Is Just a Movie, the new novel by celebrated Caribbean writer Earl Lovelace, was hailed as "sophisticated," "complex," "lyrical" and compelling, at a book launch held on February 1, on the rooftop of the Carlton Savannah Hotel in Cascade. The event also launched The Earl Lovelace Foundation, a non-profit organisation set up to celebrate and archive the work of the author, to preserve T&T's cultural heritage and as a resource for regional writers. The host, director of Best Village Norvan Fullerton, went with a cinematic theme, introducing the musical performers, Bro Valentino and Lord Superior, as the "soundtrack" of the night's "movie."
Lord Superior, Andrew Marcano, accompanied by drummer Jah Lion, sang his classic Crime Does Pay, striking in its relevance to present-day lawlessness in T&T. Valentino sang his appropriately-themed Life is a Stage. Fullerton called on Monique Roffey, writer of the critically acclaimed The White Woman on the Green Bicycle, to fulfil the role of "movie critic." Roffey said Lovelace was a new friend and an old influence, adding it was a great honour to review the work. She said it was a "sophisticated" novel" that dealt with "notions of selfhood" in the post-revolutionary 70s, through its "cast of characters at odds with each other."
The protagonist is a calypsonian, a "poet of the revolution," who takes part in the filming of a foreign-produced film in Trinidad. He must play the part of a native whose role is, solely, to die. This raises larger questions in him, questions of identity that resonate for Caribbean people as a whole. She hailed Lovelace's use of language, from the opening Robber talk to its authentic dialect, noting that as one of the few groundbreaking Caribbean writers still living in the region, he had remained connected to his people. Roffey said the book "turned convention on its head" with its original style, "biting social commentary" and sense of parody, and urged guests: "Do not put this book down, or you will get left behind."
Ken Jaikaransingh of Lexicon Books then introduced Funso Aiyejina, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education at UWI, St Augustine, who gave the audience information on The Earl Lovelace Foundation. He said it would be based on five acres of land in Matura, where the author had lived with his family in the 70s and 80s, writing plays which the community troupe performed at Best Village. He said Lovelace also wrote several of his books while living there-including The Dragon Can't Dance, Wine of Astonishment and Jestina's Calypso-and that area residents had inspired some of the characters in his work. The facility will include an exhibition hall and library and will host festivals and workshops especially geared at regional writers, children and youth.
He said the Foundation would serve the Matura-Salybia-Toco area and would preserve its heritage and that of T&T. It will also serve as a base for Eco tours, surfing and recreation. Aiyejina said Is Just a Movie-Lovelace's first work to deal with Tobago-was "hilarious and grim, realistic and absurd," with a complex, multi-layered and carefully orchestrated narrative. Lovelace kept his remarks brief but read three excerpts from the book, saying "it speaks better than I can about itself." The audience was pleased with what they heard, murmuring approval after each piece. They swamped Loveace afterward so he could sign their new copies.