"Cords and Trunks": An Interview with Melanie Schwapp and a Discussion of Dew Angels

Abstract

Jamaican author Melanie Schwapp discusses her debut novel, Dew Angels. This is the gripping story of Nola, "black as that moonless night" (Dew Angels 16), who must suffer the wrath of her father and a world of prejudice which values lighter skin colours. This is also a novel about women who are trapped within the confines of patriarchy and who must learn to break out of cycles of abuse. Schwapp talks candidly about the challenges and blessings of Jamaican culture which are portrayed in Dew Angels. She also discusses attempts to publish her first novel (Dew Angels is self published) in a time of economic constraint and lack of publishing options in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Hopefully, this interview will serve to garner interest in this work which will inevitably become well known as an important Jamaican publication.