Dawn Ritch, great literary talent
published: Sunday | April 18, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir:

DAWN RITCH is a great literary talent misunderstood by those who do not appreciate literary prose and the written expression of her desire to effect change in a country in which bribing is rampant, begging is such a way of life and ingrained in the culture. Even our prime minister and elected officials act like beggars running all over the world looking for loans, and the mindset and consciousness of the citizens is so irrational that we need a programme of national mental reconditioning.

One thing is sure, she causes more critical thinking among the readers than any other Gleaner journalist, which is a good thing. We need to get involved in deductive and inductive reasoning and comparison and contrasting assessments and scientific interpolation and extrapolation and relevant statistical sampling than the knee-jerk, political and genetic reactions and the USA-does-it-so-we-should-do-it-too decision-making techniques now in common use. These essays should find their way into the Jamaican literary hall of fame and should be required reading in literary classes before Shakespeare.

One of her most brilliant articles in my opinion was titled "The USA is not ready for democracy or self-government" published years ago. This was a superlative piece of prose. Keep firing away, Dawn. You are having an effect.

I am, etc.,

JOHN ANTHONY

ft3092@yahoo.com

23907 147 Avenue

Rosedale, New York

Via Go-Jamaica