The New Yorker Radio Hour

Jamaica Kincaid on “Putting Myself Together”

9 snips
Aug 5, 2025
In this conversation, Jamaica Kincaid, an acclaimed Antiguan-American writer, reflects on her literary journey and cultural identity. She shares poignant memories of the West Indian-American Day Parade and her immigrant upbringing. Kincaid discusses her unique narrative style, using parentheses to weave complex timelines. She also explores the tension between personal indulgence and societal issues, like malnutrition, and ties her gardening passion to broader historical contexts, revealing deeper meanings within nature.
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ANECDOTE

First New Yorker Piece on Parade

  • Jamaica Kincaid vividly describes the 1974 West Indian-American Day Parade from the platform of dignitaries.
  • She captures characters like Shirley Chisholm and the carnival queen's unique behavior, revealing her distinctive early voice.
ANECDOTE

Journey to Writing in New York

  • Jamaica's mother sent her from Antigua to New York to work and support the family, a painful separation she resented deeply.
  • While working as a nanny, she took night classes and secretly began writing, aspiring to create on her own terms.
INSIGHT

Language and Storytelling Style

  • Reading the dictionary and the Bible shaped Jamaica's narrative style, using repetition and conjunctions creatively.
  • She reflects profoundly on the philosophical implications of starting sentences with 'and' to link unseen contexts.
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