Life of a Haitian Writer

I spent four days online networking, spilling out the beans that I have a new website. I thought it would be easy to get people's attention but it's a lot of work, much harder than I thought. I know I must be aggressive, that's the only way I will get visitors to stop by my web. So far, I've received great reviews. One author I did invite to check my site was Chris Abani, he is a favorite writer of mine.

Here is what he had to say:

Dear Cathy,I just looked through your website. It is fabulous and really well put together. Impressive. The poems I read were good too. Perhaps when I am next on the East coast I will get a chance to see you perform. Be well, Chris

I was so thrilled when I got his e-mail this morning. He is truly an inspiration. I always admire when a writer takes the time to respond to readers. The smallest gestures says a lot about the person's character.

I am very proud of the work I put into my webpage (www.delaleuwritings.com), it represents me and my culture. My goal is to help others with their writing skills. I hope to meet more Haitian-American writers who are also lacking sleep all for the love of writing.

What I don't get is when people still make comments like "you don't look Haitian". I think it's pure ignorance on their part. Haitians come in different shapes, colors and sizes. As a matter of fact when I vacationed there back in '96 I met Orientals who were speaking Creole, of course I was surprised but it justified to me not all Haitians are created licorice "black".

With actress, Garcelle Beauvais (top pic) and singer, Wyclef Jean being in the limelight, Hollywood's perception of Haitians have increased. Both Garcelle and Wyclef have secured their place in Hollywood's animal kingdom. Proving we can rule the world and show them what we got. There are others crawling their way up to the top such as Samuel Dalembert (NBA player), actor Gabriel Casseus who has been featured in many films. But we still need more to represent in our community. I would like to see more Neg Mawons and Anacoanas on the red carpet and in the literary industry.