Jamaica Kincaid is an Antiguan American author who explores colonialism, power dynamics, and the concept of family in her books, essays, and poems. Her writing is often described as humorous and eloquent. Kincaid is known for speaking on complex issues in a deceptively simple writing style. On Wednesday, March 12, 2025, she spoke in a book talk at UC Berkeley in a conversation with Stephen Best, another acclaimed author and scholar. Kincaid talked about her life and career as an author, as well as gave her opinions on modern-day politics.
Kincaid was born on Wednesday, May 25, 1949, in St. John’s, the capital of Antigua. She grew up in Antigua under British colonial rule, a topic she has covered extensively in her writing. She was sent away by her parents at age 16 to work and was supposed to send money to her family back home. Kincaid has grappled with the feeling of resentment and betrayal towards her parents, specifically her mom, to this day, and spoke openly about it in her talk. While sharing a photograph of her, taken right after she learned she was going to the United States, she said, “What perhaps isn’t so evident to a viewer, but very present in my memory and in my heart is the feeling of betrayal, of being sent away and into the world.” She wrote about family dynamics and mothers in her stories, including the short poem “Girl,” which Berkeley International High School (BIHS) tenth grade students study in Global Literature.
Additionally, in her book talk, Kincaid spoke about the micro-aggressions she experienced growing up under British rule. She shared the street names still burned in her head after all these years. Next to her home was Hood Street, named after John Hood. John Hood was known for finding a ship of slaves in Spain, capturing them from the Spanish, selling them, and taking the money back to England. Queen Elizabeth I knighted him for discovering a new form of trade. “We lived within our own literary hell to memorize the dates and the names of all these people,” Kincaid said.
A signature of Jamaica Kincaid is her refined way of speaking, both on text and in person. When hearing her speak, how well she paces her thoughts stands out. Best commented on this which segued into the Caribbean education system. Both Best and Kincaid expressed anger at the American and European perspective that people in Antigua lacked education. Best shared an anecdote of calling his Caribbean-educated mother one day while he was in college, and they were talking about his assigned reading book, “Jane Eyre.” His mother was shocked and said, “You are only reading that now?” and started laughing. His mother had read “Jane Eyre” in middle school in the Caribbean. His point was that the Caribbean, although flawed, was better than he and others gave it credit for.
They also talked about the Caribbean education system’s origin as a curriculum assigned by the British. “All of us had the same education, but it was an education about England, and it really did not encourage self reflection,” Kincaid said. Kincaid expressed that going through a British education was a constant stream of microaggressions. She recalled having to memorize “Daffodil,” a poem by William Wordsworth, despite never having seen a daffodil herself — daffodils are an English flower and don’t grow in the Caribbean. Kincaid shared this story as a example of how young Caribbean kids were only taught through a European perspective instead of their own.
The book talk was held at Zellerbach Theatre at UC Berkeley. The talk was sold out weeks before and on the day of, the room was packed with UC Berkeley students and general fans of Kincaid. One fan of Kincaid was a woman named Marrisa Micah. Micah has been transfixed by Kincaid’s writing ever since reading “A Small Place” as a freshman at UC Berkeley. As a writer herself, Micah is inspired by Kincaid’s literary technical skills. Kincaid is one of the most celebrated writers of her generation for good reason. Her writing remains eternally relevant, exploring mother-daughter relationships, the roots of power in society, and personal identity.