Cultural Voice

C ountry of Origin:  Jamaica U ltra excited about this art form :   Lyrical Hip Hop Choreography ​ L oves to travel to:  Warm places (beach bound) - Cayman & Bahamas T rend you love:  Hashtag Activism (eg. #BringBackOurGirls) U nderground artist to watch:  Monica Minott, Poet. R isk averse, Risk Tolerant or Risk Taker:  Risk Tolerant  A rtistic Side:  Writer (short stories) L ife Motto:  Vulnerability Births Honesty     V ery good at:  Writing O utspoken about:  Rights of the Poor I nspired by:  Unsung Heroes (eg. My mom) C ultural Icon:  Bob Marley E veryone should try this once:  Making Snow Angels What's Your Cultural Voice?? #MyCulturalVoice on   Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Instagram  @culturalvoice Promoting # Intercultural-dialogue 6 Days to the Launch of CV's First Issue of 2014!!  *Derefe is the Asso...

Reviewed by: Monica Minott Till I’m Laid to Rest , Ellis’ third novel ,deals with the social and personal problems connected with poverty and migration to the USA.   The issue of race is understandably highlighted,   and the reader cannot miss the not so obvious consequential damage that was left in the wake of slavery.   However, the writer never attempts to lay the blame at any one doorstep. The novel tells the story of Shirley, who grew up in Central Village, Jamaica.   “Growing up in Central Village made Shirley accustomed to violence.   It was always around her in some form.”   This is the   under-face of Ellis’ tale. He subtly threads this message from the first chapter through the life of Shirley to the last page, where Shirley, a “nice” brown-skinned Jamaican woman, once poised for success, is led handcuffed off the airplane that takes her back to Jamaica, the country she had turned her back on.   She had left Jamaica for a b...

Excerpts from review in The Jamaica Gleaner, Tuesday, November 15, 2011 "The Saturday evening show was shrouded in laughter generated from the words of the three featured presenters - Velma Pollard, Monica Minott and Earl Lovelace."  Earl Loveless greets guests after the reading "Regardless of its manifestation, it usually begins with words. And words are no more beautifully presented than in songs, poetry and novel. However, it is the latter two that were the focus of Artistic Expressions Limited's third and final presentation of their calendar events. It was simply titled Wordz, a fitting conclusion and title, as the previous two events were an art exhibition and two consecutive evenings of dance dubbed 'Cultural Fusion'." Drummers giving the call to order! Velma Pollard Reads from Collection 'Philosophers' (Photo: Jamaica Gleaner) Monica Minott reads 'Silencing the Stones' among other poems Earl L...