Dear Editor,
It must be clearly understood that I am no one’s mercenary; there’s no one who can bring a document to me, paint a scenario of half-truths and I become their Cerberus. I objected to Ruel Johnson’s tirade, because had he followed the advice he suggested to me that I should have called him, likewise he should have called Paloma Mohamed and in the interest of the national good he may have written his letter differently.
Is he implying that Derek Walcott inspired him to think, or that he agreed with him that Carifesta 1 was burlesque? If not, then why mention the name of this icon? I can further assure him beyond any doubt that neither Claudette Earle whose talents far exceeded those of Sharief Khan nor the talented Michelle Nurse were in agreement with what Mr Johnson wrote about Carifesta.
On my cartoon relationship with GNNL, I was a young artist/writer in 1981 when the then Director of Art, Dr Denis Williams (whose office I had engaged with my illustrated novel) took me to GNNL’s Editor-in-Chief Frank Campbell with an illustrated story titled ‘The Shrouded Legacy.’ I was benefiting from Burnham’s policy to engage local talent. They ran the series, paid me and I began a relationship with newspaper publishing. I again engaged the Guyana Chronicle in 1984 when they advertised for a commercial artist. I met Ulric Captain who was one of the most energetic managers Chronicle would have. I had come a long way since then in my graphics field, and with the encouragement of editors Godfrey Wray and Claudette Earle I created ‘Times of Vincent’ and ‘Bugs’, two social commentary cartoons. I also self-published Folk & Culture and The Shadow of the Jaguar, a trilogy that took to the stage in October 1992 featuring the late Norman Beaton as El Dorado.
In October 1992, the PPP came to power, Sharief Khan became Editor-in-Chief and no less than three weeks later called me to his office. He showed me some letters from party supporters calling for ‘The Jaguar’ strip, then a Sunday feature, termed by them as a black superhero to be dropped. He insisted that the social commentary cartoons should remain, concerning which he had some topic suggestions with which I disagreed. By early 1993, therefore, I no longer submitted cartoons to GNNL. My relationship with GNNL cannot be equated with Mr Johnson’s, and any researcher who goes back to the post-election editions of the Chronicle would understand why I’m saying this; the above is a mere synopsis.
Does Mr Johnson realise that the Caribbean Press evolved out of Carifesta 8? It’s untrue that the Caribbean Press published three books for Ms Paloma Mohamed; actually it’s one book which is 20 years old − I called her about that. Mr Johnson has also been misled about the $75,000 per month salary paid to Ms Mohamed. It’s not true. I advised her not to respond to Mr Johnson’s tirade as it will − and has begun to – implode. I have done and trained people in the art of set designs and to investigate, so I know façades and props when I see them.
As for the former Minister of Culture, Dr Frank Anthony, the man was out of his depth; he is trained in Public Health which has nothing to do with Culture. Burnham and President David Granger were and are aware of the power and potential of culture as a tool of industry, education and national self-esteem; the PPP under Mr Jagdeo never understood that.
I wrote letters inquiring about the Caribbean Press, but never developed a media cult attacking Frank Anthony. I did compile a dossier on the abused Caribbean Press and give it to a young APNU parliamentarian. I wrote Dr Anthony’s office requesting a meeting along with other interested parties, but he never responded, I eventually met him at the Women Artists’ exhibition at Castellani House, and he told me that I had requested a lot of money for my work arrangements (someone had told him this). I replied that a publishing house is supposed to make money and pay money; we have never crossed paths since.
Cultural development is not ‘I’ it constitutes ‘We’. I am well informed; I need not conspire against Mr Johnson; I have nothing to gain and nor can he affect me in any way. (Leave the Prince Claus Fund out of this.)
Of my encounters with members of the PPP, it was Robeson Benn who was instrumental as Minister along with William Woolford of the GGMC in having my non-fiction graphic novel on the pork-knockers published through a licence arrangement; even after he had left the GGMC he stopped me on Robb St in front of Freedom House in the company of now Prime Minister Nagamootoo to enquire of its progress.
The fat lady can sing now, as I have concluded this discourse, with nothing left to be misconstrued.
Yours faithfully,
Barrington Braithwaite