OUT OF THIS WORLD: Fiction and family reign supreme in Stephanie Saulter's universe

RED ALERT: The author weaves a fascinating tale in her debut novel.

Stephanie Saulter is happy to talk about all things sci-fi, the intriguing subject matter at the heart of her just-published debut novel, Gemsigns. "A lot of people have a very narrow view of that area; they think it's just outer space and spaceships, but it's a very broad church," she tells TALLAWAH, calling by phone. "But what I write falls between science fiction and speculative fiction. It straddles that border." 

Even so, readers and critics alike find Saulter's work utterly absorbing and hugely enjoyable, resulting in an influx of positive reviews for Gemsigns (Jo Fletcher Books), which she introduced to locals at Hope Road's Bookophilia last Thursday. "Just this past week has been really hectic," admits the UK-based author. "The responses have been incredibly positive and flattering." 

Described as "a thought-provoking narrative" about a global pandemic in the near-future and the search for a cure, the novel is the first in a trilogy, with the second instalment, Binary, due out in April 2014. "I wrote it as a stand-alone book, but the publishers have requested two more books." 

I ask her to explain what made her venture into the literary genre of sci-fi/speculative fiction in the first place. "I don't know what else to write," she confesses, laughing. "That's where my interests lie. I read a lot, but I believe in following your inspiration. I write what interests me." 

Now in her 40s, Stephanie is the eldest of the Saulter children. A family whose talented filmmakers, Storm and Nile, have earned renown. "I'm very proud of my brothers. Their work is excellent, especially [Storm's] Better Mus' Come, which is the most popular. It's incredibly ambitious and impressive. And it's an important piece of work," Stephanie says. "Nile is also a very talented filmmaker. He has great flair for comedy and the poetry of filmmaking." 

In the UK, Stephanie freelances in public policy consultation but, as she tells me, she truly resides in a world of books. "It's reading and writing; those are my passions. I've always been a workaholic," she says. "I do a lot of gardening and hiking, and I'm really interested in culture, going to the theatre, museums and galleries. I love cultural expressions, past and present."

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GUEST SPOT: Dancehall vet Assassin lands coveted cameo on Kanye West's new album

ON THE RECORD: "I am a diverse artiste who isn't boxed in to a specific genre."

Taking steps to elevate his recording career and industry profile certainly defines dancehall veteran Agent Sasco (bka Assassin), who has landed on arguably the world's most buzzed-about album so far this year: Kanye West's out-of-the-ordinary new disc, Yeezus, released on Tuesday and already the subject of critical acclaim and, of course, controversy. 

Appearing on "I'm In It," a brazen track that references everything from women to wealth to religion, the deejay impressively supplies a stream of rapid-fire lyrics fuelled by his trademark gusto. It's quite an achievement for Assassin (credited as Jeffrey Ethan Campbell), who has long demonstrated a mix of lyrical deftness and staying power among the ranks of his dancehall contemporaries. 

So the question remains: how did the Jamaican entertainer earn a cameo on the rap megastar's new album? "Kanye's production team was working at Geejam around October last year when they gave me a call," he reveals. "They were working on a summer project and wanted some verses from local dancehall artistes, and I was one of those they thought of." Assassin says he recorded a series of verses, which, as it turns out, found favour with the rapper. "Sometime in January they got back to me, letting me know that [he] liked the verses and that they'd be in touch to do some more work." 

Making the album's final cut, Assassin says, is testament to not only his sharp and well-honed lyricism but also the diversity he brings to his craft. "I really take this as a sign of my limitlessness. It's a reinforcement that I am a diverse artiste who isn't boxed in to a specific genre or type of music," he points out. "I believe in being creative, and working with Kanye's team was one of the great opportunities where I got to show that."

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COUNTRY STRONG: Donna Duncan-Scott shares her prescription for healing Jamaica

FRAME OF MIND: "When we build on each other, we get extraordinary results."

