Jamaica Kincaid - Extraordinary Novelist, Essayist and Memoirist

A novelist, essayist, poet and short story writer, Jamaica Kincaid is very popular worldwide. She was born in the year 1949 in the tiny of Antigua, her mother named her Elaine Potter Richardson. She did not know her father but lived with her step father; at this time Antigua was one of the British colonies so she was schooled in this system.She lived on the island until she was sixteen years old when she left for the United States and started working as an au pair for an American couple.When she started her writing she changed her name as she feared that the islanders would not understand her work. It was of such that most of writing was based on the West Indies and she did not return to the islands for nineteen years.Her career started from her association with persons on the literary scene in New York in the 70's. She had made many close friends at this time and even started as a staff writer for a magazine.A well established editor from the New Yorker asked her to write a
piece for his magazine and this was where her characteristic style was exposed and this resulted in her becoming a regular writer for the magazine.Jamaica Kincaid received numerous criticisms both from her readers and the fearless critics, but she continued her lyrical style and was a force to be reckoned with in the writing arena. The first book that she published was called "At the Bottom of the River" and was a compilation of short stories.From this first book you could see reflections of the ones that was to follow, she delved into issues such as mother and daughter relationships, politics, finding ones identity, sexuality, dissatisfaction with her homeland and many other controversial topics.Kincaid can be described as writer who lived in an imaginary world at times as her work takes you on interesting journeys and leaves you with questions. Some persons would consider her works to be of a small catalogue, but she definitely grabs a lot of attention for her modest work.
Some of the other materials written by her include Annie John, The Autobiography of My Mother, A Small Place, My Brother, Lucy and others. Most of her work could be considered as an autobiography as references were made to her life, family and the island that she was born.She received numerous awards; the book "At The Bottom of the River" won her the American Academy of Arts and Letters awards. She received the Prix Femina Etranger for the novel titled My Brother and also got nominated for a Pen Faulkner award. Her life is as interesting as her work and sometimes it is hard to find details about this well renowned writer.But she has carved out her own distinctive space in America's literary arena with her fictions which vividly describe many of lives common situations.What we know is that she lives with her husband Allen Shawn, who is a college professor and composer. Their two children Harold and Annie also lived with them in Burlington, Vermont. She is a Judaism convert wh
o believes strongly in her faith.

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