David Dabydeen’s disrespect

May 22, 2013 Letters

Dear Editor,
I could easily use typical country-coolie Guyanese refrains to describe David Dabydeen’s most recent letter to the press on Ruel Johnson and the Caribbean Press, but I refuse to stoop to his level. You see, I am mostly familiar with the barks of the “yaazy” dogs that run around on the village dams and I know we all know what they sound like!
To say that Dabydeen’s letter (‘Most of the poetry sent to the Caribbean Press by Guyanese writers is doggerel’) surprised me would be an understatement. I prefer to use words like cheap, distasteful and disrespectful to describe his attack on local writer Ruel Johnson and all of us who dream of being writers.
I am not a writer and don’t profess to be one; Dabydeen is, at least that’s what I gather from a Google search. I’ve heard the name before, but never read a Dabydeen book. Am I more a dunce because of that? I don’t know.
I heard Dabydeen read an excerpt from his latest book Pak’s Britannica at a Moray House event recently. I wasn’t impressed and it left me asking myself why. I felt that Dabydeen was now surviving on our patronising consciences that dictate we must respect what comes from someone crowned Son of the Soil, “The David Dabydeen.”
Given the sort of stature that he has developed for himself, Guyanese writer extraordinaire and now our Ambassador in Beijing, one would not have expected Dabydeen’s pointed dismissal of Guyanese writers who still call this land home.
Does the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, approve of this sort of musing from the country’s diplomats? Indeed, what does the Minister of Culture, Dr Frank Anthony, have to say about Dabydeen’s diatribe?
The fact is that Dabyeen has failed to defend the machinations of the Caribbean Press from which he now begs off stewardship. On this note, Johnson should be commended for his crusade to wrestle the facts out of those who should have the answers, Dabydeen included. .
Perhaps Dabydeen’s descent into the shameless realm of PPP-styled cuss outs is accommodating to his Beijing posting and perhaps it is his way of excusing his inability to win the arguments he seeks to wield regarding the Press. Perhaps the lazy and incompetent Johnson has effectively destroyed the arguments of an energetic and competent Dabydeen?
It’s a pity that Dabydeen does not see it fit to ask around about disreputable bars on his sojourns to Guyana, which I rather suspect are paid for by Guyanese taxpayers (including the lazy and incompetent writers he speaks of), the same taxpayers who fund the Caribbean Press.
Ruel, the next time Dabydeen wants a drink, please suggest my name. I would have many a suggestion of disreputable bars for him to spew his filth.
Neil Marks
Reporter

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