“A rich and compelling collection that will make a significant contribution to the study of Jamaican/West Indian/black folklore and culture” –Daryl Cumber Dance, Virginia Commonwealth University “A fantastic collection from the rich storehouse of Jamaican traditional oral literature” –Rex Nettleford, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica “A Wealth of Information…. The author carries the presentation of the proverbs/sayings to the level of socio-anthropological significance” –E. Valerie Smith, Florida A&M University In 1992, Jamaicans throughout the world celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Jamaica’s formal independence from Britain this collection of Creole sayings contributes to the lively interest in cultural preservation which exists this year in anticipation of the event. The sayings, an archive of the wit and wisdom of many generations, aim to trigger reflection and thought. They are never fully explained, and, says the author, “in the most extreme situation one might well need an entire week to ponder and think seriously” about their meaning. They exert pressure to conform to community standards, and they influence conduct in much the same way as religion does. Strong in imagery and often poetic, the maxims draw upon a variety of well-known flora, fauna, and real or imaginary creatures the anansi, for example, famous for “playin’ de fool fe ketch wise” (playing foolish in order to catch the wise), is regarded as a favorite hero in folklore. Creole, initially constructed as a coded language, employs a number of West African linguistic traditions. These Creole sayings, a valuable addition to the literature and ethnography of the Caribbean region, link Jamaican culture to its African past. They offer delightful reading to Latin American scholars, to students of comparative sociology and anthropology, and to the general public. G. Llewellyn Watson is professor of sociology at the University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetowwn, Canada.

In "Reggae Wisdom: Proverbs in Jamaican Music" Swami Anand Prahlad looks at the contexts and origins of these proverbs, using them as a cultural sheet music toward understanding the history of Jamaican culture, Rastafari religion, and the music that isthat culture's worldwide voice.

Proverbs and sayings are a part of the fabric of life the world over, and that is no different in Jamaica. Featured in this book is patois, written not as broken English, but as patois based on the most recent authoritative works. Filled with colorful illustrations that are literal interpretations of the traditional proverbs and sayings, this book is a light-hearted exploration of the valuable lessons that some Jamaican proverbs have to offer.

Jamaican Sayings - Life is the first in a series of three books that capture Jamaican adages used to communicate ideas about human nature, behaviour, relationships, aspirations, health hope and survival. Jamaican Sayings - Character and Jamaican Sayings - Success complement the series. The adages represent an archive of the wit and wisdom of many generations and aim to trigger reflection and thought. In their use they are never fully explained but those to whom they are directed usually understand their meaning based on the context in which they are used. They utilise imagery and draw upon a variety of flora and fauna to enrich their content. They hold valuable lessons, inspiration and wisdom that link Jamaican culture to its African past. The sayings are presented in three parts: i) the original saying; ii) the literal English translation and iii) the meaning it aims to convey.

Jamaican Sayings - Success is the third in a series of three books that capture Jamaican adages used to communicate ideas about human nature, behaviour, relationships, aspirations, health hope and survival. Jamaican Sayings - Life and Jamaican Sayings - Character complement the series. The adages represent an archive of the wit and wisdom of many generations and aim to trigger reflection and thought. In their use they are never fully explained but those to whom they are directed usually understand their meaning based on the context in which they are used. They utilise imagery and draw upon a variety of flora and fauna to enrich their content. They hold valuable lessons, inspiration and wisdom that link Jamaican culture to its African past. The sayings are presented in three parts: i) the original saying; ii) the literal English translation and iii) the meaning it aims to convey.

Jamaican Sayings - Character is the second in a series of three books that capture Jamaican adages used to communicate ideas about human nature, behaviour, relationships, aspirations, health hope and survival. Jamaican Sayings - Life and Jamaican Sayings - Success complement the series. The adages represent an archive of the wit and wisdom of many generations and aim to trigger reflection and thought. In their use they are never fully explained but those to whom they are directed usually understand their meaning based on the context in which they are used. They utilise imagery and draw upon a variety of flora and fauna to enrich their content. They hold valuable lessons, inspiration and wisdom that link Jamaican culture to its African past. The sayings are presented in three parts: i) the original saying; ii) the literal English translation and iii) the meaning it aims to convey.

“In these kaleidoscopic stories of Jamaica and its diaspora we hear many voices at once. All of them convince and sing. All of them shine.”—Zadie Smith An O: The Oprah Magazine “Top 15 Best of the Year” • A Well-Read Black Girl Pick Tenderness and cruelty, loyalty and betrayal, ambition and regret—Alexia Arthurs navigates these tensions to extraordinary effect in her debut collection about Jamaican immigrants and their families back home. Sweeping from close-knit island communities to the streets of New York City and midwestern university towns, these eleven stories form a portrait of a nation, a people, and a way of life. In “Light-Skinned Girls and Kelly Rowlands,” an NYU student befriends a fellow Jamaican whose privileged West Coast upbringing has blinded her to the hard realities of race. In “Mash Up Love,” a twin’s chance sighting of his estranged brother—the prodigal son of the family—stirs up unresolved feelings of resentment. In “Bad Behavior,” a couple leave their wild teenage daughter with her grandmother in Jamaica, hoping the old ways will straighten her out. In “Mermaid River,” a Jamaican teenage boy is reunited with his mother in New York after eight years apart. In “The Ghost of Jia Yi,” a recently murdered student haunts a despairing Jamaican athlete recruited to an Iowa college. And in “Shirley from a Small Place,” a world-famous pop star retreats to her mother’s big new house in Jamaica, which still holds the power to restore something vital. Alexia Arthurs emerges in this vibrant, lyrical, intimate collection as one of fiction’s most dynamic and essential authors. Praise for How to Love a Jamaican “A sublime short-story collection from newcomer Alexia Arthurs that explores, through various characters, a specific strand of the immigrant experience.”—Entertainment Weekly “With its singular mix of psychological precision and sun-kissed lyricism, this dazzling debut marks the emergence of a knockout new voice.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “Gorgeous, tender, heartbreaking stories . . . Arthurs is a witty, perceptive, and generous writer, and this is a book that will last.”—Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties “Vivid and exciting . . . every story rings beautifully true.”—Marie Claire