Edwidge Danticat
Author of Breath, Eyes, Memory
About the Author
Edwidge Danticat was born in Haiti in 1969 and came to America at age twelve to live with her parents in Brooklyn. She studied French literature at Barnard College and received her M.F.A. from Brown University. Her work has achieved both popular and critical acclaim. Breath, Eyes, Memory (1994), show more her first novel and master's thesis, garnered Danticat a Granta Regional Award for Best Young American Novelist and was chosen as an Oprah Book Club selection, a singular honor. Her collection of short stories Krik? Krak! (1995) was nominated for the National Book Award. Along with awards for fiction from Seventeen and Essence and the 1995 Pushcart Short Story Prize, Danticat was chosen by Harper's Bazaar as "one of 20 people in their twenties who will make a difference," and by the New York Times Magazine as one of "30 Under 30" people to watch. Her second novel, The Farming of Bones (1998), concerns a massacre in Haiti in 1937. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: http://www.dentontaylor.com
Works by Edwidge Danticat
The Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States (2001) — Editor — 70 copies, 1 review
Beacon Best of 2000: Creative Writing by Women and Men of All Colors (Beacon Best of ... Creative Writing by Women & Men of All Colors) (2000) 27 copies
Ghosts 2 copies
Encuentros 2 copies
Are you down? 1 copy
Claire de Luz Marina / Edwidge Danticat ; traducciÛn de LucÌa Stecher y Thomas Rothe. (2021) 1 copy
Without Inspection 1 copy
Danticat, Edwidge Archive 1 copy
Associated Works
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race (2016) — Contributor — 1,016 copies, 32 reviews
The Art of the Story: An International Anthology of Contemporary Short Stories (1999) — Contributor — 394 copies, 5 reviews
The Norton Anthology of African American Literature {2nd edition} (2003) — Contributor, some editions — 282 copies, 2 reviews
Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation (2017) — Contributor — 227 copies, 7 reviews
New York Stories [Everyman's Library Pocket Classics] (2011) — Contributor, some editions — 198 copies, 5 reviews
Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process (2017) — Contributor — 162 copies, 5 reviews
The Decameron Project: 29 New Stories from the Pandemic (2020) — Contributor — 157 copies, 5 reviews
The Ecco Anthology of Contemporary American Short Fiction (2008) — Contributor — 141 copies, 2 reviews
Children of the Night: The Best Short Stories by Black Writers, 1967 to the Present (1995) — Contributor — 126 copies
New Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Writing by Women of African Descent (2019) — Contributor — 116 copies, 1 review
On the Wings of Peace: Writers and Illustrators Speak Out for Peace, in Memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1995) — Contributor — 105 copies, 1 review
The Penguin Book of Migration Literature: Departures, Arrivals, Generations, Returns (2019) — Foreword; Contributor — 96 copies
Black Ink: Literary Legends on the Peril, Power, and Pleasure of Reading and Writing (2018) — Contributor — 94 copies
On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library (2021) — Contributor — 84 copies, 1 review
Eat Joy: Stories and Comfort Food from 31 Celebrated Writers (2019) — Contributor — 84 copies, 3 reviews
Cutting Edge: New Stories of Mystery and Crime by Women Writers (2019) — Contributor — 61 copies, 13 reviews
Shaking the Tree: A Collection of Fiction and Memoir by Black Women (2003) — Contributor — 54 copies
The Good Book: Writers Reflect on Favorite Bible Passages (2015) — Contributor — 44 copies, 3 reviews
Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women (2023) — Contributor — 38 copies, 1 review
The Word: Black Writers Talk About the Transformative Power of Reading and Writing (2011) — Contributor — 35 copies, 2 reviews
Stories from Blue Latitudes: Caribbean Women Writers at Home and Abroad (2006) — Contributor — 32 copies
Becoming American: Personal Essays By First Generation Immigrant Women (2000) — Contributor — 29 copies
I Still Believe Anita Hill: Three Generations Discuss the Legacies of Speaking Truth to Power (2012) — Contributor — 23 copies, 1 review
The Artists' and Writers' Cookbook: A Collection of Stories with Recipes (2016) — Contributor — 19 copies
Brown Sugar 4: Secret Desires - A Collection of Erotic Black Fiction (2005) — Contributor — 16 copies
Democracy in Print: The best of the Progressive Magazine, 1909-2009 (2009) — Contributor — 14 copies
The Bluelight Corner: Black Women Writing on Passion, Sex, and Romantic Love (1998) — Contributor — 10 copies
The Shape of Water [2006 film] — Contributor — 3 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1969-01-19
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Barnard College (BA|1990|French literature)
Brown University (MFA|1993|Creative writing) - Occupations
- author
- Organizations
- New York University (instructor, creative writing)
University of Miami (instructor, creative writing)
Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Foundation (recipient of on-going grant) - Awards and honors
- One of "20 people in their twenties who will make a difference" (Harpers Bazaar)
One of "30 under 30" people to watch (New York Times magazine)
One of the "15 Gutsiest Women of the Year" (Jane magazine)
Woman of Achievement Award (1995 ∙ Barnard College)
Lannan Literary Fellowship (2004)
Benjamin H. Danks Award (Fiction ∙ 2005) (show all 9)
Granta's Best Of Young American Novelists (1996)
Neustadt International Prize for Literature (2018)
MacArthur Fellow (2009) - Short biography
