Miguel Browne, a History teacher at St.
Mary's College, began writing and
performing his own dialect poetry while he was an undergraduate at the
University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. As a member of the resident
drama group, UWI Players, his works made him a regular feature at Faculty
concerts and campus shows. However, it was as a member of the Talk Tent
under the direction of Paul Keens-Douglas that his talent as a dialect
poet and story teller came to the fore. His poems and stories delievered
with his own special rhythm and rhyme have been well received by
audiences.
Trini Talk is a compilation of twelve of his works over the five
years that he has worked with the Talk Tent. They range from the purely
light and humourous "Newspaper Vendor" to the more insightful "Jumbies"
and the thought provoking "Jungle fever." The local vernacular is used to
describe the picturesque landscape, to recount everyday experiences or
simply to celebrate the colour of the language. More importantly,
the wit and humour that is characteristic of the West Indian oral
tradition is used as a medium to convey serious messages spanning societal
ills, the environment and the Trinidadian psyche.
Miguel Browne may be contacted at: