User:Quito Nicolaas

Quito Nicolaas (1955) was born in his parents House at the Bernhardstraat in San Nicolas, a migrant town in Aruba. At home they had a Bruynzeel bookcase, with a twelve-volume encyclopedia, novels and biographies of Indira Gandhi and Moshe Dayan, who invited him to read. As a teenager he loved philosophizing and immersed himself in philosophy and psychology. At his weekly visit to the library in San Nicolas, he slipped to the section for adults and he borrowed psychology-books while he still was fourteen.

Youth He was twelve years old when he wrote his first poems on the theme of love and being in love. From then on he wrote love poems, and gave it to his girl friends. One of the poems, which later made much impression on him, was the poem Lament (Edna St. Vincent Millay, 1892-1950) written in 1917 that deals with the theme of poverty.

Emigration At the age of seventeen he travelled to the Netherlands to study. He first studied cultural work and then did the studies of political science and law. Reading has always been his passion and usually he read three books at a time. For a long time he had devoted himself to the scientific pursuit, but after the discovery of literature he decided to explore the new world of writing. It was during his study time and his stay in Europe that he began to write. Many years his poems remained in a folder, which only later were published. In that period he also wrote his first essays and articles. In 1980 he published for the first time in the magazine Kontakto Antiyano the poem E dia di mañan [The day of tomorrow], was derived from the book title as far as tomorrowby the French philosopher Michel Foucault.

Writings He gets his inspiration from the many trips he made in and outside Europe. Furthermore, the developments in his homeland and international politics, are a source of inspiration. An example of this is the poem Un pueblo ("Our people") from the volume Destino, that was inspired by the events in Srebreninca. The poem Kabsa from the poetry collection Reasonable Doubts is based on the release of Nelson Mandela. In his recent volume of poetry The afternoons in the past ensure a merger process between poetry and other artistic expressions, such as ballet, music, theatre, painting and sculpture. During the art market in 2006 in Amsterdam he launched the first of the duo-poem: two separate poems-by two different poets who in terms of time and location are written-that slides in each other.

Performances With his poems, Nicolaas performed at Theatre Off-Corso, Cosmic Theatre, Theatre The Kubus and during the Winter Nights Festival. He is also known for his short stories and essays in magazines and daily newspapers, such as Dutch and Aruban in Diario, Bon Dia, Awe Mainta and NRC Handelsblad, Trouw, Het Parool were published. He was also a bookreviewer at the weekly magazine Contrast (2002-2004) and the e-zine Literary Netherlands (2004-2006). Apart from being a writer he is reviewer for the e-zine Caribe magazine and writes regular columns in Caribbean Uitzicht. In addition, he takes gives lectures at home and abroad about the Aruban-, Antillian and Caribbean literature.

Recent years Quito Nicolaas is the spiritual father of the first Caribbean writers organization-St. Simia Literario-in The Netherlands. From 2001-2005 he was Chairman of the Board and is currently a Honorary Member. He became well known for his poem Scar that was written specifically for and dedicated during the unveiling of the slavery monument in the Oosterpark in Amsterdam. In 2006 a section was dedicated to his work in Kadans, instruction manual on literature history from Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. During the reading campaign in the Netherlands reads (2006) he played a prominent role around the activities in Almere. His poems have appeared in The World Poets Quaterly vol. 57, 2010 and on various international websites. He is a member of the Sociedad amigos and Poetas del siglo XXI dos poetas. In 2010, he wrote the Annualy Dictation for the Municipality of Almere. His poem Soliciting on high toes is included in the collection of SONS(Shoes or no shoes)in the virtual museum in Belgium.

Bibliography

Eclipse Politico/ Political Eclips (1990)
Ilusion Optico/ Optical Illusion (1995)
Destino/ Destiny (2000)
Gerede Twijfels/Reasonable Doubts (2002)
Tera di Silencio/ Country of Silence (2004)
Atardi di Antaño/ Yesterday’s afternoon (2005)
Alameda/ Alameda (2008)
Verborgen Leegte- Hidden emptyness (2010)
Bos pa Planta/ Constructing Voices (2011)

Anthologies

Pa saka kara/ To be proud of (1999)
Isla di mi/Island of mine (2000)
Bentana Habri/Open window (2004)
Met de wil elkander bij te staan/With the will to assist one another (2004)
Van de Prinsengracht/ From the Prinsengracht (2007)
Vaar naar de Vuurtoren/Sailing to the lighthouse (2010)
Topa Tula/meet Tula (2012)

