Books: Grahame's "Jacks Hill Road" worth the trip

This book (one of three recently launched by the author) opens with a domestic helper lamenting the arduous nature of trudging uphill to the well-to-do home in which she works. That is the Jacks Hill Road of the title.

But in author Jennifer Grahame's wry, sly and compassionate hands, there is far more waiting for both character and readers at the summit of that hill.

Jamaica's long-lamented class divisions are delved into, peeled away and revealed to have quite a bit more overlap than hard borders.

Through the character Louise's eyes (she is rendered quite endearingly by Grahame, the painter, on the back cover), we see the foibles, failings and fascinations of an expanding cast that show just how dynamic the Jamaican social rubric really is.

And, its funny. Within its 130 pages are enough shenanigans, sudden revelations, doubts and other happenings to fill two (or three?) books. Grahame's style is direct, but in a disarming way, much in the manner of typical Jamaican conversation; hardly anything takes place on the surface, its in the repetitions that the patterns and the surprises come.

Jacks Hill Road is the work of an author thoroughly versed in her milieu, but still willing to look at  it with a forgiving eye. For that alone, its a worthy investment of your time.

Art: return of the Dreamer, Lisa Lej,at Liguanea Club

painter and all-round creative Lisa Lej sees her life as the unfolding of dreams. "I have had this happen since I was very young<" she shares, The continuing results of some of those dreams are now on show at Kingston's Liguanea Club, where the Montego Bay-born artist has manged to secure an artist-in-residence status, this after 2 previous showings











www.localjoe.myorganogold.com

Art: Earl McKenzie's explorations continue at UWI

Dr Earl McKenzie poet, painter and philosopher will launch an exhibition of his paintings on Monday April 27, 2015 at 6:00pm at the UWI Regional Headquarters Building, Mona. The launch will include poetry readings by friends and colleagues including: Ann-Margaret Lim, Dr. Velma Pollard and Trudy Schoepko. The guest speaker will be Lecturer in the Department of Government and fellow artist Dr Clinton Hutton. This will be McKenzie’s fourth solo exhibition of paintings and poems. He has also exhibited at the Caribbean Literary and Cultural Centre in New York.

McKenzie is retired from the University of the West Indies, Mona, where he taught philosophy. He is the author of eight books including two volumes of academic philosophy and two collections of short stories. In 2012, his multi-genre volume of poetry, fiction, essays and visual art entitled A Bluebird Named Poetry solidified his skill in connecting diverse genres of artistic expression. In her launch of the text, Kim Robinson-Walcott notes that McKenzie “is interested in exploring his own multidimensional creativity with abstract, intellectual curiosity.” This exploration is evident in his paintings which, according to Edward J. Sullivan, Professor of Art History at New York University, “have the suggestive power of Giorgio Morandi: one of the greatest masters of the simple object.”

McKenzie has won numerous awards for his work. In 2000, he was awarded a Silver Musgrave Medal for his contribution to literature, and in 2011 he received a Mico University College 175^th Anniversary Award for distinguished service. His exploration of the intersections among genres of expression continues in the forthcoming publications of his first novel, a third collection of short stories and a memoir in 2015. The exhibition, which will be mounted in the lobby of the Headquarters Building, will run until May 8, 2015. The public is invited to attend.