After his departure
What is her name? What can she possibly be thinking about? The first time I saw her, she was gracing the cover of an English translation of Zola’s Nana. She never seemed quite at home there. This was no courtesan, but a woman plunged deep in reminiscence after her lover has gone. Then I found [...]
Bourgeoisie?
“I need my memories. They are my documents.” I want to be like Louise Bourgeois when I grow up. At 96 years old and still working, bruised, battle-scarred Bourgeois is at once fragile and strong like the materials she uses to work: soft latex, fabrics, glass, wood, marble and metal. Provocative, emotionally intense, and very, [...]
Maestro!
Le Maestro Michèle Voltaire Marcelin et Issa El Saieh ~ 1990 Un peu plus de trois ans que le Maestro est parti. Un peu plus de trois ans que je ne vais plus à l’Avenue du Chili. Ce passage désiré et obligé me manque. Et me manque aussi son affection à la fois nonchalante et [...]
Un rebelle en Provence
Paul Cézanne – Aix-en-Provence 19 janvier 1839 – 22 octobre 1906 Le rebelle Aixois est d’aspect grossier et sauvage et de tempérament rustique et mélancolique . Longtemps je suis restée insensible à l’art de Cézanne. Ma reconnaissance de sa grandeur artistique était toute intellectuelle et n’engageait pas mes sens. A part ses pommes qu’il transformait [...]
Master of light
Gesner Armand, Master of light ~and the light within can be seen through the eyes~ Yesterday was June 11th. It would have been Gesner Armand’s 72nd birthday. One of Haiti’s finest impressionists, he was born in Croix-des-Bouquets. And if the place is not pretty, the name is, which evokes colorful bunches of flowers and suits [...]
L’invité d’honneur
"Les choses que l’on voit en rêve, c’est pas pareil à ce qu’on voit dans la réalité … Eh bien ! les tableaux … c’est pareil à des rêves … …comme les fétiches vaudous qu’on voit dans les hounforts, les vêvês …" Jacques Stéphen Alexis "Compère"
Album Covers Exhibit at LIU
"I miss album covers. One of the huge reasons I loved albums was because of the cover art. And even though I bought records for the music, an album’s cover played a role that couldn’t be overlooked. In many cases the music was as astounding as the artwork, but sometimes, I bought albums just because [...]
Peindre?
"Rien dans ma formation ne me prédisposait à la peinture. C’est elle qui m’a saisi au vol et m’a prise d’assaut. Je ne choisis pas mes thèmes; ils me choisissent. Parfois, c’est le passé qui revient comme fétiche, mais il y a aussi des incitations fortuites qui trouvent en moi un état de résonance approprié. [...]
Michèle Voltaire Marcelin is a poet/writer, performer and painter who was born and raised in Haiti, sojourned in Chile, and currently lives in the United States. The publication of her first novel “La Désenchantée” (CIDIHCA, Montréal-2006) was followed by its Spanish translation “La Desencantada” and two other books of poetry and prose: “Lost and Found” and “Amours et Bagatelles” (CIDIHCA, Montréal-2009) - translated into Spanish by Editorial ALBA as "Amores y cosas sin importancia" - all of which garnered rave reviews. Her writings are also featured in 3 anthologies published in France: "Cahier Haiti" (published by RAL'M-2009), "Terre de Femmes" (Editions Bruno Doucey-2011) "Revue Intranqu'îllités" (2012). She speaks and writes fluently French, English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. She has a BFA from the Leonard Davis Center for the Performing Arts at CUNY and a Masters from The New School for Social Research.