Archive for January, 2014

Learning to Appreciate a Rich Cultural Heritage

Learning to Appreciate a Rich Cultural Heritage

After meeting my birthfather Gil, I begin to love not only him, but also the culture and history of my ancestors.

Here’s an excerpt from Split at the Root: A Memoir of Love and Lost Identity.:

In Jamaica, so many years ago, Dr. Dezon was all set to tell me about shiploads of Caribs who were taken from the island of St. Vincent by the English and dumped on the Central American coast. At the time I was not ...

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First Meeting Between Adult Daughter and her Birth Father

First Meeting Between Adult Daughter and her Birth Father

Catana as a toddler in LivingstonI had spoken to my father a few times on the phone. In the following is an excerpt from Split at the Root: A Memoir of Love and Lost Identity of my first meeting with him.

What would Gil see when he looked at me, I wondered? Would my lips, as I shaped ...

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“You’re not a Racist, Mom” - Excerpt from Split at the Root

“You’re not a Racist, Mom” – Excerpt from Split at the Root

There are several passages in Split at the Root where the protagonist finds herself at odds with being Black in the US. Here is a brief exchange with her teen-aged son:

While in the Michigan boarding school, Patrick perfected a habit of going for walks. Occasionally he asked me to join him, which I gladly accepted for, although he was friendly, he was also a ...

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