Songster And Other Stories

Deftly navigating between the present and the past, this collection of bittersweet short stories explores the tensions between image and reality in contemporay Trinidad, discovering a land that is, for the author, as imperfect as it is "home." Tales set in the present day show the traditional, communal world in retreat before the forces of local and global capitalism, as when a local fisherman challenges a segregationist club and pays with his life.

“To travel through the 19 works of poetry and prose in this remarkable anthology is to experience Trinidad and Tobago through a kaleidoscopic lens.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review Two of Trinidad’s top writers masterfully curate this literary retrospective of the nation’s best writing over the past century from authors who were largely part of the literary wave that swept in with Trinidadian Independence in 1962. Though Trinidad Noir: The Classics encompasses a variety of moods and themes, it winds up capturing the uniquely Trinidadian character. Influenced by the waning days of the colonial world—an era rife with crime, violence, enslavement, and indentureship—the selections highlight the often heroic individuals of the underclass. In this anthology, you’ll find reprints of classic stories and poems by C.L.R. James, Derek Walcott, Samuel Selvon, Eric Roach, V.S. Naipaul, Harold Sonny Ladoo, Michael Anthony, Willi Chen, Earl Lovelace, Robert Antoni, Elizabeth Nunez, Ismith Khan, Lawrence Scott, Wayne Brown, Jennifer Rahim, Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, Sharon Millar, Barbara Jenkins, and Shani Mootoo. “Lovelace and Antoni offer a ‘subversive’ take on island culture . . . Whether history repeats itself or progress is stalled by people’s infinite capacity to get in their own ways, these 19 reprinted tales offer a bittersweet perspective on the cussedness of human nature.” —Kirkus Reviews “Holds strong appeal for fans of noir and literary writing.” —Library Journal

Coyote is separated from her mate by a rockfall and searches the park to find him. Sometimes silent, occasionally observed, always watchful, Coyote makes her way from one memorable site to another, singing a lonely song of yips and yowls. Gorgeous watercolor paintings of Yosemite illuminate this ultimately satisfying story, while the text closely observes one of the park's most familiar kind of wild resident. Young readers will discover much about coyotes, and will also delight in spotting the places they too have visited—Half Dome, Sentinel Bridge, Stoneman Meadow, the Ahwahnee, and more.