#and Philippe Girard

[downthetubes]

Exhibitions galore at this year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival – and some late line-up changes

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has confirmed its exhibition plans for this year’s Festival in Bowness-on-Windermere – and announced some guest changes and additions - including Jenny Ryan from "The Chase"

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has confirmed its exhibition plans for this year’s Festival (Friday 29th September – Sunday 1st October 2023) in Bowness-on-Windermere – and announced some guest changes and additions to the previously announced line-up of over sixty international comic creators, including an appearance by Jenny Ryan from ITV’s The Chase. Three exhibitions have been…

[gacougnol]

Philippe Claude Girard

[genevieveetguy]

Paul Sanchez Is Back! (Paul Sanchez est revenu !), Patricia Mazuy (2018)

[dijonbeaune]

L'Audace d'Entreprendre : « L'écosystème local mérite une belle médaille par équipe ! »

L’Audace d’Entreprendre lance son mouvement au Zénith de Dijon le 1er octobre. Animés par les vertus du collectif et de l’engagement, son créateur Jean-Philippe Girard et son commissaire général David Butet veulent faire brûler plus fort encore la flamme de l’entrepreneuriat, au travail ou dans le monde associatif, que l’on ait 10 ou 70 ans. Interview en forme olympique. L’un a confié le destin…

[kino51]

Belleville-Tokyo  2010

[shy-fairy-levele3]

2023 Book List

Unbelievably I read a staggering 70 books in 2023! The most ever! My only disappointment is NOT finishing Dracula Daily, I came so close...

Wolf Brother Michelle Paver

Skin-Walker Michelle Paver

Be the Serpent Seanan McGuire  

She Who Became the Sun 

Soul-Eater Michelle Paver

Nona the Ninth Tamsyn Muir 

The Girl in Red Christina Henry

As yet Unsent Tamsyn Muir   

Outcast Michelle Paver  

Leonard Cohen: On a wire Philippe Girard

Oath Breaker Michelle Paver 

Ghost Hunter Michelle Paver   

 Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life Alan Cumming

M is for Magic Neil Gaiman

Silverwing Kenneth Opal 

Last Violent Call Chloe Gong

Malice: Malice Duology #1 Heather Walter  

Pandora Susan Stokes-Chapman

A Lady for a Duke Alexis Hall                                    

Boyfriend Material Alexis Hall

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries Heather Fawcett  

Motorcycles & Sweetgrass Drew Hayden Taylor

Conventionally Yours Annabeth Albert  

The Unbalancing R.B Lemberg  

Stone Blind Natalie Haynes

The Winter Soldier: Cold Front Mackenzi Lee 

Ruby Nina Allan

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter Theodora Goss

Husband Material Alexis Hall

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason India Holton  

My Dear Henry: A Jekyll and Hyde Remix Kalynn Bayron

The Monsters we Defy Leslye Penelope

Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix Aminah Mae Safi

Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman Alan Rickman

Morgan Is My Name Sophie Keetch

Threads That Bind Kika Hatzopoulou

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman Theodora Goss

Feeling Sorry for Celia Jaclyn Moriarty

Daughter of the Pirate King Tricia Levenseller

A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix C.B. Lee

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour Tee Franklin

Magic for Liars Sarah Gailey

The Story of Owen Emily Kate Johnston

The Brilliant Death A.R. Capetta

Circle of Magic: Sandy’s Book Tamora Pierce

The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror Daniel M. Lavery  

Death's Detective- Malykant Mysteries #1-4 Charlotte E. English

The Salt Grows Heavy Cassandra Khaw

A Touch of Darkness- Hades & Persephone #1 Scarlett St. Clair

Mortal Follies Alexis Hall

Witch King Martha Wells

The London Séance Society Sarah Penner

A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future David Attenborough, Jonnie Hughes

A Game of Fate- Hades Saga #1 Scarlett St. Clair

Immortal Longings Chloe Gong

Hooked Emily McIntire  

Foul Heart Huntsmen Chloe Gong

Signal to Noise Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Daughter of the Siren Queen Tricia Levenseller  

