Special launch of Dennis Scott's posthumous 'After-Image'

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Edward Baugh welcomed all to a "very special occasion" at the Dennis Scott Studio Theatre, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, on Thursday evening. It was special, he said, in several ways, not least of all that "the launch of a new collection by Dennis Scott has to be special."

The collection, 'After-Image', is posthumous - Scott died in 1991 at 51 years old - and in the brief acknowledgements Mervyn Morris wrote: "Preparation of this book was made possible by a University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus research fellowship and by Joy Scott, the poet's widow, who allowed me access to the material." Thursday's event was put on by the Edna Manley College and the UWI's Department of Literatures in English.

Morris' involvement in shaping 'After-Image' from Scott's manuscripts was a part of the launch's special atmosphere, as was the presence of Joy Scott, Dennis' widow. And then there was the venue, bearing Scott's name. He was director of the Jamaica School of Drama from 1977 to 1983.

At the end of the launch, Baugh referred to his opening description and concluded "the event has proven me right."

Contributing elements

Among the elements contributing to the special evening were readings directed by Eugene Williams - many dramatised, the last of the title poem especially dramatic - of several of Scott's poems, beginning with 'Apocalypse Dub', by Carolyn Allen, Rishile Pelicie, Owen 'Blakka' Ellis, Carl Samuels, Fabian Thomas and M'Bala. M'Bala, along with Calvin Scott and Phillip Supersad, also accompanied the readers on drums, percussion, guitar and wind instruments.

David Williams' analysis of Scott's work, in which he spoke to Scott's use of dance and music, breaking open of traditional poetry forms such as the sonnet and sense of rhythm, was engaging and exhaustive. Starting with Scott's words, "a poem cuts us off from ordinariness" and "a poem has to sing, sometimes so high glass breaks", Williams showed how Scott was true to his definitions from his earliest published work, some of which are included in 'After-Image'. A quartet of poems from those nascent days is included in the new Peepal Tree Press publication and, Williams said, "sits comfortably with poems written in the last decade of his life."

Making things happen

Committed to the principle that poetry does make things happen, Williams said, Scott embarked on a "search for intensity" - often in subject matter stemming from ordinary circumstances. However, Williams noted that Scott's ease and fluidity with verse are balanced by a sense of discipline.

"Scott always had a particular fondness for birds," Williams said. So he used images of birds often, but in unexpected places, much like a jeweller who puts a diamond in an inappropriate setting. "Scott recognises few restraints on his capacity for image making and image use. He follows where his imagination leads," Williams said.

He concluded with congratulations to Mervyn Morris, remarking, "personal and professional integrity are not all that common."

Joy Scott went back many years to her late husband reading at a wedding and said, "it all started with a poem". After telling a brief story of unexpected human connections, she said, "I tell this because it all started with a poem. And that's why we are here. Because it all started with a poem."

And Fabian Thomas started off the final batch of poems (the last, 'After-Image', was read by itself) with 'Directed by Me: For Joy', addressing it directly to Joy Scott.