Suzanne Dracius is a prize-winning writer from Martinique whom the French Cultural Minister has called ‘one of the great figures of Antillean letters.’ She writes in French and peppers her work with Creole, drawing on themes of ‘métissage’ (refers to the blending of two distinct elements, in either a biological or cultural sense) and ‘marronnage’ (refers to the flight of slaves from their masters). In addition to Creole, Dracius makes generous use of Latin and Greek, as well as rare French words and verlan (French slang which reverses the order of syllables in several common words). Dracius often references the finely calibrated racial distinctions on the black/white continuum found in Martinique, including calazaza women like herself, known for being light-skinned, multi-racial, and having red or blond hair.

While traveling to Martinique last year, thanks to a grant from the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, I had the pleasure of meeting Dracius. Although we had exchanged countless emails while collaborating on the translations, I found it invaluable to work with her in person, as well as to see with my own eyes the landscapes described in the poems. She was a gracious hostess who showed me around the island, including the deadly volcano that overshadows the town of Saint-Pierre, as well as the stunning Caribbean beaches at sunset. She even introduced me to the president of Martinique, Serge Letchimy.

These two poems are part of Dracius’s only collection of poetry, Exquise déréliction métisse (Calazaza’s Delicious Dereliction). They have never before appeared in English.