Starter Villain John Scalzi

The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl Theodora Goss

Starling House Alix E. Harrow

A Marvellous Light: The Last Binding #1 Freya Marske   

A Restless Truth: The Last Binding #2 Freya Marske 

Thornhedge T. Kingfisher

What the River Knows Isabel Ibanez  

The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments Hadley Vlahos

Misrule: Malice Duology #2 Heather Walter

The Raven and The Reindeer T. Kingfisher

A Power Unbound: The Last Binding #3 Freya Marske

I started some series, and I finished some series. I found new favourite authors and revisited some old favourites. Please take them as recommendations, or if you have read any of the same books come talk about them with me!  

Reminder you can also follow me on The Storygraph to see what I am reading in real time, where I am simply shy_fairy   

Previous Years Reading lists can be found here: 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015

[expulence]

LUXURY WATCH BRANDD YOU SHOULD KNOW⌚

Rolex

OMEGA

Vacheron Constantin

Patek Philippe

Audemars Piguet

A. Lange & Söhne

Cartier

Breitling

Jaeger‑LeCoultre

IWC

TAG Heuer

Seiko

Panerai

Hublot

Tissot

Tudor

Blancpain

Girard-Perregaux

Breguet

Zenith

Chopard

Piaget

The time of your life...💫

[detournementsmineurs]

Stacy Martin et Philippe Girard dans "Le Molière Imaginaire" biopic d'Olivier Py, février 2024.

[transparentgentlemenmarker]

La petite histoire de France

Grant Lawrens : Baptiste

David Salles : Jean Plancher cousin par alliance de Napoléon, Karina Marimon Renata Plancher cousine de Napoléon et femme de Jean

François Levantal : comte Philippe Honoré de Roche Saint-Pierre cousin de Louis XIV, Anne-Sophie Girard : comtesse Marie-Louise de Roche Saint-Pierre femme de Philippe, Philippe Beglia : Frémont majordome des Roche Saint-Pierre, Sébastien Castro : abbé Martin, Jean-Luc Couchard : Feuillade, Émissaire du Roi et ami des Roche Saint-Pierre qui leur apporte des nouvelles de Versailles, et leur fait toujours de fausses joies

Alban Ivanov : François d'Arc, cousin de Jeanne d'Arc, Ophélia Kolb : Ysabeau d'Arc épouse de François d'Arc, Fatsah Bouyahmed : Gaspard le gardien de brebis, Philippe Duquesne : Adelin beau-frère et ami de François d'Arc, mari de Guillemette père d'au moins 10 enfants

[kivrin]

recent reading

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston may not have been WRITTEN as a BBC Merlin/West Wing crossover AU, but it is good enough to BE one.

Leonard Cohen: On A Wire by Philippe Girard is an impressionistic biography of the writer and songwriter in graphic novel form. I wished it were longer, and came with a CD, though living in the future as we do I could curate my own soundtrack with my phone. SO LONG, MARIAAANNE...

L'object du scandale is not a good title for the book that in the original English is Fifth Business by Robertson Davies (Le cinquième is right there... did the publisher fear "je n'ai pas lu les autres livres"?) but reading it in translation is doing a lot for my French vocabulary.

[gastropediaonline]

Revolución en la conservación de alimentos

En 1795, Nicolás Appert desarrolló un sistema de conservación al vacío que, junto con las innovaciones de Philippe de Girard, dio lugar a las latas de conserva. Este invento transformó la industria alimentaria, permitiendo almacenar alimentos de forma segura y prolongada.

