Annotated Bibliography

 

General: Travel, Culture         

 

Dominican Republic & Haiti, Lonely Planet series, 2000.  One of the few guidebooks to mention Haitian points of interest.  Frequent Caribbean travel books' comment on Haiti is: "Don't go!"

 

Haiti & the Dominican Republic: The Island of Hispaniola,  Ross Velton, 1999.  Good general resource, fairly level tone, comprehensive

 

Culture and Customs of Haiti, Michael J. Dash, 2001.  Best resource, current bibliography.  Very readable.  Topics:  People, Religion, Social Customs, Cinema, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Literature and Language

 

 

Albert Schweitzer Hospital (Hôpital Albert Schweitzer)     See also HAS website

Listed chronologically by the period covered.

 

"The Greatest Man in the World," Life, Oct 6, 1947.  Article on Dr. Albert Schweitzer's hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon

 

"Miracle of the Spirit," Henry La Cossit, Readers' Digest Mar 56, p. 182-7.  Opening of HAS

 

Dr. Mellon of Haiti, Peter Michelmore, 1964. (out of print, but available)  AZ rancher establishes hospital in rural Haiti.

 

My Road to Deschapelles, Gwen Marston Mellon, 1998.  Mrs. Mellon's account of how they came to Haiti.       

 

Song of Haiti, Barry Paris, 1999.  History of the Mellons at HAS in Deschapelles.

 

Four Dictators and  One Free Man, James Fett, 1999.  Dr. Fett's medical missions in Rep. of Congo, Thailand and as Medical Director of HAS; journal format,  weak editing, quick read.

 

Hospital Albert Schweitzer: A Success Story of Medical Practice and Radiology in Haiti,  Douglas P. Beall, MD, 2001.  Article to be published.

 

 

Historical Perspective   Listed chronologically by the period covered.

 

The Comedians, Graham Greene, 1967.  A classic novel; if you read nothing else, read this.  Port-au-Prince in early Duvalier years, Tontons Macoute personal Duvalier police terrorize the population.

 

The Farming of Bones, Edwidge Danticat, 1998.  1937 massacre of immigrant Haitian workers in Dominican Republic.

 

The Kingdom of This World, Alejo Carpentier, 1980.  Novel, Haitian revolution 1791-1804 ff.

 

Night of Fire:  The Black Napoleon            & The Battle for Haiti, Martin Ros, 1994.  Role of Toussaint Louverture in Haitian revolution 1791-1804, details stormy  relationship with France

 

In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez, 1992.   Novel.  Revolution against dictator Trujillo in Dominican Republic, events parallel François Duvalier's dictatorship in Haiti, author is from Dominican Republic.

 

Haiti: The Duvaliers & Their Legacy, Elizabeth Abbott, 1988.  Author/reporter, also sister-in-law to junta leader Namphy interviews participants in post-Duvalier politics 1986-88.  Comprehensive overview of Haiti's political & cultural history.  Note: graphic descriptions of massacres, murders, torture

 

The Rainy Season: Haiti Since Duvalier, Amy Wilentz, 1989.  Author/reporter shares what she witnessed during post-

Duvalier junta 1986-88,  tracing rise of Aristide, with historical & cultural flashbacks.  Easier to read, probably also less biased than Abbott book.

 

No Other Life, Brian Moore, 1993.   Novel, authors claims it is "pure fiction", but appears to be based on rise of Père Aristide.

 

The Immaculate Invasion, Bob Shacochis, 1999.  US restoration of Aristide to presidency 1994-96.  Journalist Shacochis in-the-trenches with the Green Berets, aka Special Forces, relies heavily on SF military acronyms.  Very critical of US policy in Haiti.

 

 

Film/ video     

Of  these films, I have only viewed Sugar Cane Alley & Caribbean Close-Up,  however the others appear in several resources.

 

Bitter Cane, 1983, documentary

 

Divine Horsemen, 1951, b/w, voudon

 

The Comedians, 1967, based on novel by Graham Greene, starring Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor

La Rue Case negre (Sugar Cane Alley), 1983. Takes place in Martinique, but the characters & situations are also true of Haiti. I use thie film in Intermediate French courses; AATF Bulletin has an excellent study guide.

Pig's Tale, 1997, documentary: voudon and politics

 

Registans, 1997, documentary, democratic movement

 

Caribbean Close-Up: Haiti & The Dominican Republic,  documentary about a 14-year-old Haitian girl; video copyrighted for public performance, 14."

 

 

Music, Arts, Literature

 

The Piece of Fire & Other Haitian Tales, Harold Courlander, 1942, 1964.                Folk tale themes & characters.

 

Parol Granmoun: 999 Haitian Proverbs in Creole, E.A. Jeanty, 1976.  Some Haitians appear to only speak in proverbs!

Proverbs play an important linguistic role.

