Limestone: An Epic Poem of Barbados by Anthony Kellman

by Anthony Kellman

The island of Barbados is the central character is this epic poem, which combines narrative development, historical insight, and traditional folk sounds to tell the story of the island from the time of early Amerindians to the present day. Anthony Kellman invents his own Tuk verse forms that include the three-line tercet verse form, rhymed couplets in tetrameter, and rhythmic patterns of the snare drum. These provide a cadence to each section of the poem, whose sound is organic to the people and cultures being described. Legendary figures including indigenous leader Samuel Jackman Prescod and invented characters provide windows into the polarizing and uniting issues in the nation's history and illustrate the suffering and achievement of Barbados's known and unknown heroes.

Genres: Poetry

Paperback

First published March 14, 2008

About the author

ANTHONY KELLMAN is a writer and musician, and Emeritus Professor of English & Creative Writing at Augusta University. He is the author of five books of poetry, Watercourse, The Long Gap, Wings of a Stranger, Limestone (the first published epic poem from the island of Barbados), and South Eastern Stages. He is also the author of two novels, The Coral Rooms and The Houses of Alphonso; and four CDs of original music two of which are companions to his books Wings of a Stranger and Limestone. He's a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts poetry fellowship (USA) and The Prime Minister's award (Barbados). His poems, stories, and essays have appeared in literary periodicals in the USA, the Caribbean, Canada, England, Wales, India, Venezuela, Cuba, and Brazil. He is also the editor of the first full-length U.S anthology of English-language Caribbean poetry Crossing Water: Contemporary Poetry of the English-Speaking Caribbean (1992) and is the originator of the Barbados poetic form Tuk Verse.

As a musician, he played and sung pop and West Indian folk songs on England's folk-club circuit in his late teens before returning to Barbados to resume academic studies. Anthony has released four CDs of original music (in the Island-folk/World/singer-songwriter genres) which feature an eclectic mix of Caribbean, African, and European folk influences. His lyrics reflect themes found in his novels and poetry such as the celebration of geographical as well as emotional landscapes; the importance of justice as a precursor to peace in the world; and the creole dimensions of Barbadian culture and identity which reflect both African and European elements. His music is also available from amazon.com and at

Reviews

[Duruaku Amara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great poem

[Marg Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish it because I found it hard to keep going. It was about the history of Barbados something of which I was ignorant. There was a good rhythm to it and the story telling was good. It was so un-familiar to me. I'd need to study it and probably need help.