[alexlacquemanne]

Juillet MMXXIV

Films

Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (2024) d'Alexandre de La Patellière et Matthieu Delaporte avec Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, Anaïs Demoustier, Anamaria Vartolomei, Laurent Lafitte, Pierfrancesco Favino, Patrick Mille, Vassili Schneider, Julien de Saint Jean et Julie de Bona

La Jalousie (1976) de Raymond Rouleau avec Daniel Gélin, Nicole Calfan, Jacques Toja, Annick Alane, Marc Eyraud, Anna Gaylor, Françoise Pages et Francis Lemaire

Maestro(s) (2022) de Bruno Chiche avec Yvan Attal, Pierre Arditi, Miou-Miou, Pascale Arbillot, Caroline Anglade, Nils Othenin-Girard et Caterina Murino

The Truman Show (1998) de Peter Weir avec Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone et Holland Taylor

Un crime dans la tête (The Manchurian Candidate) (1962) de John Frankenheimer avec Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, James Gregory, Lloyd Corrigan et Leslie Parrish

French Connection (The French Connection) (1971) de William Friedkin avec Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi et Frédéric de Pasquale

To The Moon (Fly Me to the Moon) (2024) de Greg Berlanti avec Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Nick Dillenburg, Anna Garcia, Jim Rash, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell et Christian Zuber

Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez (1964) de Jean Girault avec Louis de Funès, Michel Galabru, Jean Lefebvre, Christian Marin, Guy Grosso, Michel Modo, Geneviève Grad, France Rumilly, Nicole Vervil et Claude Piéplu

La Marseillaise (1938) de Jean Renoir avec Pierre Renoir, Louis Jouvet, Lise Delamare, Andrex, Edmond Ardisson, Nadia Sibirskaïa, Jenny Hélia, Gaston Modot et Julien Carette

Un éléphant ça trompe énormément (1976) de Yves Robert avec Jean Rochefort, Claude Brasseur, Guy Bedos, Victor Lanoux, Danièle Delorme, Anny Duperey, Martine Sarcey et Marthe Villalonga

Le Gendarme à New York (1965) de Jean Girault avec Louis de Funès, Michel Galabru, Jean Lefebvre, Christian Marin, Guy Grosso, Michel Modo, Geneviève Grad et Alan Scott

Le Secret de Green Knowe (From Time to Time) (2009) de Julian Fellowes avec Alex Etel, Timothy Spall, Maggie Smith, Christopher Villiers, Pauline Collins, Eliza Bennett, Rachel Bell, Dominic West et Carice van Houten

Raoul Taburin (2018) de Pierre Godeau avec Benoît Poelvoorde, Édouard Baer, Suzanne Clément, Vincent Desagnat, Grégory Gadebois, Victor Assié et Timi-Joy Marbot

Nous irons tous au paradis (1977) de Yves Robert avec Jean Rochefort, Claude Brasseur, Guy Bedos, Victor Lanoux, Danièle Delorme, Marthe Villalonga, Jenny Arasse, Christophe Bourseiller et Josiane Balasko

Drôle de drame (1937) de Marcel Carné avec Françoise Rosay, Michel Simon, Louis Jouvet, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Nadine Vogel, Pierre Alcover et Jean-Louis Barrault

French Connection 2 (1975) de John Frankenheimer avec Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Bernard Fresson, Philippe Léotard, Ed Lauter, Charles Millot, Jean-Pierre Castaldi et Cathleen Nesbitt

Le Gendarme se marie (1968) de Jean Girault avec Louis de Funès, Michel Galabru, Jean Lefebvre, Christian Marin, Guy Grosso, Michel Modo, Geneviève Grad, Claude Gensac et Mario David

Totally Spies! le film (2009) de Pascal Jardin avec Claire Guyot, Fily Keita, Céline Mauge, Jean-Claude Donda, Karl Lagerfeld et Emmanuel Garijo

Séries

Maguy Saison 6

Quitte ou rouble - Séparation de survie - L'injuste prix - Une nièce rapportée - Une occase en moins - Météo et bas - Une Maude passagère - Bénévole d'essai - Tata poule - Des routes en déroute - Débat des eaux - L'ami gratteur - Pinceaux périlleux - Termite errant - Troubles de la télévision - Étrennes à la traîne - Mégarde à vue - Golf: heurts - Mépris de Rome - Le rappeur sur la ville - Jaloux y es-tu ? - Clochard abstrait - Affreux d'emploi - Un clown chasse l'autre - Adamo.. tus et bouche cousue - Passe-moi le recel - Fissures la corde raide - Écoutes que coûte - Le carton de la plaisanterie - Un fils à la patte - Mur… aïe ! - Désaccords de guitares - Une mage d'histoire - Compagnons d'alarmes - Despote au feu - Dernière cartouche au tableau - Des pots en dépôt

