One Book, One U Selection for Spring 2020
Brother, I’m Dying
by Edwidge Danticat
From the NEA’s Big Read site:
“Edwidge Danticat’s Brother, I’m Dying tells the true story of the author’s uncle and father as they work to build a future for themselves and their families—one brother in Haiti and the other in America. When the book opens, the author is a grown woman living in Miami, and she learns, over the course of a single day, that her father is dying and that she is pregnant with her first child. Just weeks later, her beloved Uncle Joseph seeks asylum in the United States and experiences brutal treatment. Told through Danticat’s singular voice, these events set the stage for a powerful tale of loss and remembrance.”
Edwidge Danticat is the author of several books, including Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah Book Club selection, Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist, The Farming of Bones, The Dew Breaker, Create Dangerously, and Claire of the Sea Light. She is also the editor of The Butterfly’s Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States, Best American Essays 2011, Haiti Noir and Haiti Noir 2. She has written six books for children and young adults, Anacaona, Behind the Mountains, Eight Days, The Last Mapou, Mama’s Nightingale, Untwine, as well as a travel narrative, After the Dance. Her memoir, Brother, I’m Dying, was a 2007 finalist for the National Book Award and a 2008 winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography. She is a 2009 MacArthur fellow.
Related Links
One Book, One U Instructor Guide to the One Book, One U
Schedule of Events
Aug. 2019-May 2020: Ansanm/Together: Building a Haitian Heritage Collection
on display at the Kislak Center
Nov. 17-24: Miami Book Fair Events with Edwidge Danticat
Miami Dade College
Danticat will have a significant presence at the Miami Book Fair this year, including moderating “Caribbean Writers: Race, Gender, and Representation,” on November 23, “Edwidge Danticat and Richard Blanco: A Conversation,” on November 24, and her participation in the Wembly Author’s tent, featuring her new children’s book “Mommy Medicine” on November 24th. Learn more and download the fair guide at miamibookfair.com.
Jan. 13: #IStandWithHaiti Haitian Apparel Day
Merrick Fountain
3:00pm
As part of Earthquake Remembrance Mini-Week of Events, Planet Kreyol invites members of the UM Community to join in a group photo to be shared as part of this social media campaign.
Jan. 14: Day of Earthquake Memorial
Foote Fellows Green
As part of Earthquake Remembrance Mini-Week of Events, Planet Kreyol invites members of the UM Community to honor the memory of over 230,000 individuals whose lives were lost on January 12, 2010, by viewing a display of Haitian flags on the Foote II University Green throughout the day.
Jan. 15: Earthquake Remembrance Ceremony
Shalala Center Ballrooms
7:00 – 8:30 pm
On January 12th, 2010 a catastrophic 7.0 Mw Earthquake hit the country of Haiti. Despite the devastating effects of this event, Haiti has exhibited a tremendous amount of growth, resilience, and strength as a nation. Planet Kreyol would like to honor the lives lost with a celebration that exhibits the culture and spirit of Haiti through song, dance, poems, and more. Please join the UM community in celebrating the ten years of growth Haiti has exhibited since this catastrophic event with performances from the on-campus and local Haitian community.
Feb. 3: Acculturation, Immigration, and Well-Being: What Can Brother, I’m Dying Teach Us?
Location: Shalala Center, Activities Room South.
12:00pm
Join School of Education and Human Development faculty and Ms. Gepsie Metellus of Sant La, The Haitian Neighborhood Center, Inc, for a panel discussion on lessons learned from Danticat’s memoir. Lunch will be provided.
Feb. 6: Screening of “Liberty in a Soup”
Cosford Cinema
6:30pm
Every January 1st, in celebration of their independence, Haitian families gather to celebrate their freedom with a soup. The film narrates and documents the filmmaker’s journey to Haiti in an effort to understand this tradition in the context of the Haitian revolution and its role in the development of modern humanity. Discussion to follow. Please see this flyer for the film series.
Presented by the Cosford Cinema and the Center for Communication, Culture, and Change.
Feb 12: Panel Discussion on Haitian Immigration to the US
University of Miami School of Law Library, 4th floor, Faculty Meeting Room
6pm
The UM School of Law is pleased to present a panel featuring immigration experts Becky Sharpless, Caroline Bettinger-Lopez, Jacqueline Charles, and John Pratt in a discussion of Haitian Immigration framed by Brother, I’m Dying. The panel will be moderated by Osamudia James, Professor of Law & Dean’s Distinguished Scholar. No RSVP required. Free copies of the book will be available while supplies last.
Feb. 13: Screening of “La Belle Vie”
Cosford Cinema
6:30pm
The film features Haitian-American filmmaker, Rachelle Salnave’s journey to discover her Haitian roots by examining the complexities of Haitian society as it pertains to its political and economic dichotomy. Using her own family stories interconnected with capturing the voices of Haitians and experts overall, this film chronologically uncovers the rationale behind its social class system but also how it has affected the Haitian American migration experience. Discussion with Salnave to follow. Please see this flyer for the film series.
Presented by the Cosford Cinema and the Center for Communication, Culture, and Change.
Feb. 20: Screening of “My Father’s Land”
Cosford Cinema
6:30pm
My Father’s Land is a feature documentary, which explores the life of Papa Jah, a humble Haitian Bushman who must return from the Bahamas to his hometown in Haiti after falling ill. Discussion to follow. Please see this flyer for the film series.
Presented by the Cosford Cinema and the Center for Communication, Culture, and Change
Feb. 27: Pre-Keynote Gathering and Book Discussion
The Rathskeller: Lewis Room
5:15 – 6:30pm
Join the UM Women’s Commission for an informal gathering and light refreshments prior to attending the Feb 27th event with Edwidge Danticat. For more information or to RSVP please email womenscommission@miami.edu. Founded in 1971 by a group of eleven strong women, the commission is committed to encouraging a general awareness of women’s needs and interests and developing educational opportunities about issues confronting women.
Feb. 27: Keynote Event with Author Edwidge Danticat
Kislak Center
7pm
Join the One Book, One U program to hear Danticat discuss her book, Brother, I’m Dying. This event is free and open to the public. Please register here by Monday, February 24. A reception with the author will follow. FREE COPIES of the book will be available while supplies last and additional copies will be available for purchase.
Register here: https://events.attend.com/f/1383790867
Mar. 3: American Alien: A Discussion with Edwidge Danticat
Richter Library’s Flexible Learning Space
6:30pm
Join Sigma Tau Delta and Planet Kreyol for a discussion with Danticat about her novel Brother, I’m Dying, and the themes of immigration, integration and alienation contained therein. This discussion will focus on the question of how we think about cultural identity and how it has been shaped or changed as we interact with and assimilate into American culture. Students will also be encouraged to ask their own questions! There will be homemade Haitian food provided, and FREE copies of the book for a few lucky students!”
Free Community Day Featuring Artist, Jacob Lawrence.
Location and time: TBA
As part of their Free Community Day series designed for families, the Lowe Art Museum will highlight the exhibition, History, Labor, and Life: The Prints of Jacob Lawrence. Lawrence’s work includes 41 prints focused on The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the leader of Haiti’s independence movement. This Free Community Day will also include a special reading of one of Edwidge Danticat’s children’s books. Check back for more details!
A Librarian