- Edwidge Danticat was born in Haiti in 1969. She came to the United States when she was twelve years old and, only two years later, published her first writings in English. She holds an undergraduate degree is in French literature from Barnard College and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Brown Unversity. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Edwidge Danticat's short stories have appeared in 25 periodicals. She won a 1995 Pushcart Short Story Prize as well as fiction awards from several magazines. In addition to her first novel, Breath, Eyes, Memory, winning wide acclaim, her book of short stories, Krik? Krak!, was chosen as a National Book Award finalist in 1995. - Nationality
- Haiti
USA - Birthplace
- Port-au-Prince, Haiti
- Places of residence
- Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA
Members
Reviews
Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat is a short but complex story that consists of a series of linked stories set in a small town in Haiti, as she explores the nature of grief and the various forms it takes. Death is the one constant in this book, even the mayor is the town’s undertaker. Claire Limye Lanme, meaning Claire of the Sea Light, was named for her mother, who died in childbirth. Her seventh birthday starts with a rogue wave claiming the life of a neighbour which sets the show more tone. Claire’s fisherman father feels that he won’t be able to raise Claire properly and decides to give her away to a wealthy shopkeeper whose own daughter died in an accident. As he makes this painful decision to part from his child, she vanishes.
The author explores the stories of various inhabitants of Ville Rose, from the shopkeeper who has lost both her husband and her daughter, to Bernard, a young radio writer who dreams of hosting a show about the gang members who rule his neighbourhood, and Louise, an on-air radio host who airs the town’s secrets all the while concealing her own ailment. These stories are put together like a puzzle and the reader is rewarded with an involving story of life in Haiti.
I was immediately caught by the question of whether Claire would return home and by the lyrical, haunting prose and richly described characters that the author has peopled her book with. Many of the characters are at a breaking point, wanting to change their lives but mostly unable to. Danticat vividly portrays how grief and pain are felt by everyone no matter their gender, age or social status. Claire of the Sea Light is a quiet novel, but it delivers a definite emotional impact. show less
The author explores the stories of various inhabitants of Ville Rose, from the shopkeeper who has lost both her husband and her daughter, to Bernard, a young radio writer who dreams of hosting a show about the gang members who rule his neighbourhood, and Louise, an on-air radio host who airs the town’s secrets all the while concealing her own ailment. These stories are put together like a puzzle and the reader is rewarded with an involving story of life in Haiti.
I was immediately caught by the question of whether Claire would return home and by the lyrical, haunting prose and richly described characters that the author has peopled her book with. Many of the characters are at a breaking point, wanting to change their lives but mostly unable to. Danticat vividly portrays how grief and pain are felt by everyone no matter their gender, age or social status. Claire of the Sea Light is a quiet novel, but it delivers a definite emotional impact. show less
“The slaughter is the only thing that is mine enough to pass on.”
Beautifully written historical fiction about the 1937 Haitian massacre in Hispaniola. Haitian workers had emigrated to the Dominican Republic, many to serve as sugar cane cutters. Protagonist Amabelle Désir, a Haitian orphan, is a domestic servant to a wealthy Spanish family. She has formed a relationship with one of the cane cutters, Sebastién, and they plan to marry. She fulfills the role as preserver of memories, and show more this story is her testimony. While she tells her personal story, she also speaks for the many voiceless victims of the massacre that took place under Trujillo’s regime.
The story is told in a linear fashion. It is interspersed with chapters told in present tense that allow the reader a glimpse into Amabelle’s interior world, as she attempts to work through her traumatic experiences. These sequences include haunting dreams, disjointed memories, and painful reflections. They are short and in bold type. It feels like a creative way to reflect the delay between the onset of a harrowing experience and the ability to speak about it. And the reader is relying upon Amabelle to tell a coherent story.
This is historical fiction of the highest quality. It is easy to empathize with the characters. While there is much death, there is also hope. The conclusion, which could have easily gone awry, is deftly handled and provides a sense of closure. It is superbly crafted. This book will linger in my memory. show less
Beautifully written historical fiction about the 1937 Haitian massacre in Hispaniola. Haitian workers had emigrated to the Dominican Republic, many to serve as sugar cane cutters. Protagonist Amabelle Désir, a Haitian orphan, is a domestic servant to a wealthy Spanish family. She has formed a relationship with one of the cane cutters, Sebastién, and they plan to marry. She fulfills the role as preserver of memories, and show more this story is her testimony. While she tells her personal story, she also speaks for the many voiceless victims of the massacre that took place under Trujillo’s regime.