Affaires sensibles

17 et 18 septembre 1981 : dernière cigarette pour la guillotine - 1er février 2003, l’accident de la navette spatiale Columbia - Les Dix d’Hollywood, ou quand l’Amérique voyait rouge - Challenger 1986 : une catastrophe en plein ciel pour la fin d’un rêve "étoilé" - La tornade Michel Polac - John Lennon, mort d'un enfant du siècle - “Nous irons les buter jusque dans les chiottes” Russie, 1999, les attentats, la Tchétchénie et Poutine - Essais nucléaires dans le pacifique, un mensonge français - Péchiney : délit d'amitié, délit d'initiés

Le Coffre à Catch

#174 : William Regal champion en Angleterre? - #175 : CM Punk de retour à la ECW ! - #176 : Shelton vs Christian : un banger en préparation ! - #177 : Trent Baretta & Caylen Croft : les vrais Best Friends ! - #178 : TLC 2009 : Un Show Stealer ?

WWE : les rivalités de légende Saison 2

Hulk Hogan vs. Roddy Piper - The Rock vs. John Cena - Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart - The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton - Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels - Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns - The Undertaker vs. Mankind - Trish Stratus vs. Lita

The Durrells : une famille anglaise à Corfou Saison 1, 2

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6 - Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6

Le Tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3

Totally Spies Saison 7

Attention : ceci n'est pas un test - Espionnes à l'ancienne - Alerte chat-pardeurs

Spectacles

Patate (1982) de Marcel Achard avec Pierre Mondy, Michel Duchaussoy, Marie Dubois, Pascale Audret, Clémentine Amouroux et Philippe Dehesdin

Imagine Dragons Chambord Live (2023)

Elvis: The Comeback Special (1968)

Nirvana: MTV Unplugged in New York (1993)

Les Pigeons (2022) de et avec Michel Leeb, et aussi Francis Huster, Chloé Lambert, Philippe Vieux

Livres

Batman : The Killing Joke d'Alan Moore et Brian Bolland

Red Skin, tome 1 : Welcome to America de Xavier Dorison et Terry Dodson

Red Skin, tome 2 : Jacky de Xavier Dorison et Terry Dodson

Le coureur et son ombre d'Olivier Haralambon

Détective Conan, tome 23 de Gôshô Aoyama

Détective Conan, tome 24 de Gôshô Aoyama

Conversations avec A d'Alex Lacquemanne

Kaamelott, tome 7 : Contre-attaque en Carmélide d'Alexandre Astier, Steven Dupré et Picksel

[deslivresetmoi]

La serpe de Philippe Jaenada, 2017 (France)

L'auteur raconte son enquête personnelle d'un terrible fait divers de 1941.

Un matin, On retrouve les cadavres atrocement mutilés de 3 personnes : le père, la tante et la servante de Henri Girard plus connu sous son pseudonyme d'écrivain Georges Arnaud.

Alors que tout semble l'accuser, il est finalement innocenté par la justice.

Pourtant, le doute n'a cessé de subsister. En consultant les archives nouvellement mises à disposition, Jaenada va élaborer une possible version des faits.

Très documenté, l'auteur raconte à la fois les évènements autour du crime ainsi que sa propre histoire de recherche. Il ne prétend pas avoir la réponse à l'énigme. Toutefois, l'enquête est passionnante et angoissante.

