The Gwo Pwel

I recently gave a presentation at a postgraduate conference at the Newcastle University Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. The preseentation was on the phenomenon known in the Francophone Antilles as the Gwo Pwel, or the 'Love Sickness' (known in Trinidad as 'the Tabanka') - the ubiquitous and deeply painful emotional affliction that often befalls somebody left by their lover. 

Men claim to suffer from it far worse than women since its cure - finding a replacement lover - is more readily available to females than men. The GP is also bound-up in a gendered micropolitics of conjugal distrust and ideals of masculinity constituted through emotional autonomy. The Gp therefore provides a fascinating social vehicle for understanding Dominican ideas about love, gender, kinship and the ideal of the mature, emotionally robust and independent individual self. I'm currently writing up this chapter on the GP but since the sickness seems to provoke humour at every turn I thought it might be fun to share the presentation here.

I was up until 2:30 am the night before the presentation producing this Prezi on the GP. Enjoy!

Fathermen: an art-ethnography exhibit at Scottish Story Telling Centre, Edinburgh - 10th-30th June 2015

It is with great excitement that I can confirm that fathermen will be presenting a visual-narrative art exhibit at the Scottish Storytelling Centre (SSC) during June - 10th-30th - to celebrate fathers day 2015! 

Growing out of our collaborative post featuring the illustrator Stella Phipps, the Fathermen exhibit will bring together drawing, photography, and audio-visual elements, from artist (Stella) and ethnographer (myself). Also, an interactive wall will offer visitors the opportunity to contribute memories to to this multilayered inter-cultural exhibit. The immersive experience will be complemented by an SSC Cafe Voices session from experienced storyteller Peter Snow. 

Dad's day events will also take place on 21st June to mark Fathers Day 20

Click:
....for more of Stella's work

....for more from the SSC

....for more of Peter Snow's work