New Talparo folktales hit the shelves

CHERISSE L BERKELEY

Fed up of the same traditional folklore stories? A new book of short stories filled with local folklore is here: Joey Bartlett's book There's Something Strange Happening in Talparo.

Bartlett, 30, of Arima, describes himself as the owner of a haberdashery company that curates local culture. His company specialises in an array of cosmetic and personal care products such as a body oil he named Canboulay, and a perfume he named Papayo.

Bartlett was raised in Talparo and moved to Arima when he was 20. The second of four children, he describes himself as "not your typical middle child."

Jokingly, he said, "I am my parents' favourite child."

Describing his childhood, he said it was rich in First People's culture, as his mother Lorna Nicole Bartlett is a direct descendant of the First People of TT. She is a nurse and he described his father Robert Gittens as a jack of all trades with African heritage.

Bartlett's education was aimed at psychology and social work. He first attended Talparo RC Primary School, then went on to Curepe Junior Secondary, and Arima Senior Comprehensive schools. He received a diploma in social work from UWI Open Campus before studying psychology at the University of the Southern Caribbean.

His education was not aimed at it, but he always wanted to write. He said he has dabbled in writing for his entire life and in his younger years thought he would be writing poetry.

Asked about his love for folklore, he said, "I have always had a fascination with spooky stuff.

"I first learned the folklore stories at the Faith United Ministries of Talparo Pentecostal church camp."

He doesn't believe in religion, but said, "I believe in a higher power."

The author has a list of inspirations that include Stephen King, James Patterson, Wes Craven and Alfred Hitchcock.

"I think I have my own signature in writing but I think they inspired and pushed me to think outside of the box and to see the value of the horror-surrealism genre.

Bartlett said when he is not spending his time advocating for the preservation of culture or building his business, he works at perfecting his skill as a hobbyist photographer.

The lover of all things spooky spoke of his liking for nonsensical nursery rhymes. He also hopes to see more local folklore included in Halloween. "I would like to see more traditional characters when people dress up."

On his inspiration for the book he said, "After speaking with a friend, we noted there are no cultural museums in TT, and complaining without a solution is counterproductive.

"I see the failure of various governments for missed opportunities to preserve culture."

He suggested, for example, a museum solely dedicated to past winners of Carnival that features kings, queens, Dimanche Gras – a local version of the US's Smithsonian – or "creating a village in Tobago where tourists can go and have a hand at creating their perspective and so on."

In the meantime, he said, "I do what I can from my perspective."

Bartlett had brief discussions with the Minister of Education and hopes to partner with the ministry to advocate for the preservation of culture through schools and education. He also received commendations from MP for La Horquetta-Talparo Foster Cummings.

It took him a year and nine months to complete the book, which he referred to as "a welcome distraction from the pandemic."

Asked the most challenging part of writing it, he said, "The research process on the Gumbo Glisse was difficult.

"The Gumbo Glisse is a less severe version of Anansi, a trickster of sorts."

Even though Lucinda is his favourite character he said, "Unknowingly I wrote parts of myself in every character.

"The character Jacinta is a tribute to my grandmother Maura Bartlett."

Bartlett said his story is based in Talparo because of its picturesque nature.

It differs from traditional folklore, he said, because: "I put my characters in real-life situations."

The seven short stories feature characters such as douens, la diablesse, soucouyant, lagahoo, a buck, the Gumbo Glisse, Papa Bois and Mama D'L'Eau, and is meant for readers from standard four upwards.

There's Something Strange Happening in Talparo is Bartlett's first book and he gave no guarantee of a second.

"Instead I hope to make the book into a series of short movies."

He's chosen to promote the book himself, but said he encountered difficulties with customer service with publishers.

"I am having fun with it.

"I purposefully did not number it, or put it into bookstores, because it was a passion project. It's not the best business strategy, but it made sense to me because of how close I am to the project."

Bartlett said since the book's publication on December 10, many people have been seeking out the Talparo community.

"I really want a community member in Talparo to take up the mantle and start offering tours. There are many things to see, from the lush greenery, to the cocoa houses. It can be a great attraction."

Bartlett's book is available on Amazon and from him via social media: @josephfiasco868