Writer Jamaica Kincaid: Why I Changed My Name | Louisiana Channel

“My mother didn't love me. I was very ashamed of that.”

In this short video, acclaimed writer Antiguan-American Jamaica Kincaid delves into the personal history and experiences that influenced her decision to change her name and sets the stage for understanding the emotional landscape of her early years.

Kincaid speaks candidly about her complex relationship with her mother and the independent spirit that drove her to make significant changes in her life.

Jamaica Kincaid is known for her incisive prose and exploration of themes such as colonialism, identity, and family.

Kincaid attributes her resilience and achievements to her own determination and fortune, rather than familial support. She remarks, “This is something I did on my own, through sheer luck really. I suppose I was brave enough to risk being lucky.” This insight offers a glimpse into the self-reliance that characterized her journey.

A striking example of her adventurous spirit is illustrated by an anecdote from her teenage years. Kincaid recounts, “I hitchhiked all by myself up to San Francisco, saw The Doors, and came back down.” This daring trip underscores her courage and willingness to embrace risk.

Despite the dangers she faced, luck often seemed to be on her side. Kincaid recalls, “I wasn't killed, you know, by some serial killer, because I got hitchhiking on the side of the road and I'd get into a truck with some people I didn't know.” These experiences contributed to the fortitude that has marked her literary career.

Throughout the interview, Kincaid's reflections are imbued with a sense of ownership over her destiny. She firmly asserts, “You can't take credit for this,” addressing her mother’s attempts to claim influence over her success. This statement encapsulates Kincaid’s belief in her self-made path.

Jamaica Kincaid (born 1949) is an Antiguan-American novelist, essayist, gardener, and gardening writer. She was born in St. Johns, Antigua, in the Caribbean. At 16, she settled in New York after leaving Antigua to work as an au pair, then studied photography at the New York School for Social Research and attended Franconia College in New Hampshire. Around 1973 she changed her name from Elaine Potter Richardson to Jamaica Kincaid, partly because she wanted anonymity for her writing. She was a staff writer for the New Yorker magazine from 1974-to 96. Kincaid published her first book ‘At the Bottom of the River’, a collection of short stories, in 1983. Her first novel ‘Annie John’ appeared in 1985 – the story of a 10-year-old growing up in Antigua. The novel ’Lucy’ came in 1990. ‘The Autobiography of My Mother’ (1996) is a novel set in Dominica and told by a 70-year-old woman looking back on her life. ‘A Small Place’ (1988) is a short book about the effects of colonialism. Kincaid published more books about gardening, including ‘My Garden (2000). Her novel ‘See Now Then’ (2013) won the Before Columbus Foundation America Book Award in 2014. Jamaica Kincaid is often mentioned as a contender for the Nobel Prize in literature.

Jamaica Kincaid was interviewed by Danish writer Merete Pryds Helle in connection with the Louisiana Literature festival in August 2021 at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.

Cameras: Rasmus Quistgaard
Edit: Jarl Therkelsen Kaldan
Produced by Christian Lund
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2024.
Louisiana Channel is supported by Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond, Ny Carlsbergfondet, C.L. Davids Fond og Samling and Fritz Hansen.

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