Dany Laferrière: The Literary Country

Writers—when it comes to Haiti, I should say poets—like to gather among themselves despite the mixed feelings they harbor toward one another. They know they form a particular tribe. Adored one day, reviled the next, and often for no specific reason. They escape ordinary life, as if they were on a merry-go-round that kept spinning and making them dizzy until they reached a certain lyrical intoxication. It is this magical atmosphere that, by enveloping them, ultimately inspires toward them a passion that can, over time, turn into aversion. Des