Le salaire de la peur de Georges Arnaud, 1949 (France)

[dijonbeaune]

6 nouveaux chefs ambassadeurs pour Savoir-faire 100% Côte-d'Or

Le comité d’agrément de la marque Savoir-faire 100% Côte-d’Or s’est réuni pour la quatorzième fois, jeudi 20 juin. Six cuisiniers deviennent ambassadeurs et 31 nouveaux agréments ont été décernés. La marque Savoir-faire 100% Côte-d’Or compte six nouveaux chefs amabassadeurs. © D.R. La marque du Département atteint la barre symbolique des 21 ambassadeurs. Six cuisiniers pourront désormais…

[identity-library]

Diverse Sexuality (Books)

A:

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Benjamin Alire Sáenz)

Aristotle Mendoza (Gay)

Dante Quintana (Gay)

Aru Shah (Roshani Chokshi)

Brynne Rao (Bisexual)

A Step Towards Falling (Connie McGovern)

Richard (Gay)

Harrison (Gay)

Hugh (Unspecified MLM)

B:

Blood Like Magic (Liselle Sambury)

Keisha (Demisexual, Lesbian)

Bruised (Tanya Boteju)

Daya Wijesinghe (Unspecified WLW)

Shanti (Unspecified WLW)

C:

Cemetary Boys (Aiden Thomas)

Yadriel (Gay)

Julian Diaz (Gay)

Chaotic Good (Whitney Gardner)

Brian "Farrin" (Unspecified MLM)

Cooper Birch (Gay)

Wyatt (Gay)

Connection Error (Annabeth Albert)

Josiah Simmons (Gay)

Ryan Orson (Gay)

Crown of Feathers - Series (Nicki Pau Preto)

Anders (Unspecified MLM)

Avalkyra Ashfire (Aromantic, Asexual)

Callysta Lightbringer (Lesbian)

Kade (Gay)

Latham (Unspecified MLM)

Nefyra Ashfire (Lesbian)

Sev Lastlight (Gay)

Sidra (Unspecified WLW)

Tristan Flamesong (Bisexual)

D:

Dear Mothman (Robin Gow)

Alice (Unspecified WLW)

Molly (Unspecified WLW)

E:

Exit, Pursued by a Bear (E.K. Johnston)

Amy (Lesbian)

Polly (Lesbian)

F:

G:

Gifted Clans (Graci Kim)

Bob (Unspecified MLM)

Chae (Unspecified WLW)

Gong (Unspecified WLW)

Jangsoo Jeong (Unspecified MLM)

Girl Mans Up (M.E. Girard)

Blake (Bisexual)

Penelope "Pen" Oliveira (Lesbian)

H:

Highway Bodies (Alison Evans)

Dee (Bisexual)

Eve (Unspecified WLW)

Jojo (Bisexual)

I:

Icebreaker (A.L. Graziadei)

Jaysen Caulfield (Gay)

Mickey James (Bisexual)

I Hope You're Listening (Tom Ryan)

Delia "Dee" Skinner (Unspecified WLW)

Sarah (Unspecified WLW)

J:

K:

Keep This to Yourself (Tom Ryan)

Mac Bell (Gay)

Quill (Unspecified MLM)

L:

Learning Curves (Ceillie Simkiss)

Cora McLaughlin (Panromantic, Asexual)

Elena Mendez (Lesbian)

M:

More Happy Than Not (Adam Silvera)

Aaron Soto (Gay)

N:

O:

P:

Pahua Moua - Series (Lori M. Lee)

Ka (Unspecified WLW)

Yeng (Unspecified WLW)

Paola Santiago - Series (Tahlor Kay Meija)

Carmela Mata (Bisexual)

Emma Lockwood (Lesbian)

Kit (Unspecified WLW)

Paola Santiago (Bisexual)

Percy Jackson - Universe (Rick Riordan)

Hemithea (Lesbian)

Josephine (Lesbian)

Lavinia Asimov (Lesbian)

Magnus Chase (Pansexual)

Nico di Angelo (Gay)

Paolo Montes (Unspecified MLM)

Piper McLean (Bisexual)

Poison Oak (Unspecified WLW)

Reyna Ramírez-Arellano (Asexual)

