Literary icon Mark Twain once said: “Write what you know.”
And that’s what Sarah Waisvisz is doing for her PhD dissertation in the English Department at Carleton.
Waisvisz is focusing on Caribbean authors“because I come from a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-linguistic background. Part of my heritage is Caribbean: my maternal grandfather was from a slave family in Martinique and I pursue my studies partly in honour of him and my enslaved ancestors.”
Having been born in Germany to Dutch and French parents and now as a first-generation Canadian, she wanted to focus on Caribbean authors who live far afield from their own country. “The themes of diaspora, immigration, nomadism, and belonging/un-belonging that are brought to light by these authors are close to home,” shares Waisvisz. “I suppose that, in some way, I feel a kind of kinship with the writers I study.”
She is interested in how these writers invoke the Caribbean in their writing, how their perspective on the Caribbean interacts with their perspective of their new life in another country and how they come to regard the Caribbean from their position living far from home.
Says Waisvisz: “I contend that the history of the Caribbean, informed as it is by histories of trauma, slavery, immigration, poverty and political upheaval, continue to haunt the diasporic Caribbean writers—but so too are they haunted by a rich tradition of music, storytelling, cultural and religious syncretism, and a sense of survival.”
One theme that has fascinated the grad student is the role and impact of art and culture, especially in societies undergoing major social and political change. “Sometimes artists, including writers, play a very important role in activism and in bearing witness to the events in their society. Often, their artistic and cultural responses can complement or contribute to the work of legal and political spheres.” Waisvisz is hoping that her dissertation will be able to highlight some of the compelling and critical work that these authors are doing.
Waisvisz transferred to Carleton’s English program after beginning her PhD elsewhere. “The program is vibrant and forward-thinking. Plus the relatively small size of the program means that my fellow students and I receive a lot of attention from the faculty. I am really fortunate to have a thesis committee made up of three very committed and helpful professors. Sarah Casteel is my supervisor, and I also benefit from the mentorship of Brenda Carr Vellino of the English Department and Christine Duff of the French Department.”
Waisvisz’s research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
Thursday, April 19, 2012 in Grad Student Research, News
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