Mapmaker: Kwame Dawes and the Caribbean Literary Aesthetic

The first literary critical monograph on one of the most significant and influential figures in contemporary Caribbean writing, this unique study examines the connections between Kwame Dawes' diverse publications and offers insightful and sensitive readings of Dawes' core work. First introducing his literary career and providing a brief biography, the resource goes on to give commentary onA Far Cry from Plymouth Rock, his memoir, and discusses the literary and cultural influences that helped shape his writing aesthetic. The guide also examines his poetry, religious influences and symbols in his writing, and the use of Africa as a spiritual locus that, alongside the Bible, centers the identity of his characters. Rounding out the comprehensive volume are chapters on Dawes' representations of women and the femininewith emphasis placed on his poetry collectionsWisteriaandMidlandsthe role of landscape and physicality in his poetry, and a thorough examination of Dawes as the new voice of the Caribbean.

Corinna McLeod is an assistant professor of English at Grand Valley State University, where she teaches courses in world mythology and world literatures in English. Her research centers on postcolonial theory, ecocriticism, and questions of national identity in literature. She has been published in Small Axe. She lives in Allendale, Michigan.