SUNDAY 3RD APRIL, 2016 – UWI TODAY
19
LITERATURE
Aside from not reading widely enough,
do you see any recurring themes
coming up with your students?
I think they’re excited… most people are writing
about themselves as women, in problematic relationship
with men… writing about taking her position in the
world, or about children, children who’ve been abused
or damaged lives. Very strong themes and to write about
those things is difficult. For me coming back now, the sort
of things people are choosing to write is quite different.
Trinidad is changing, hugely all the time.
Trinidad is changing, please elaborate.
It’s changing in obvious ways, a lot of what I’ve been
saying because people ask me all the time, “What is it
about Trinidad?” and I say it’s like any other part of the
world, Trinidad is in the world, it’s like the world and
it’s a very small place and has things like motor cars, the
Internet, crime… all the ingredients of the modern world,
impacting on a very small place.
What advice would you give to students
trying to retell the stories of important
historical figures like you did with
Michel-Jean Cazabon?
When I was finished my research, “
Light falling on
Bamboo
,” I realised you have to become as familiar with
the time you’re writing about as if it was contemporary
to you. If you see research in someone’s book that means
it’s not a good book – you want to see the story. You need
more than you’ll ever possibly use in the book, you also
need language, food and travel.
The Gala ceremony celebrates the 400th
anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
How has Shakespeare’s work influenced
you?
How could Shakespeare not be an influence? His
language and wonderful stories. I write poetry as well
and Shakespeare is poetry. I don’t know how students
can cope with learning Shakespeare without seeing
it really well acted. Shakespeare is about big human
emotions – jealousy, revenge, love, humour, hubris… and
extraordinary writing. Once you see it come together,
it all works. I think it’s hard for a student just to start
reading it and getting it. And yes, we should celebrate
Shakespeare and why not, but perhaps we should
celebrate Dante as well! I don’t see why Shakespeare
should be so privileged, but I don’t mind being on the
same stage as Shakespeare.
With your work, how you’ve been able
to touch on so many different themes
from religion to eroticism to history,
how do you balance that and how do
you get the courage to touch on things
knowing the kind of conservatism that
exists in the Caribbean?
I suppose you’re talking about “
Aelred’s Sin”
– When
I came down to launch it, I was quite apprehensive, but
the book had a very good reception in the press. Since
that book in 1998, the amount of literature has changed
and Trinidad is an odd, liberal yet conservative society...
but we have come a long way with subjects like that and
if “
Aelred’s Sin”
played a part in that, then great. The book
came out of my own connection with England. In the
middle of writing that book people were beginning to die
of AIDS, it’s not something I choose necessarily, you just
go with what you feel strongly about. I think that’s the
best kind of writing to do – you have to write out of your
guts and your heart. To me it’s commitment.
What’s next for you?
I got a big taste for historical research so that’s all I
have to say is next for me. I’ve got a draft and I’m working
on it.
After this interview, the soft-spoken Scott I met
was transformed into a role-playing chameleon as he
gave spirited readings from his poetry and prose works
including:
Leaving by Plane Swimming Back Underwater,
Golconda – Our Voices, Our Lives
and
Light Falling on
Bamboo
at the
Campus Lit Week’s Gala Reading and
Closing Ceremony
– an event put on by the first-year
MFA in Creative Writing students. Scott shared the
stage with an acting troupe from the Department of
Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA) who performed an
excerpt of Shakespeare’s
Much Ado about Nothing
. The
camaraderie between Scott and the MFA students was
evident as one of the Masters of Ceremonies for the night,
L.A. Wanliss (the other M.C. was Gilberte O’Sullivan)
gave an emotional vote of thanks, praising Scott for his
mentorship as well as other members of staff and her
fellow students without whom, she noted, the event
would not be possible. The night ended with satiated
literary lovers hungry to purchase Caribbean novels from
the tables set up by The UWI Bookstore and Paper-based
Bookshop in the atrium.
Lawrence Scott’s books can be purchased at The UWI Bookstore or at Lexicon Trinidad Limited.
Jeanette Awai is a freelance writer and member of staff at The UWI’s Marketing and Communications Office, St. Augustine Campus.
Lawrence Scott (seated) with students
from the MFA programme and
Professor Emeritus Funso Aiyejina.