The story is told in a linear fashion. It is interspersed with chapters told in present tense that allow the reader a glimpse into Amabelle’s interior world, as she attempts to work through her traumatic experiences. These sequences include haunting dreams, disjointed memories, and painful reflections. They are short and in bold type. It feels like a creative way to reflect the delay between the onset of a harrowing experience and the ability to speak about it. And the reader is relying upon Amabelle to tell a coherent story.
This is historical fiction of the highest quality. It is easy to empathize with the characters. While there is much death, there is also hope. The conclusion, which could have easily gone awry, is deftly handled and provides a sense of closure. It is superbly crafted. This book will linger in my memory. show less
Right away, you know you are in the presence of a great writer when you read the very first short story of Krik? Krak! In "Children of the Sea" two teenagers who are in love keep journals when they are separated by dictatorship. Danticat keeps the two first person narratives clear by using capitalization and punctuation for one voice but not the other. The educated boy, a member of the Youth Federation, has escaped Haiti on a boat bound for Miami, Florida, while his young love (who does show more not use capitalization of punctuation) is left behind to endure military abuses. This was probably one of my favorites. Each subsequent story builds upon the next with the tiniest of threads. A minute detail will tie one story back to another.
"Nineteen Thirty-Seven" is a painful story about a woman visiting her mother in prison. Her mother is accused of flying. The government believes she is a witch, capable of rising like a bird on fire.
"A Wall of Fire Rising" tells the short but devastating story of a family barely making ends meet.
"Night Women" demonstrates the lengths a woman will go in order to provide for her child.
"Between the Pool and the Gardenias" is another heartbreaking story about loss.
"The Missing Peace" illuminates innocence abandoned.
"Seeing Things Simply" shares the story of an artist looking for beauty while ugliness crowds all around her.
"New York Day Women" demonstrates just how much a mother's love can suffocate a daughter.
"Caroline's Wedding" weaves a tale of expectation in age old customs.
"Women Like Us" is a message to daughters.
"In the Old Days" is an additional story for the twentieth anniversary edition of Krik? Krak! It tells the story of a woman asked to visit her dying father, a man she has never met. show less
"Nineteen Thirty-Seven" is a painful story about a woman visiting her mother in prison. Her mother is accused of flying. The government believes she is a witch, capable of rising like a bird on fire.
"A Wall of Fire Rising" tells the short but devastating story of a family barely making ends meet.
"Night Women" demonstrates the lengths a woman will go in order to provide for her child.
"Between the Pool and the Gardenias" is another heartbreaking story about loss.
"The Missing Peace" illuminates innocence abandoned.
"Seeing Things Simply" shares the story of an artist looking for beauty while ugliness crowds all around her.
"New York Day Women" demonstrates just how much a mother's love can suffocate a daughter.
"Caroline's Wedding" weaves a tale of expectation in age old customs.
"Women Like Us" is a message to daughters.
"In the Old Days" is an additional story for the twentieth anniversary edition of Krik? Krak! It tells the story of a woman asked to visit her dying father, a man she has never met. show less
This is a fabulous book about the 1937 Parsley Massacre on the border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It happened close to the beginning of Trujillo's reign and was a massacre of Haitians living and working in the Dominican Republic. It's called the Parsley Massacre because parsley is a word that is pronounced differently between the Spanish and the Kreyol languages and was used to tell who belonged to what country.
That is the historical background, but what makes this book great is show more the fantastic characters and the voice of Amabelle, the Haitian worker who escapes the massacre with her body but leaves her happiness behind. I thought the whole book was done so well - the writing, the characters, the setting, the pace - everything. I was afraid that a book with such a dark topic would be overwhelmingly sad to read, but Danticat has a way of making the sadness not seem dreary. I'll definitely read more of her books. show less
That is the historical background, but what makes this book great is show more the fantastic characters and the voice of Amabelle, the Haitian worker who escapes the massacre with her body but leaves her happiness behind. I thought the whole book was done so well - the writing, the characters, the setting, the pace - everything. I was afraid that a book with such a dark topic would be overwhelmingly sad to read, but Danticat has a way of making the sadness not seem dreary. I'll definitely read more of her books. show less
Lists
First Novels (1)
1990s (1)
to get (1)
Writers at Risk (1)
Black Authors (2)
AP Lit (1)
Fiction: BLM (1)
100 New Classics (1)
Reading Globally (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 46
- Also by
- 67
- Members
- 12,783
- Popularity
- #1,834
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 406
- ISBNs
- 281
- Languages
- 13
- Favorited
- 48
