David Dabydeen, a Guyanese writer and scholar and Sushelia Nasta, founder and editor of Wasafiri Magazine have known each other for over 30 years. Therefore their very public conversation flowed with ease and bordered occasionally on personal. At The Old Fire Station in down town Port of Spain, roughly 100 persons eavesdropped and even more so did online.
Growing up
Dabydeen didn't come from much. He was raised in a small Indian village in Guyana by his illiterate grandparents who raised livestock to get by. Yet still, he described his rural upbringing as a "fantastic experience." With great fondness, Dabydeen reminisced on his youth, catching crabs, his first love and perfecting his cow impression —which he demonstrated. However, there was one aspect that he held dear and that was the cursing. More specifically, drunk cursing. "When a Guyanese is drunk and cursing you," he said, "you know you're cursed." The range of vocabulary used was down right poetic making Dabydeen miss it when he lived in London circa 1960. He demonstrated their style of cursing as a serious of grunts which truly made one feel his pain. "You'd wish they cursed you with grammar," he said fingers curled in the air for dramatic effect, "with a Shakespearean flourish, with the full velocity of the English language."
Influences
Dabydeen had many inspirations throughout his writing career, including the late Derek Walcott. Walcott, he elaborated is the kind of writer that makes you realize you're a failure in comparison. In Tiepolo's' Hound, Walcott talked about the dialect of paint. If a writer could make paint sound that interesting, it's definitely the heights that one should aspire to achieve.
His greatest inspiration wasn't even a fellow writer but instead a painter called William Hogarth.
Dabydeen had many inspirations throughout his writing career, including the late Derek Walcott. Walcott, he elaborated is the kind of writer that makes you realize you're a failure in comparison. In Tiepolo's' Hound, Walcott talked about the dialect of paint. If a writer could make paint sound that interesting, it's definitely the heights that one should aspire to achieve.
His greatest inspiration wasn't even a fellow writer but instead a painter called William Hogarth.
Life in England exposed him to his work and thus began his love affair with all things 18th century. It fascinated him because it mirrored present day existence especially the landscapes of India. Everything is either covered in shit or is shit. From this interest or "obsession" rather, some of his most prominent work was born. He wrote "A Harlot's Progress" based on a series of paintings similarly titled by William Hogarth. Instead of focusing on the actual harlot, he developed the story of her slaver boy, Mungo.
He read some of his work to the audience then. A poem called Turner, a response to J.M.W Turner's painting, Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying.
In it he explored the condition of the drowned slave. Lamenting their struggles and ultimate fate.
So interesting!
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