From Harvey River (33 page)

 

Acknowledgements

In reconstructing and re-imagining the story of my mother's family and their forebears, I have of course taken certain liberties, including, on some occasions, changing dates to suit narrative flow.

First, last, and always, I give thanks and praise to the Most High.

There are many people I would like to thank for their support in making this book possible: Ann Harvey Moran, who blessed and assisted this project; Jan Sharp, the presiding spirit of this book; Myrna Moran, for her gracious help; Barbara and Ancile Gloudon, with love and thanks; Howard Goodison, who is a wise man; Paulette Goodison, my niece and my friend; Keith and Jennifer Goodison, with much thanks; Betty, Bunny, Kingsley, Karl, and Nigel Goodison, with much love; Joyce King, my cousin; Ali Darwish, sincere thanks; Reverend Michael Granzen; Jennifer Glossop, who
pointed the way; Janet Irving, Sylvie Rabineau, Leigh Feldman, and Janet Silver–thank you for keeping this project alive; Roy DaSouza and Neville James, for the information about automobiles; Dr. Freddie Hickling, for information about Bellevue; Rex Nettleford and Philip Sherlock, two elders who taught us to honour our ancestors; Helen McLean; Patrick Waldemar; Petrona Morrison; Errol Moo Young; Tony Robinson; Vivian Crawford and everyone at the Institute of Jamaica; Jean Smith; Barry Chevannes; Louise Bennett, “Miss Lou,” for the story of “Nayga Bun” Maxine Brown Lawrence, who typed a very early draft of this book; Ben, Vangie, and David Clare, for their Hanover hospitality; Liz and Bob Food, with much love; the handsome Avie Bennett, with Respect Due; Ambassador John Robinson; Reverend Carol Finlay; Brian Corman; Isabel Bassett; Lincoln Faller; Sid Smith; Neville Dawes; Eddie Baugh, John La Rose, Sarah White, Michael Cooke, Larry Lieberman, Jahan Ramazani, and Michael Schmidt, for encouraging my poetry, which has fed this book.

Thanks also to the incomparable Ellen Seligman, who said “I want to bring this book home,” and for doing just that with grace and authority; the amazing Anita Chong–Cleodine and I thank you, Anita; Elaine Melbourne, my good friend and mentor, who helped me stay the course for the twelve years it took to complete this book; my beloved son, Miles, who made me many cups of tea when I first began to write this book at the Ponds of Georgetown in Ann Arbor, Michigan. And finally to my best friend, tender companion, and unfailing encourager, John Edward, for never doubting that this book would become a book. Thanks, Sweetie.

 

Copyright © 2007 by Lorna Goodison

All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the publisher–or, in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency–is an infringement of the copyright law.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Goodison, Lorna
From Harvey River: a memoir of my mother and her people / Lorna Goodison.

eISBN: 978-1-55199-172-6

1. Goodison, Lorna–Family. 2. Jamaica–Biography. I. Title.

PS8563.O83435Z469       2007       C811'.54 C2006-906604-3

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and that of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation's Ontario Book Initiative. We further acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program.

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