Nourbese philip constructs her texts in the belief that this is. Poetry and law may seem to some as incommensurable as dancing and architecture. This essay argues that nourbese philips and caroline bergvalls zong. Nourbeses great, fractured, multilingual poem zong. She is the author of works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
Nourbese philip has written to vocalize and surrender to the sense that a body may make. We can pinpoint the dates, we 2 in a note on the composition of zong. Its poems are translingual and rely on blank space, signaling both the inaccessibility and traumatic nature of this history. The legal battle for compensation was, however, lost by the ships owners, not because the act was seen as murder it was not but because the. Philip was a practicing lawyer for seven years before turning fulltime to writing. Nourbese philip is a poet and writer and lawyer who lives in the city of toronto. Nourbese philip s collection of poems entitled zong. Nourbese philip as told to the author by setaeyadamu boateng. At times im uncomfortable with both poetry and history, but then a book like zong. She earned a bsc from the university of the west indies and an ma and llb from the university of western ontario. The sections we will discuss are numbers 2, 3, 6, 11, 21, and 26, and these sections can be found respectively on pages 5, 6, 14, 20, 37, and 45 of the weslyan edition. Nourbese philips collection of poems entitled zong. Norbese philip, invokes the memory of enslaved africans on the dutch ship zong in 1781, of whom 150 were thrown overboard and drowned on the way to jamaica so that the ships owners could collect on the insurance.
African roots a genealogy of resistance showing grit frontiers selected essays harriets daughter. She writes poems, novels, stage plays and essays which are repeatedly critical of racism and sexism. Printed in the united states of america 54321 library of congress cataloginginpublication data philip, marlene nourbese, 1947zong. Drifttwo complex, multipart long poems written, performed, and published in the last decadecan be read as poetic essays on the topic of precarity. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous zong. The legal account is one version of what happened, a happening couched in official language that philip gradually dislodges through the poetic excavation and untelling of the legal text. A poet, novelist, playwright, and lawyer, nourbese philip holds a bsc in econ as well as an ms in political science from the university of the west indies, and a law degree from the university of western ontario, london, ontario, canada. When nourbese philip performs this text the silence between the particles is as articulate as the letters, syllables, and words. Philip was born in the caribbean, at woodlands, moriah, trinidad and tobago. Relying entirely on the words of the legal decision gregson v. This week in the pen poetry series, guest editor tc tolbert features two poems by m. In november, 1781, the captain of the slave ship zong ordered that some 150 africans be mur. Nourbese philip, 9780819571694, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. In september 1781, a merchant ship called the zong1 sailed from the west coast of africa with 470 or 442 or 440 slaves, seventeen crew members, and their captain, luke collingwood.
At times i m uncomfortable with both poetry and history, but then a book like zong. Nourbese philip biography questions and answers the question and answer section for zong. Alexandria johnson, tracie morris, and amber rose johnson listen to the complete recording and read program notes for the episode at jacket2. Nourbese philip read from her work and joined in discussion at torch as part of the great writers inspire at home series. Nourbese philip has published four books of poetry, including zong. Born in the caribbean in woodlands, moriah, trinidad. What i mean by that is that we live in the west, and for as much as you may not want to be a part of this consumerist, capitalistic. Nourbese philip born in 1947 in moriah, trinidad and tobago is a lawyer and writer. Printed in the united states of america 54321 library of congress cataloginginpublication data philip, marlene nourbese, 1947 zong. These notes were contributed by members of the gradesaver community. More to the point is the epigram in frontiers where philip dedicates the book to canada, in the effort of becoming a space of true belonging. She eventually moved to canada and pursued her graduate degree in law and political science. Recently we published evie shockleys, and soon we will publish pieces by kathy lou schultz, meta duewa jones, and gary barwin.
Published by weslyan university press, and by the mercury press in canada, this extended poetry cycle. Other interviews defending the dead, confronting the archive. In l965, when graduating from bishop anstey high school, m. Nourbese philip author 224 pages in november, 1781, the captain of the slave ship zong ordered that some 150 africans be murdered by drowning so that the ships owners could collect insurance monies. Pdf marlene nourbese philips zong there is no telling. Philip was born in the caribbean in trinidad and tobago.
Law and poetry both share an inexorable concern with language. She writes poems, novels, stage plays and essays which. Reading for belladonna, poets house, new york city, june 1. Gilbertthe only extant public document related to the. If you have any questions or experience problems with our site, please contact. Alexandria johnson, tracie morris, and amber rose johnson. Marlene nourbese philip born february 3, 1947, usually credited as m. Nourbese philip, is a canadian poet, novelist, playwright, essayist and short story writer.
Nourbese philips website, you are greeted by a quotation by setaey adamu boateng that reads. Mar 22, 2010 mike minions of okanagan college captured this great footage of m. Nourbese philip fashions her poems from the only record of an infamous incident in which 142 african slaves were drowned at sea so that their owners might collect insurance. Nourbese philip was awarded the cipriani memorial scholarship for standing first in a caribbean wide examination at the high school level.
The legal account is one version of what happened, a happening couched in official language that philip gradually dislodges through the poetic excavation and. Mike minions of okanagan college captured this great footage of m. Through fragments of voices, shreds of memory and shards of silence, zong. Philip provides classroom resources to assist in the teaching of her book. Setaey adamu boateng is the voice of the ancestors revealing the submerged stories of all who were on board the zong. The four of us today are here to talk about talk about six sections from the long poem titled zong. A poet, novelist, playwright, and lawyer, she is the author of four poetry collections, including zong. Nov 17, 2017 the four of us today are here to talk about talk about six sections from the long poem titled zong. But language may be used to very different ends in each. In november, 1781, the captain of the slave ship zong ordered that some 150 africans be murdered by drowning so that the ships owners could collect insurance monies. Listen to the complete recording and read program notes for the episode at jacket2. Born in tobago, she now resides in toronto, ontario.
Nourbese philip is a canadian poet, novelist, playwright, essayist and short story writer. Nourbese philips role as antiracist activist is most evident. She started as a lawyer for seven years, and stopped in 1983 to write full time. Nourbese philip is a poet, writer, and lawyer whose previous collections of poetry include she tries her tongue, her silence softly breaks 1989. Nourbese philip in 1781 the captain of the slave ship, zong, murders, by drowning, one hundred and fifty africans so as to collect insurance monies. There is no telling this story, it must be translated.
African roots a genealogy of resistance showing grit poetry. Nourbese philip in november, 1781, the captain of the slave ship zong ordered that some 150 africans be murdered by drowning so that the ships owners could collect insurance monies. Norbese philip, with updated interviews, analysis, and more, visit the authors readers companion, here. Its subject is heavy, drawing from the forced drowning of enslaved people on a slave ship called the zong. Those still confused about why poetry might fracture and splinter and stutter can find an answer in the work of m.
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