Caribbean Queens

Miami is a mecca for Caribbean immigrants. The tropical weather, the wealth of familiar vegetation, and the cacophony of foreign accents all help to make island visitors feel immediately at home here. It’s no wonder so many Caribbean writers and artists frequently visit us. To celebrate the Caribbean Woman as Scholar Conference’s tenth year, event organizers in the African New World Studies program at Florida International University have invited a veritable who’s who of Caribbean literature. Haitian-born author Edwidge Danticat will be the distinguished conference host, while Jamaican Erna Brodber will provide the keynote address. Special honors will be conferred on Jamaica’s Sylvia Wynter. And Olive Senior, Shani Mootoo, Ramabai Espinet, and Myriam Chancy will fly in from Canada, while Angie Cruz, Elizabeth Nunez, and Opal Palmer Adisa are expected to make their way from stateside residences. A celebration of inventive children’s writers, featuring Trinidadians Eintou Pearl Springer and Merle Hodge, will be among the event’s many highlights. Press the flesh with your favorite writers and enjoy a variety of receptions, discussions, and readings from May 30 through June 3 at the Westin Diplomat Conference Center, 3555 S. Ocean Dr., Hollywood. Admission costs $75. Call 305-919-5521, or visit www.fiu.edu/~africana.
May 30-June 3