keane,[8][38] Chiqui Vicioso,[8][39] Howard Fergus,[8] Marion Bethel,[40] Tishani Doshi, and the Palestinian author Nidaa Khoury,[41] notable for her concept of post-monotheism. A host of first-time authors from St. Martin and other Caribbean countries and territories such as Ian Valz, Charles Borromeo Hodge, Jennie N. Wheatley, Wendy-Ann Diaz, and Laurelle Yaya Richards have also been published by HNP.[42]

In 2003, Sekou co-founded the St. Martin Book Fair with Shujah Reiph, a leading cultural activist and president of the Conscious Lyrics Foundation.[43][44]

Sekou is an advocate for the independence of St. Martin, which is a colony of France and the Netherlands.[30][45] In the 1994 and 2000 consultative constitutional status referenda that were held in the Southern or Dutch part of St. Martin, Sekou was a leading organizer and speaker for the Independence option as a member of the Independence for St. Martin Foundation, of which his brother and political scientist Joseph H. Lake, Jr., was the founding president.[8]

Works

Fiction

Poetry collections

Pamphlet

Discography

Producer

Edited publications

References

  1. ↑ Lampe, Armando. "Examen de libros por la aparición de Double Play." RMC, 10 (2000), 233–240.
  2. 1 2 Mary Hanna, " The Salt Reaper: Poems from the flats by Lasana M. Sekou" (review), Caribbean Quarterly, Vol. 55, No. 1, CARIBBEAN LITERATURE: "The Unity Is Submarine" (March, 2009), pp. 106–109. JSTOR.
  3. ↑ "The Salt Reaper : Poems from the Flats". Postcolonial.org. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  4. ↑ http://old.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060317/ent/ent4.html
  5. ↑ "British University Teaching St Martin Poet's Literature At Birmingham; Venezuelan Anthology With 3 Bajan Writers", Bajan Reporter, 22 October 2010.
  6. ↑ "caribbean-civilization"-class-at-uwi-trinidad/
  7. ↑ "Literature. Second university in Italy teaches new Love Songs by Lasana Sekou", SXMinfo, 7 July 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "About the authors", House of Nehisi.
  9. ↑ "IWW". Iww.hkbu.edu.hk. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  10. ↑ "Sekou Knighted". Nathanielturner.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  11. ↑ "CTO ready to honour key players | News". Breaking Travel News. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "Lasana M. Sekou", Quimbé 1.
  13. ↑ Lasana M. Sekou, "Liberation Theology", The Massachusetts Review, Vol. 35, No. 3/4 (Autumn, 1994), pp. 540–543. JSTOR.
  14. ↑ Del Caribe (Revista).
  15. ↑ http://www.de-gids.nl/home
  16. ↑ de:Das Gedicht. Zeitschrift für Lyrik, Essay und Kritik
  17. ↑ Festival Internacional de Poesía de Medellín.
  18. ↑ Ervin Beck, "The Salt Reaper: Poems from the Flats by Lasana M. Sekou" (review), World Literature Today, Vol. 80, No. 2 (March–April 2006), p. 58. JSTOR.
  19. ↑ Chika Unigwe, "The Salt Reaper: Poems from the Flat" (review), Postcolonial Text, Vol. 2, No. 3 (2006).
  20. ↑ "Jamaica Gleaner News - Salt of the earth finds voice - Friday | March 17, 2006". Jamaica-gleaner.com. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  21. ↑ "Jamaica Gleaner News - Sekou writes with 'erotic power' - Sunday | 5 November 2006". Jamaica-gleaner.com. 2006-11-05. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  22. ↑ http://caribbeanreviewofbooks.com
  23. ↑ Lasana Sekou (20 June 2006). "shiphole II winternights". Boundary2.dukejournals.org. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  24. ↑ Mark Nowak, "Labor Love", Harriet, Poetry Foundation.
  25. ↑ "Lasana M. Sekou : Mariposa" (PDF). Nyu.edu. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  26. ↑ "Eterno tiempo de siembra (Lasana Sekou, Saint Martin)". YouTube. 5 June 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  27. ↑ Remi Raji, "Poetry Africa 2001: Cultural Commitment and the Eruption of Verse", N.I.A. Nigerians In America, 24 August 2002.
  28. ↑ "The Salt Reaper - Selected Poems From the Flats" at CDBaby.
  29. ↑ "Lasana Sekou Table", ChickenBones.
  30. 1 2 "Lasana M. Sekou", Poetry International Rotterdam.
  31. ↑ "Tanny and the Boys: Living Monument from St. Martin", Mike Esposito's Latin and Caribbean Travel Blog, 2 June 2013.
  32. ↑ "The Salt Reaper – selected poems from the flats by Lasana M. Sekou". Houseofnehesipublish.com. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  33. ↑ "Repeating Islands". Repeating Islands. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  34. ↑ "Lasana M. Sekou | The Salt Reaper - Selected Poems From the Flats". CD Baby. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  35. ↑ About the authors: George Lamming.
  36. ↑ About the authors: Kamau Brathwaite.
  37. ↑ About the authors: Amiri Baraka.
  38. ↑ Philip Nanton, "Real Keane", Caribbean Beat, Issue 66 (March/April 2004).
  39. ↑ Diario Libre.
  40. ↑ "Barbadian Poet Praises 'Guanahani, My Love' by Marion Bethel for Magical Realism, As Author Continues Her Book Tour", Bajan Reporter, 16 March 2010.
  41. ↑ "Book of Sins (House of Nehesi Publishers) by Palestinian/Israeli poet Nidaa Khoury", Contemporary World Poetry Journal, Spring 2011.
  42. ↑ "Geoffrey Philp". Geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  43. ↑ "Experience St. Maarten/St. Martin - Arts & Culture". Experiencestmaarten.com. 1980-04-29. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  44. ↑ "Welcome to House of Nehesi Publishers". Houseofnehesipublish.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  45. ↑ "Lasana M. Sekou - Writers Unlimited". Winternachten.nl. 2 March 2005. Retrieved 16 January 2012.

Further reading

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