This past Sunday, Donna Duncan-Scott had the distinction of serving as the first guest on Breaking Through with Beverley, an insightful-inspirational new talk show (moderated by Beverley Manley Duncan), now in its debut season on CVM. The refreshing and wised-up conversation centred on such topics as the secret to the extraordinary success of Jamaica Money Market Brokers (of which she's the long-serving Managing Director) and how the combination of trust and commitment can truly transform Jamaica. Below, excerpts: 

How she manages to keep alive the JMMB vision: "One thing we do at the beginning of every structured meeting is read our vision of love, so we remember what we have declared and what we are standing for, and then we have conversations in the company about what it means to be true to yourself. As a matter of fact, once you're being true to yourself, the vision of love is automatically present." 

What will transform Jamaica into a far better country: "The first thing is recognizing that we are all great. We all have greatness within. And the second thing is to hold each other accountable. If we are to pay attention to the saying that where no offence is meant, none should be taken, there would be far less discord in the country. That way I can relate to the best of you and you can relate to the best of me. When we build on each other, that is how we get extraordinary results. And that's what we want for the country  The bottom line is: if we don't have trust we really can't work together to get the result that we want: a future that's different from the present. The only way to have that is to remember who we are and build the trust in all our relationships.... You really cannot get to real accountability and focusing on results until we get to the trust level and commitment."

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BRIGHT FUTURE: Jamaican tweens triumph in world poster contest + ROC reaps success with inaugural school tour

SCHOOLIN' LIFE: "We know the value of mentorship is immeasurable, so with our school tour we've carefully put together a programme that students can enjoy and addresses real issues that they encounter on a daily basis," says singer-activist Cherine, sharing the ideology that drives the latest efforts of her Reach One Child (ROC) initiative, which recently teamed with mentors (including former Reggae Boyz captain Ricardo Gardener) from wide-ranging fields (sports, medicine, entrepreneurship, journalism) to inspire the primary and high school students who took part in their islandwide ROC Tour. A huge and rewarding success, Cherine notes. Looking ahead, the team hopes to replicate the winning formula in the fall in the hope of impacting the lives of more young Jamaicans. "What we at ROC aim to do," she says, "is engage the students on issues including positive communication and the value of education." To learn more about the work of the ROC, visit reachonechild.org. 

BORN TO WIN: From a sea of entries submitted by students across the globe (the UK, Canada, the United States, the Caribbean), the work of two Jamaican students emerged the cream of the crop in the recent World Plumbing Day International Poster Competition. Eleven-year-old Andrew Malcolm took first place (US$100) while fellow Corinaldi Avenue Primary student Nakelia Humphrey copped second place (US$50) in the contest, which is put on every March by the US-based World Plumbing Council. The students are pictured above with teachers Dane Julius and Donette Salmon. "We have done it before, and we knew we could do it again," offers elated principal Cynthia Munroe. "Our teachers are highly motivated and they transmit this commitment and motivation to our students, and so our students know that when they go out there they have to excel, [and] they want to achieve at the highest."

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TALLAWAH MONITOR: Juliet Cuthbert weds LeVaughn Flynn during intimate weekend ceremony

MARRIED: 
Romance ruled as beloved sports icon Juliet Cuthbert tied the knot with corporate maverick LeVaughn Flynn in easy-breezy north-coast style during a quiet, intimate ceremony in Hanover on Sunday. The two have been an item for the past four years. TALLAWAH toasts the happy couple! 

HONOURED: 
When this year's graduation ceremony takes place at the University of the West Indies' St. Augustine campus in Trinidad in October, Ian Randle will be among the regional stalwarts conferred with an honorary doctorate. The renowned businessman and longtime driving force behind the decades-old Ian Randle Publishers is being recognized for sterling contribution to Caribbean arts and the publishing industry. A member of the Order of Distinction (OD), Randle was the recipient of a Prince Clause Laureate Award in 2012. 

FLAG BEARERS: 
Sunshine Girl Jhaniele Fowler continues to make her presence felt in international netball. The 23-year-old, who plays for the Southern Steel in the ANZ Championships, now holds the record (606) for the most goals netted in a single season, erasing fellow Jamaican Carla Borrego's old mark of 574 goals. Yet another Jamaican star shooter Romelda Aiken of the Queensland Firebirds is also participating in the ANZ Champs, the most competitive of its kind in the world. 