Shel (Unspecified WLW)

Will Solace (Bisexual)

Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)

Patrick (Gay)

Pulp (Robin Talley)

Abbey Zimet (Lesbian)

Janet Jones (Lesbian)

Punk 57 (Penelope Douglas)

Manny Cortez (Unspecified MLM)

Ten (Unspecified MLM)

Q:

R:

S:

Sadie (Courtney Summers)

Sadie Hunter (Unlabeled WLW)

Sal & Gabi Break the Universe (Carlos Hernandez)

Reina Real (Bisexual)

Salvador "Sal" Vidón (Aromantic, Asexual)

Sikander Aziz - Series (Sarwat Chadda)

Daoud (Unspecified MLM)

Idiptu (Unspecified MLM)

Mohammed Aziz (Unspecified MLM)

Sidana (Unspecified MLM)

Six of Crows (Leigh Bardugo)

Jesper Fahey (Bisexual)

Nina Zenik (Bisexual)

Wylan Van Eck (Gay)

Synchro Boy (Shannon McFerran)

Bart Lively (Bisexual)

T:

The Agony of Bun O'Keefe (Heather Smith)

Chris (Gay)

The Art of Saving the World (Connie Duyvis)

Hazel Stanczak (Asexual, Lesbian)

The Buried and the Bound (Rochelle Hassan)

Leo Merritt (Bisexual)

Tristan Drake (Gay)

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager (Ben Philippe)

Eric (Gay)

The Immeasurable Depth of You (Maria Mora)

Brynn (Bisexual)

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali (Sabrina Khan)

Ariana (Unspecified WLW)

Rukhsana Ali (Lesbian)

Sohail (Gay)

The Luis Ortega Survival Club (Sonora Reyes)

Ariana Ruiz (Bisexual)

Shanaya "Shawni" (Bisexual)

The Manifold Worlds (Foz Meadows)

Gwen Vere (Aromantic, Unspecified WLW + Polyamorous)

The Montague Twins (Drew Shannon, Nathan Page)

Pete Montague (Gay)

The Mortal Instruments - Series (Cassandra Clare)

Alexander "Alec" Lightwood (Gay)

Magnus Bane (Bisexual)

The 100 (Kass Morgan)

Octavia Blake (Bisexual)

U:

V:

W:

Way to Go (Tom Ryan)

Danny (Gay)

We Contain Multitudes (Sarah Henstra)

Adam "Kurl" Kurlansky (Gay)

Jonathan Hopkirk (Gay)

What Unbreakable Looks Like (Kate McLaughlin)

Elsa (Lesbian)

Winger (Andrew Smith)

Joey Constantino (Gay)

Wings of Fire - Series (Tui T. Sutherland)

Anenome (Unspecified WLW)

Burnet (Unspecified WLW)

Silverspot (Unspecified WLW)

Umber (Gay)

X:

Y:

Z:

#:

36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You (Vicki Grant)

Max (Gay)

[ace20xd6]

Mama Lola

Mama Lola: a Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn is a biography of Haitian born priestess Marie Thérèse Alourdes Macena Champagne Lovinski, better known as Mama Lola, by anthropologist Karen McCarthy Brown, turning Mama Lola into the most famous Vodou priestess in America.  First published in 1991, Karen McCarthy Brown’s biography of Mama Lola’s life and family lineage, beginning with her great-great-grandfather Joseph Binbin Mauvant, acts also as a cultural and religious history of Haiti, Vodou practices, and the Haitian immigrant experience to the United States.  They met in the summer of 1978 when Karen Brown was working for the Brooklyn Museum on a survey of the local Haitian immigrant community (1).

Arguably anthropologist Karen Brown approached Caribbean history with a gendered feminist lens, an approach that had been done before to Latin American history with Ann Pescatello with her article “The Female in Ibero-America,” in the Latin American Research Review in 1972, and the essay collection Health and Healing in the Early Modern Iberian World.  Gendered history of Haiti was still a new approach for Haitian historians and anthropologists at the time Karen Brown’s book was published in 1991, even though women have played a part in Haitian history since before the revolution, an aspect delved into by modern historians like Philippe Girard in his 2011 book The Slaves Who Defeated Napoleon and “Rebelles with a Cause: Women in the Haitian War of Independence, 1802-1804,” for Gender & History in 2009.