 

Breath, Eyes, Memory, Edwidge Danticat, 1994.  Novel.  Dominican women passing on & resisting folk tradition in the contemporary world

 

Krik?  Krak! Edwidge Danticat, 1991. Nine short stories about life under dictatorship.   Author is Dominican, but the experiences she recounts have been similar in Haiti.

 

Caribbean Art, Veerle Poupeye, 1998.   See ch 3,4,6  for Haitian artists of the '80's & '90's.

 

The Miracle of Haitian Art, Selden Rodman, 1974.  Introduction to artists of the '50's & 60's by the former co-director (1949-51) of the Centre d'Art in Port-au-Prince which fostered their work: Hyppolite, Obin, Benoit, Liautaud, Pierre, Bazile

 

Caribbean Revels: Haitian Rara & Dominican Gaga, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings CD SF 40402, 1991.                Pre-Easter week rara street songs & dances.

               

The Banza, Diane Wolkstein, 1981.  Beautifully illustrated children's folk tale about being brave & having faith.

 

Bouki Dances the Kokioko, Diane Wolkstein, 1997.  Children's book.  Popular folk character is outwitted once again.  Excellent illustrations.

 

 

The Magic Orange Tree & Other Haitian Folktales, ed. Diane Wolkstein, 1978, 1997.  Children's book.  Includes songs to be sung by the audience during story telling, and an introduction to the storyteller who is the source of each tale.

 

 

Religion

 

The Drum & the Hoe, Harold Courlander, 1960.  Frequently quoted resource, classic study.  See especially ch 2  Vodoun, ch 3 The Loa, Ch 16 Folk Tales, ch 17 Children’s Games, & Appendices:  Gods, Songs, Games, Proverbs.

                                                                                                                               

Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti, Maya Deren, 1985.  Another classic study, frequently cited.  Ms Deren's personal observations include participation in voudon ceremonies and being possessed ("mounted") by a voudon spirit.

 

Vodou: Visions & Voices of Haiti, Phyllis Galembo, 1998.  Photo essay in portraits, Haiti 1993-97.  Colorful, infomative, and sensitive.

 

Voodoo in Haiti, Alfred Métraux, 1959.  Classic sociological study of voudon in early '50's.

 

Spirits of the Night: The Vaudun Gods of Haiti, Selden Rodman, 1992.       

 

 

 

Creole, Medical Creole, and Dictionaries

 

Haitian-English, English-Haitian Medical Dictionary, Bryant Freeman, 3^rd ed. 2000  La Presse Evangelique, Port-au-Prince.  Available via U. of Kansas bookstore $35  http://www.jayhawks.com/oread/haiti.html

 

Haitian-English Medical Phraseology,  Bryant Freeman, 1997.   Prof. Freeman is director of the Institute of Haitian Studies, U. of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.  Cassette tapes available, includes proverbs.

                                                                                                               

Third-World Folk Beliefs & Practices: Haitian Medical Anthropology,  Bryant Freeman.  Our team of volunteers found this booklet both amusing and very helpful in dealing with the Haitian patient.  Sample entry:  alcohol   When there is no rubbing alcohol available as a disinfectant, kleren (raw  rum) may be used instead.  [ed:  obviously, rum is plentiful]

 

Survival Haitian Creole, Bryant Freeman, 2000.  Small booklet + cassette  English-Creole.

 

Survivre en créole, Bryant Freeman,1990.  Booklet + cassette French-Creole, no English. Same content as Survival Haitian Creole.

 

Diksyonè Kreyol, EA Jeanty.  This Creole-English dictionary is used at HAS.  Appendix includes an excellent section listing vocabulary by topic, but with no dialogue format eg: road construction, animals.

 

Haitian Creole-English-French Dictionary, Albert Valdman,1981.  Indiana U,  Bloomington, IN, Creole Institute       

This is the classic creole dictionary, but note date.

 

 

 

Creole Language Summer Workshops

 

Haitian Creole Summer Institute, University of Massachusetts (U Mass), Boston, MA.  Contact hsa@umbsky.cc.umb.edu or Mark Prou, Africana Studies   617 287 6796

 

Non-credit course:3-week intensive Haitian Creole for non-native speakers, 3 levels:  Creole I – Beginner, Creole II – Intermediate, Creole III – Advanced.  Contact:  617 287 7138

 

Credit course:            Teaching and Learning in the Haitian Language.  Contact Division of Continuing Education:  617 287 7915

 

 

 Haitian Summer Institute, Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC), Florida International University, Miami, FL.  Contact:  Dr. Jean-Robert Cadely, Director  cadelyj@fiu.edu   1 305 919 5968

 

4^th annual Haitian Summer Institute 2001, http://lacc.fiu.edu/Academic_Programs/apsp.html

July 9-27, 2001  Two courses:  Accelerated Haitian Creole; & Haiti: Language and Culture

Aug 3-18, 2001  Study Abroad in Haiti, optional component

 

           

 

See also:  Websites