If storytellers pass memories from generation to generation and remembering is an art, Hartley Neita was a master at both. My Story & Other Stories: A Memoir by Hartley Neita is a new Jamaican classic, one of the finest books about her in generations.
With his brilliantly crafted writing, he leads the reader past the signposts of his life - through the tiny Clarendon village of Four Paths in 1940s Jamaica, and along paths that later crossed with a Queen, an Emperor, a Premier, Presidents and Prime Ministers. This "autobiographical memoir" is an inspiring collection of columns and short stories written by a master storyteller who enjoyed entertaining readers with his unique literary style and sharing thoughts and life experiences with friends, old and new.
The poets laureate Lorna Goodison and Olive Senior, and friend and former prime minister, P. J. Patterson, describe it best,
"In this finely curated collection, our Hartley lives again in all his blazing intelligence, courtesy, warmth, and wit..."
Lorna Goodison CD, Author
Poet Laureate of Jamaica 2017-2021.
"My Story & Other Stories is a big book of brief sparkling stories by a man whose writings kept us enthralled for over sixty years..."
Olive Senior, Author
Poet Laureate of Jamaica 2021-2024.
"As a master writer, he wrote with the painter's brush; a wide sweep when necessary and with precision where appropriate."
Rt. Hon. Percival J. Patterson, ON., Prime Minister.
These stories were written by a global traveller and griot, a multi-faceted man who embraced all with his famous charm and humour. In it, his wit, sarcasm and sometimes scathing observations draw attention to our shortcomings and challenge us to answer the questions of if, when, and where we have gone wrong.
Hartley Neita's memoir, My Story & Other Stories, is a significant contributor to Jamaica's many literary gems.
If you read only one book about her this year, this is it.
