book club

book cover

Hosted by literary scholar Kaiama L. Glover and historian Laurent Dubois, the “In All My Dreams” book club is an informal gathering of readers interested in discovering or exploring Haitian culture through the prism of Depestre’s Hadriana in All My Dreams.

During each hour-long meeting, participants come together to travel through the novel in the engaging company of a host of experts in the fields of Haitian literature, history, and anthropology. Brief reading guides indicate the narrative ground covered during each session and offer links to additional resources (for those who enjoy heading down the odd rabbit hole). Participants make use of the comments section on each page to share thoughts or to pose questions during the weeks leading up to or following the ‘live’ meetings. These spaces were designed to serve as sites for ongoing query and conversation.

The four sessions of this book club culminate in an event featuring Edwidge Danticat at the French Embassy of New York on February 19, 2020. One of Haiti and the United States' most prominent and incisive writers, Danticat has long had close ties to Depestre and to Jacmel. Her moving tribute to Jacmel's famous carnival celebration – After the Dance: A Walk through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti (2002) – along with her poignant introduction to Kaiama L. Glover's translation of Hadriana in All My Dreams attest to this deep connection. Danticat understands well the importance of writers like Depestre who propose portraits of Haiti and its people that escape the limited perspectives too often in global circulation.