Short Stories

The confession (unpublished) short stories, essay competition published by Querido, 2000.
Consenshi di un conciencia (unpublished), 16 september 2001.
Un Tristo Pasco, in: Diario, Bon Dia, 11 december 2001.
Un Mama Bandona, in: Diario, Bon Dia, 17 december 2001.
Soledad, in: Diario, Bon Dia, 31 december 2001
E Curazon di Paz, in: Diario, Bon Dia, La Prensa 7 december 2002
Ay Dios, mi yiu, in Diario, Bon Dia, La Prensa, 21 december 2002
Plegaria di un yiu, in: Diario, Bon Dia, La Prensa, 31 december 2002
Despedida, posted in the literary e-zine by Arubastation.com, 1 decermber 2003.
Despedida, in: Diario/Bon Dia, 13 december 2003.
E Niño di Ser'i Cristal, in: Diario/Bon Dia, 20 december 2003
Cara di Alameda, in: Diario/Bon Dia, 27 december 2003
E violin virgen, in: Bentana H (Open window), november 2004
Dialogo de pace, in: Bentana Habri (Open window), november 2004
Noche buena, in: Diario, Bon Dia, La Prensa, 15 december 2005.
Virginia, e esclava inocente, June 2010
Un grito pa Libertad, June 2010/ Cry for freedom, 17-8-2011.

Poems published in magazines

E Dia di Mañan, (poem) Kontakto Antiyano, year 12, no. 6/7, Amsterdam, 1980.
Rerum Novarum (poem), in: Corant/Extra, Oranjestad, 16 March 1991.
Ser Nihilo (poem), magazine Burundanga, year 1, nr. 4, Amsterdam, 1998.
Nacion (poem), in: Bon Dia/Diario, Orange City, 17 March 2000/OcAN-info, June 2001.
Criaturanan/Celebro (poems), in: Island of mine, f. Williams, Oranjestad, 2000.
Voz pa Planta (poem) in: Diario, 16 March 2002.
Soberania (poem) in: Diario, 16 March 2002.
A prodigal son (poem), in 3rd year-info, OCAN, nr. 3, October 2002.
Determinacion (poem) in Noticiero Aruba, 21st year, nr. 2, March 2003 .
Un canto pa union, in: Diario/Bon Dia, annex 18 March 2003.
Respet, in: Diario/Bon Dia, annex 18 March 2003.
Resonancia, in: Diario/Bon Dia, annex 18 March 2003
Floating clouds, Clear Water Revival project, Brussels, 29 april 2003.
Canasta, Clear Water Revival project, Brussels, 29 april 2003.
Mama (poem), in: Diario, 10 May 2003
Seduccion (poem), in: Diario, 10 May 2003
Ausencia (poem) in: Diario, 10 May 2003.
Scar (poem) in OCAN-info, 4th year, no. 3, March 2003.
Look back (poem) posted on the site Passaat.com, 30 May 2003
Epicurio (poem) in: Diario, 14 June 2003
Ofrenda di palabra (poem) in: Diario, 14 June 2003
Awareness (poem), published in the literary e-zine by Arubastation.com, 1 October 2003
Celebro (poem), published in the literary e-zine by Arubastation.com, 1 October 2003.
Awe/today (poem) In memoriam Joe Simmons, in OCAN-info, 4th year, no. 5, October 2003.
Monumento (poem) placed in the literary e-zine by Arubastation.com, 1 November 2003

Essays

Micro-estadonan y nan Independencia, in: Sembra awe pa cosecha mañan, University of Groningen, 1986.
SLM-aviation disaster, in: the Daily Herald/Amigoe, Oranjestad/Willemstad, september 23, 1989.
The labour market position of women in Aruba, in: fighting to individuality, University of Amsterdam, 1990.
Commonwealth with movable boundaries, Parool, year 50, Amsterdam, 12 april 1990.
Politics does violence to Institute survey, in: Parool, Amsterdam, 4 June 1999.
Mester crea un Diario literario, Infrastructura, 23 december 2000.
Expulsion of Antilleans, OCAN-info, year 2, no. 2, June 2001
The church life and slavery on Curaçao, New Deanery Level, year 5, no. 3, July 2001.
Analysis of the Aruban general election, Resumen, 6 October 2001.
The Dutch language in the Antillian Literature, in Multined, 2nd year, no. 02-19, January 8, 2003.
Antilleans working on catching up in politics, Internet, February 2006.
Behind Literary shadows: Literary development in Aruba from 1971-1996, in Leeward Voices, 2009.
The other face of the Aruban literature, October 2010.
Declining interest in literature with L,in: Caribe magazine, 4-11-2010.
Federico Oduber: A belligerent poet,in: Caribe magazine, 10-8-2011.
Stories that are retelling our past,in: Caribe magazine, 1-3 sept. 2011

