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Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Pitterson's 'Spectre of Seven' puts Jamaica on The Literary Map
From pirouettes to the pen, from a life on the stage to a world ensconced
in churning out literary pages, Howard Pitterson gave up his first love,
ballet, for writing, when a ruptured Achilles tendon short-circuited his dream
of becoming the Jamaican version of Russia's classical ballet dancer Mikhail
Baryshnikov. Born into a sugarcane planting family Mr. Pitterson attributes
many of the cherished memories of his childhood to the days spent on the
plantation. At age 18, upon graduating from Excelsior High School, he headed
to the University of Montreal, Canada. With a Bachelor's Degree under his
belt, he wasted no time pursuing a career in the marvelous world of classical
ballet.
It was during this period of change and adjustment from dancer to computer
programmer/analyst, that Mr. Pitterson wrote ‘Spectre of Seven’ – an epic that
chronicles the lives of five generations of prominent Jamaican families of the
sugarcane plantocracy – concentrating on the period 1915-1945. The story is
set against the towering Blue Mountains of British colonial Jamaica with its
idyllic beaches and lagoons, and the reader immediately embarks on a grand
voyage.
The drama is played out against the backdrop of the multi-racial
composition of the island and particularly during the time of the expatriation
of the East Indians to Jamaica, the impact of World War II on the island
colony, the influence of an American presence there at the time and a romance
with the golden age of the cinema.
According to Felix Thijssen, Professor of English in the Canadian high
school system who was among the first to preview the book, “Each chapter
becomes a vignette, enriching the ones that have gone before and the ones that
are yet to come, skillfully adding social and historical layers as the story
moves on.”
Big Plans for St. Ann’s Heritage Festival
The St. Ann’s Heritage Festival and Homecoming ‘Back-A-Yard’ celebrations
2005 will coincide with the 118th anniversary of the birth of National Hero,
the Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey who was born in the parish on 17
August 1887. The celebrations will include a Trade Fair at Lawrence Park in
St. Ann’s Bay on Thursday, 18 August, a Homecoming Banquet at the Sandals
Grande Ocho Rios Beach Resort, on Saturday 20 August and a showcase of the
best of St. Ann’s heritage and culture, including its products, services,
craft and culinary arts.
The homecoming banquet, she said, would be held under the patronage of
Their Excellencies, The Most Hon. Sir Howard and Lady Cooke. President of the
United States Congressional Black Caucus, Charles B. Rangel will be the main
speaker.
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