Liminal spaces : migration and women of the Guyanese diaspora

Liminal Spaces is an intimate exploration into the migration narratives of fifteen women of Guyanese heritage. It spans diverse inter-generational perspectives – from those who leave Guyana, and those who are left – and seven seminal decades of Guyana’s history – from the 1950s to the present day – bringing the voices of women to the fore. The volume is conceived of as a visual exhibition on the page; a four-part journey navigating the contributors’ essays and artworks, allowing the reader to trace the migration path of Guyanese women from their moment of departure, to their arrival on diasporic soils, to their reunion with Guyana. Eloquent and visually stunning, Liminal Spaces unpacks the global realities of migration, challenging and disrupting dominant narratives associated with Guyana, its colonial past, and its post-colonial present as a ‘disappearing nation’. Multimodal in approach, the volume combines memoir, creative non-fiction, poetry, photography, art and curatorial essays to collectively examine the mutable notion of ‘homeland’, and grapple with ideas of place and accountability. This volume is a welcome contribution to the scholarly field of international migration, transnationalism, and diaspora, both in its creative methodological approach, and in its subject area – as one of the only studies published on Guyanese diaspora. It will be of great interest to those studying women and migration, and scholars and students of diaspora studies. Grace Aneiza Ali is a Curator and an Assistant Professor and Provost Fellow in the Department of Art & Public Policy, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Her curatorial research practice centers on socially engaged art practices, global contemporary art, and art of the Caribbean Diaspora, with a focus on her homeland Guyana. Liminal Spaces is an intimate exploration into the migration narratives of fifteen women of Guyanese heritage. It spans diverse inter-generational perspectives - from those who leave Guyana, and those who are left - and seven seminal decades of Guyana's history - from the 1950s to the present day - bringing the voices of women to the fore. The volume is conceived of as a visual exhibition on the page; a four-part journey navigating the contributors' essays and artworks, allowing the reader to trace the migration path of Guyanese women from their moment of departure, to their arrival on diasporic soils, to their reunion with Guyana. Eloquent and visually stunning, Liminal Spaces unpacks the global realities of migration, challenging and disrupting dominant narratives associated with Guyana, its colonial past, and its post-colonial present as a 'disappearing nation'. Multimodal in approach, the volume combines memoir, creative non-fiction, poetry, photography, art and curatorial essays to collectively examine the mutable no on of 'homeland', and grapple with ideas of place and accountability. This volume is a welcome contribution to the scholarly fi eld of international migration, transnationalism, and diaspora, both in its creative methodological approach, and in its subject area - as one of the only studies published on Guyanese diaspora. It is essential reading to those studying women and migration, and scholars and students of diaspora studies. As with all Open Book publications, this entire book is available to read for free on the publisher's website. Printed and digital editions, together with supplementary digital material, can also be found at www.openbookpublishers.com Contents Notes on the Contributors Grace Aneiza Ali Khadija Benn Sandra Brewster Erika DeFreitas Ingrid Griffith Natalie Hopkinson Serena Hopkinson Dominique Hunter Maria del Pilar Kaladeen Maya Mackrandilal Suchitra Mattai Christie Neptune Grace Nichols Keisha Scarville Michelle Joan Wilkinson Introduction: Liminal Spaces Bibliography Endnotes About the Art, Photography, and Curatorial Notes PART I - Mothering Lands Notes Surrogate Skin: Portrait of Mother (Land) Notes Until I Hear from You Notes Electric Dreams On the Move Bush People Snow White Daddy’s Girl Daddy’s Girl, Part II ‘Black Bitch’ ‘Martian’ Torn Asunder Finding Home Finding Love A Return to Guyana Electric Dreams PART II - The Ones Who Leave . . . The Ones Who Are Left Notes The Geography of Separation Author’s Note Transplantation A Guide to Surviving Transplantation and Other Traumas Those Who Remain: Portraits of Amerindian Women When They Left PART III - Transitions Notes So I Pick Up Me New-World-Self Revisionist Memories from Yonder A Trace | Evidence of Time Past Notes PART VI - Returns, Reunions, and Rituals Notes Concrete and Filigree Notes A Daughter’s Journey from Indenture to Windrush Bibliography Notes Keeping Wake Notes Postface: A Brief History of Migration from Guyana List of Illustrations Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Acknowledgments The Publishing Team Liminal Spaces' is an intimate exploration into the migration narratives of fifteen women of Guyanese heritage. It spans diverse inter-generational perspectives ? from those who leave Guyana, and those who are left ? and seven seminal decades of Guyana?s history ? from the 1950s to the present day ? bringing the voices of women to the fore. The volume is conceived of as a visual exhibition on the page; a four-part journey navigating the contributors? essays and artworks, allowing the reader to trace the migration path of Guyanese women from their moment of departure, to their arrival on diasporic soils, to their reunion with Guyana.0Eloquent and visually stunning, 'Liminal Spaces' unpacks the global realities of migration, challenging and disrupting dominant narratives associated with Guyana, its colonial past, and its post-colonial present as a ?disappearing nation?. Multimodal in approach, the volume combines memoir, creative non-fiction, poetry, photography, art and curatorial essays to collectively examine the mutable notion of ?homeland?, and grapple with ideas of place and accountability.0This volume is a welcome contribution to the scholarly field of international migration, transnationalism, and diaspora, both in its creative methodological approach, and in its subject area ? as one of the only studies published on Guyanese diaspora. It will be of great interest to those studying women and migration, and scholars and students of diaspora studies Part I: Mothering Lands -- Grace Ali -- 1. Surrogate Skin: Portrait of Mother (Land) -- Keisha Scarville -- 2. Until I Hear from You -- Erika DeFreitas -- 3. Electric Dreams -- Natalie Hopkinson and Serena Hopkinson -- Part II: The Ones Who Leave ... The Ones Who Are Left -- Grace Ali -- 4. The Geography of Separation -- Grace Ali -- 5. Transplantation -- Dominique Hunter -- 6. Those Who Remain: Portraits of Amerindian Women -- Khadija Benn -- Part III: Transitions -- Grace Ali -- 8. So I Pick Up Me New-World-Self -- Grace Nichols -- 10. Memories from Yonder -- Christie Neptune -- 11. A Trace Evidence of Time Past -- Sandra Brewster -- Part IV: Returns, Reunions, and Rituals -- Grace Ali -- 12. Concrete and Filigree -- Michelle Joan Wilkinson -- 13. A Daughter's Journey from Indenture to Windrush -- Maria del Pilar Kaladeen -- Postface: A Brief History of Migration from Guyana -- Grace Ali