One author extolled the experience of attending a crime writing festival as an awesome opportunity to meet and mingle with like-minded artists who are passionate about their work and simply enjoy getting together from time to time to inspire, invigorate and encourage each other.
I was indeed honored to be among a delegation of erudites from the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) who attended the British Virgin Islands’ (BVI) second annual Literary Arts Festival in November 2022. The theme: “Unspoken. Unwritten. Unknown” was a fitting tribute to their community’s efforts to foster an enduring cultural identity through the works of their local artists and annual literary campaigns. Renown Poet Laureate, President of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC), and our distinguished host, Dr. Richard Georges and his very capable staff made every effort to make us feel at home — from the writers’ welcoming reception held at Government House through our two-day participation in a variety of literary workshops.
Sponsored jointly between the BVI Department of Culture and HLSCC, the four-day event has attracted an accomplished and eclectic group of local, regional, and internationally recognized artists and scholars. Included in our deputation were literary giants such as Eunice Bedminster, award-winning writer, executive editor of the Virgin Islands Daily News, and former managing editor of the St. Croix Avis; Dr. Yvette McMahon-Arnold, director of Instructional Development, State Office of Curriculum and Instruction in the USVI Department of Education; and United Nations expert, Dr. Carlyle Corbin. Alscess Lewis-Brown, co-chair of the Virgin Islands Literary Festival and editor in chief of The Caribbean Writer (University of the Virgin Islands) served as UVI’s team leader that also included revered UVI professor of English and Linguistics, Dr. Vincent Cooper.
Our contingency from UVI deliberated in a featured panel discussion that asked the question, “Are we Gatekeepers or Gardeners?” The significance of such a propaedeutic exercise highlights the fact that in the world of pedantry, a gatekeeper controls the flow of information and narrows the pool of stories that are disseminated to the public. On the other hand, a gardener exposes the writing team to higher level issues and solutions. So, by maintaining a respectable balance between the selective, restrictive lens of the gatekeeper and that of the nurturing, heuristic arm of the gardener, one can effectively broaden academic connectivity, curiosity, and excellence to propel literary communities to higher heights, which is akin to responsible publishing and ethical journalism in the literary world. During our presentation, I had the distinct privilege of also reciting a poem from Volume 31 of the Caribbean Writer. What made this pleasure most notable is that this entire 2017 edition was dedicated to the memory and artistic contributions of the late Advisory Editorial Board Member, Nobel Laureate, Playwright, Poet and Artist, Sir Derek Alton Walcott.
For me, this event was not just an awesome first-time opportunity to experience up close and in-person, the raw genius of other literary luminaries at the same event. It was also an opportunity to re-energize a long-neglected passion and I left the festival feeling uplifted, revitalized, invigorated, and truly inspired.
While this experience has had a positive effect on resurrecting my creative spirit, I also realize that in an era of quick and often deceptive “learning” experiences — from children’s books to artificial intelligence — literacy is no longer valued and sought after. Sadly, this too, has taken a back seat among other robotic functions that the Internet so readily provides. But the art of actual real-life reading and writing exercises are still fundamental to literacy proficiency and is even more critical in today’s digitized society. And yes, they are fun and exciting activities that anyone can enjoy—from those still in the invitro process of becoming, to those long into senescence and in-between.
What do developing fetuses have to do with literary competence? Studies have shown that babies who are read to while still in the womb or while still in the early infancy stage not only benefit from the bonding created between the parent and the child. It also provides the opportunity for enhancing cognitive development in language, socio-emotional, and literacy skills, and as research continues to show, this is a demonstrated way for parents to foster children’s literacy competency — not just in their ability to read, write and assimilate information. In today’s tech-driven world, a literate person also needs to be proficient in multiple modes of communication — textual, visual, digital, and technological.
Why is this relevant to the conversation on literacy? Because the statistics are dire for the argument against it. The 2017 U.S. government Annual Report Card predicts that approximately 64 percent of students in the U.S. public school system will either drop out, or graduate without ever gaining proficiency in reading. That is a major problem not just for the children affected, but for society in general. Unfortunately, the literacy rates among adults are equally dismal.
But there is hope. Literacy rates can be improved and there are many instances where individual communities and even states have significantly upgraded and maintained their literacy status. The role that social workers play in promoting child literacy, raising community awareness, and educating and facilitating appropriate solutions to this growing problem in the schools, as well as working with parents is crucial. So is the role of teachers in encouraging all students of varying ability to experience the different functions and uses of literacy through reading, writing, and speaking activities.
This can be done — and should be done. As we have seen, while reading continues to be the fundamental means of achieving multiliteracy skills, it is the writing and speaking festivals, supported by literary communities that help to keep the artistic embers revitalized, reenergized and electrified.
So, grab a book and start reading today!
— Yvonne I. Woods, PhD, is an assistant professor of social work in the MSW Program at the University of the Virgin Islands, Orville E. Kean Campus on St. Thomas.
