GREAT BAY, St. Martin (January 30, 2003) — Leading educator Josianne Fleming-Artsen will be the guest speaker at the book party for The House That Jack Built and Other Plays by Louie Laveist on Saturday, February 1.
Fleming-Artsen is expected look at the importance of the plays and the book itself mostly in the context of St. Martin’s developing body of published literature. “We usually ask the guest speaker at a book party to almost act as a literary critic, and, for example, bring out to the audience some key ideas, challenges, and features of the style of the writing contained in the book,” said Lasana M. Sekou, projects director at House of Nehesi. Artsen-Fleming is also the president of the University of St. Martin.
Guests are likely to find both intellectual stimulation and entertaining dramatization of parts of the three plays in Laveist’s first published title at the book party. Leading actors such as Joel Arndell, Sylvina Gumbs, and Rita Gumbs are scheduled to turn the Philipsburg Jubilee Library lobby into a theater stage of sorts, said Sekou. The library has itself become the home of House of Nehesi book parties, which the growing number of guests has turned into cultural events over the last 15 years. The book party begins at 8pm and new author Louie Laveist will be on and to sign autographs.The House That Jack Built and Other Plays, which is now in bookstores, contains Who’s Fooling Who?, Forbidden Loveand the title play The House That Jack Built.
Funso Aiyejina, senior lecturer at the University of the West Indies, wrote the introduction to the book. The book’s cover design by Sundiata Lake incorporates two original paintings by Joe Dominique made especially for the book. Photos of various actors taken during performances of the three plays are featured on the inside pages. Laveist’s profile and image of the book can now be found at www.houseofnehesipublish.com.