Scholars often seem unapproachable. They’re all pen and pencil, busy people. They’re always thinking and writing and reading heaps of scholarly books and journals. All the research that needs to be done leaves little time to enjoy the simple things in life. When you’re globe-hopping while reading single-spaced dissertations, there’s no time to laugh at silly jokes. There’s barely enough time to breathe.
If you are familiar with the names Gina A. Ulysse, Marie-José Nzengou-Tayo, Nadève Ménard, Mark Schuller, and Myriam Chancy, you know about their stellar reputations. You know they are dedicated PhDs who work tirelessly to enrich lives through education.
VoicesfromHaiti INNERviews intended to draw these prominent folk out of university classrooms and paneled libraries for just a couple of minutes. The goal was to engage them in a line of questioning that might have caused them to scratch their heads and ask: “Is she serious?”
Celebrated scholars are wonderful and so on, but what about the human being behind the textbooks. What of the artist behind the art form? I wanted to know what Mark Schuller’s childhood was like. Surely he’d had a childhood. As admittedly serious as they may be, none among them was born with a cap and gown, right. Were there siblings in their childhood homes? If so, were there petty fights over the last cookie in the jar? Does Marie-José Nzengou-Tayo put pikliz on her plate of plantains? What does Nadève Ménard dream about when she’s not teaching or writing? This is not the conversation these individuals would have typically. So, I was glad that they played along.
Gina A. Ulysse edited Meridians Feminism Race Transnationalism‘s Volume 11, Issue 1: Pawòl Fanm Sou Douz Janvye. She graced VoicesfromHaiti with the Introduction to these INNERviews, giving us a glimpse into why she spearheaded the collection for Meridians in the first place.
The list of Pawòl Fanm Sou Douz Janvye contributors include:
- Haiti’s Earthquake’s Nickname and Some Women’s Trauma Gina Athena Ulysse
- “They Forgot about Us!” Gender and Haiti’s IDP Camps, Interview and Translation Mark Schuller
- Returning to Petit-Goâve after Goudougoudou Brunine David
- Ayiti: Reaching Higher Ground Regine Romain
- Kado Katia D. Ulysse
- Reflections on Being Machann ak Machandiz Carolle Charles
- My Dearest Ana Nadève Ménard
- Under/Water Myriam J. A. Chancy
- because john doe is not a haitian name Lenelle Moïse
- Malè Pa Gen Klakonn: A Personal Experience of a Foretold yet Unavoidable Disaster Marie-José N’zengou-Tayo
Check back later for the INNERviews with Marie-José Nzengou-Tayo, Nadève Ménard, Mark Schuller, and Myriam Chancy. In the meantime, have yourself a phenomenal day!
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