Book reviews in Caribe Magazine

I laugh with Grotius, and all that trash of books, 7-12-2011
The Governors of the Netherlands Antilles, 19-9-2011
A radiograph of the Curaçao society, 4-5-2011
Initmicy of writing 13-10-2010
Live with hope, 10-9-2010
Tropics Kaif, 17, 18, 19 aug 2010
Crude oil: between love and pleasure, 7-7-2010.
The Yard: a fresh look at the present, 16-6-2010
Musica maestra: A cool book if you can not sleep, 5-5-2010
A Shtetl in the tropics, 7-4-2010
Aletta Beaujon: a diamond in poets country, 31-3-2010
The hereafter by Dona Lisa, 24/02/2010
The sigarettenman: Caribbean stories in style, 9-12-2009.
Roots Karibeño, Christel Monsanto, 4-11-2009.
Scott Zuyderling, Erich Zielinski, 24-10-209.
Tula: the desire for freedom, Artwel Cain (red), 10/09/2009.
Just neat people, Robert Vuistje, 27-5-2009.
The magic in Suriname, Anil Ramdas, 15-4-2009.
Beads from the Caribbean, Irma Gandhi, 25-3-2009.
Slave and master, Carel the Habs, 4-2-2009.
Zoutrif, Miriam Sluis, 16-1-2009.
Dottie, the granddaughter of the old slave girl, Rosa Arrendell, 31-10-2008.
Fire coral, Annet de Jong 6-10-2008.
The West Indies and I, j. Leerdam (red) 15-7-2008.
The secret of Garcia, Myra Römer, 9-6-2008.
The price of the sea, Erich Zielinski, 12-4-2008.
The blooming flamboyant, Joan Leslie, 20-8-2007.

Reviews in Literary Netherlands

Giselle Ecury, Inheritance, 2006.
Frank Martinus Arion, The deserters, 2006.
Jan Brokke, Why eleven Antilleans kneeled down for the heart of Chopin, 2005
Myra Römer, stories of Fyta, 2005
Jacques Thönnissen, the call of the Oriole, 2004.

Lectures

Poets under the Sun, Cultural Center Corossia, Almere, november 15, 2006.
Papiamentstalig prose, University of Amsterdam, april 23, 2007
Eternal voice from the past, the Hague, november 16, 2007.
Status Aparte: political and literary development, Almere, 16 March 2008.
City of Hope, writers/poets from San Nicolas, Utrecht, March 31, 2008.
Behind Literary Shadows for the Conference Caribbean Literature, Curacao 5-9 nov. 2008
Historical novels: the battle for the reader.International symposium historical novels, 19 september 2009.
The emergence of migrant literature, for Caribbean Lagoon, Utrecht 6 december 2009.
How to identify Aruban literature, University of St. Martin, 5 June 2010
The post-colonial Aruban literature, 1 april 2012.
Caribbean literature in the Netherlands, Leeds, april 2012.
The Unheard Voices (St. Martin Literature), Amsterdam, december 2012.

Columns

Simia Literario: ambitious and determined, 7-9-2011
As of this writing, you're not rich (er), 20-5-2011
Anna Menendez: Bilingual writers are successful, 8-4-2011
BBC radio program Voice of the Caribbean, 12-9-2010
Cultura di energia y Energia di Cultura, 3-8-2010 Venice,
The realm of rich, 1-8-2010
A Saturday Amsterdam on a Sunday morning, 11-7-2010
St. Maarten: capital Caribbean literature, 14-6-2010
San Nicolas: Writers & Poets
Papiamentu and Sranantongo demand new status, 30-4-2010
Historia, Idioma y Literatura di un pais, 18-2-3-2010
The advance of the PVV, 5-3-2010.
Literary Prize: a way to the writing, 4-2-2010
Attendance migrant literature, 4-12-2009.
Aruba on the way to a two-party system, 28-9-2009
Literary level, 31-12-2008
City of hope, 2-4-2008
Literary life around the 20-century, 5-2-2008
Literary harvest, 28-12-2007
Farewell to Boelie van Leeuwen, 30-11-2007
Themes in the Antillean/Aruban literature, 9-11-2007
Cultura di miedo (Culture of silence), 13-10-2007
The use of prose, 6-10-2007.
Literary magazines, 8-9-2007.
Literatura Arubiano, 1-9-2007
Bida Literario, 27-8-2007
Literary development on Aruba of 1946-1971,11-8-2007
The poetic spirit of Federico Oduber, 2-8-2007

Interviews

Independence does not exist, the Daily Herald, 12-3-2011
Life with hope, 10-9-2010
The redeeming words/part II interview M. de Jong, 2-9-2010
The writer as the Redeemer, 1-9-2010
Writing between two cultures: an interview with Giselle. 24-3-2010 Ecury/part II
Writing between two cultures: an interview with Giselle, 17-3-2010 Ecury/part I
Book store as a meeting place for writers and artists, 10-3-2010
Growing up between books and magazines: an interview with, 3-3-2010
Stories about desire and humiliation, 10-12-2009.

Theatre

Heaven gates of the courtesan, april 29, 2009.
Reading Ritmo di Cambio (Rhythm of change) 15-18 nov. 2008, Aruba.

External links

Repeating Islands