Jacques Viau RenaudJacques Viau Renaud (1941-1965) was born in Haiti and raised in the Dominican Republic following his father's exile in 1948. During the Dominican Revolution of 1965, he joined the rebel forces in support of ousted president Juan Bosch, fighting againt the US-backed dictatorship. Renaud's works were both a call to arms and a cry for unity as he hoped to unify Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He was killed in battle at age 23, laying down his life for Dominican independence and democracy against the authoritarian coup backed up by an invasion of 40,000 US soldiers. His dual identity as a Haitian-Dominican and the duality of his revolutionary ideals, both as a poet and as a rebel. survive both as a testament to his commitment and love for his adopted homeland and to the urgency and timelessness of his poetry. Read More Read Less