The past books we’ve read delved into African healing approached as a more scientific history, like Pablo Gómez’s The Experiential Caribbean, or narrative like James Sweet’s book on Domingos Álvares.  Here with Karen Brown’s book our class had finally read a work that approached African healing, as a religion, comparing aspects of Haitian Vodou to Catholicism, noting how the lwa are often called saints despite not being traditionally saintly (6).  As a more anthropological work, Dr. Brown’s book had a more similar methodology with Clifford Geertz, than Jacob Burckhardt, quoting Ms. Alourdes heavily throughout the book, aiming to tell Mama Lola’s story and refute the negative stereotypes of Haitian Vodou (14-15).

In Chapter One we learn about Mama Lola’s great-great grandfather Joseph Binbin Mauvant in Jean Rabel, his daughter Marie Noelsine and her granddaughter Philomise, Marie Alourdes’s mother (26-27).  Chapter Two was dedicated to one of the lwa spirits that influenced Mama Lola the most, Azaka Méde, also known as Papa Zaka, and the connection Mama Lola stated to have, describing the work Marie Alourdes had fashioned to celebrate the spirit’s birthday when Dr. Brown visited her, including an altar (36, 40-42).  Chapter Three was dedicated to Alourdes’s grandfather Alphonse Macena and the relationship with her great grandmother Marie “Sina” Noelsine (84).

Chapter Four was dedicated to the warrior spirit Ogou with brief mentions of other spirits like Ibo, and the connection to Haitian politics; the later half of this chapter is dedicated to a vodou marriage Karen Brown went through to the spirit Ogou (100, 134-138).  Chapter Five was dedicated to the baka, evil incarnate spirits, and the baka summoned out of jealousy to Mama Lola’s grandmother Elsa Fouchard, separating her from her daughter Philo, but leading Philosmise into becoming a Vodou Priestess herself (142-143, 153-154).  Chapter Six used Mama Lola’s story to showcase the spirit Kouzinn, the female counterpart to Azaka and one Alourdes did not cite a Catholic counterpart (156).

Chapter Seven Philosmise formed a friendship with pharmacist Clement Rapelle, him asking her to treat his son in the Haitian tradition and he bought the medicine Philo needed after she gave birth to Mama Lola (205, 213).  In Chapter Eight, Mama Lola explained to Dr. Brown the female spirit group, the Ezili (222-223).  Chapter Nine delved more towards Mama Lola’s present, showcasing the conversations Dr. Brown had with Marie Alourdes, especially the ones over Mama Lola’s daughter Maggie and how Alourdes really wants Maggie to get married than to follow in her footsteps (263-264).

With Chapter Ten Dr. Brown to Danbala and the Haitian rituals performed in New York (272, 281).  In Chapter Eleven Dr. Brown again dedicated a chapter to watching Mama Lola’s religious practice one Sunday and the conversations Karen had with Mama Lola, her second-level helper Robert Gerard, and her daughter Maggie (313-320). The final chapter, Chapter Twelve, was dedicated to the Vodou spirit of death, Gede; Mama Lola also admitted that she is also Christian, telling a story of a time she turned down a customer away for being a paying member of a satanic group, saying “Satan is more powerful than me,” (330, 337).

Overall, religious anthropologist Karen McCarthy Brown, had created an interesting approach to Vodou history that still primarily focused on Mama Lola, and her family lineage, not delving out too much into Haitian history and the Vodou religion the way Dr. Sweet’s biography of Domingos Álvares did.  Although that was likely to happen when your “subject” is still alive and became a lifelong friend.  I also appreciate how Karen Brown avoided otherizing the Vodou religion, even participating in a spiritual marriage with the lwa spirit Ogou.