EMBATTLED: 
To say the least, Veronica Campbell-Brown is facing one of the toughest periods in life, in the wake of that now widely reported "adverse analytical finding", which showed the presence of a banned diuretic in her system when she competed at the May 4 Jamaica International Invitational (JII) meet in Kingston. New reports indicate, however, that the veteran sprinter had in fact declared her use of a substance that possibly contained traces of the banned diuretic. Meantime, the world avidly awaits an official response from VCB's camp that will hopefully help clear her good name.

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ON RACE & RESPECT: 42 elucidates the inspiring true story of an African-American legend

>> NEW ON DVD: A significant piece of sporting history is brought to vivid life in 42, a well-made, no-holds-barred biopic that illuminates the story of Jackie Robinson, the first Black man ever to play major-league baseball in the States, consequently breaking the proverbial colour barrier at the height of the Civil Rights Movement and racial segregation. Chadwick Boseman brings easy-going charisma and utter conviction to the central role, conveying Robinson's inner strength and take-no-mess demeanour as he strives to make the most of this unprecedented opportunity (thanks in large part to Brooklyn Dodgers manager Branch Ricky, an excellent Harrison Ford) in the face of unimaginable oppression and vicious racial prejudice. In the end, spurred by sheer guts, the love of a good woman (Nicole Beharie) and his awe-inspiring talent, Robinson, who passed away in '72 at age 53, emerges simply as a heroic figure who was ahead of his time. 

>> ALSO RENT THESE: Two more essential sporting dramas: Will Smith floats like a butterfly as Cassius 'Muhammad Ali' Clay, giving an Oscar-nominated performance in 2001's widely acclaimed Ali. Denzel Washingon captivates with one of his most powerful silver-screens portrayals as imprisoned pugilist Rubin Carter in The Hurricane (1999).

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NATIONAL TREASURES: Usain Bolt shares his guilty pleasures + Local school to be renamed in honour of Bob Marley

IN LOVING MEMORY: The Stepney Primary and Junior High School will be renamed in honour of reggae legend Bob Marley, following the approval of the Jamaican government. The St. Ann-based institution, which Marley attended as a child, will be known as the Bob Marley Primary and Junior High School, effective September 1. It presently has an enrollment of approximately 300 students, aged six to 15 years. "The name change is a tribute to the late Robert Nesta Marley, a past student," says Information minister Sandrea Falconer. "Members of the community and the Bob Marley Foundation have also endorsed the name change." For the past few years, the foundation has been actively involved in the operation of the school, through the granting of scholarships and the provision of much-needed resource material. Marley is the latest addition to a lengthy list of Jamaican icons who've had schools named for them -- including Marcus Garvey, Merlene Ottey, Donald Quarrie and Norman Manley. 

NATIVE SON: Golden boy Usain Bolt, who last week set a new meet record at the Oslo Diamond League in Norway, has never made a secret of how unwaveringly devoted he is to his beloved Jamaica. In a brief yet revelatory new interview with WTheJournal (all about high-end watches!), the sprint legend makes it clear that there's no place like home. Asked what he'd do if he had to drop everything at once, he responds "Chill on the beach in Jamaica," adding that Jamrock is indeed the ideal destination to while away the hot summer months. Elsewhere, he reveals that his ideal dinner guests would have to include film goddess Angelina Jolie and pop queenpin Rihanna. As for his all-time guilty pleasures, he unsurprisingly singles out fast cars and fast food as his picks. And if he possessed the remarkable power to stop time? "I'd fly around the world and stop in my favourite places." Of course. Meantime, check out Bolt in action at the National Senior Championships in Kingston, scheduled for June 20-23 inside the National Stadium.

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KNOW HER NAME: With a pair of powerful stage performances, Shawna-Kae Burns' star is on the rise

BAG IT: The actress (with costar Monique Smith) in Thicker Than Water.

It takes a deft touch to make a potentially odious character someone understood, let alone likeable. But that's precisely the dazzling feat Shawna-Kae Burns accomplishes with her breakout, bravura turn as Natalee in Dahlia Harris' oestrogen-spiked drama Thicker Than Water. "I remember struggling with the role because I just didn't like [the character]," Burns admits over the phone. "But Dahlia suggested that I try to see her as a principled woman, and I think after that talk I got a better understanding of her." 

The advice certainly worked. So much so that Burns went on to create one of the year's most riveting portraits of dogged determination and ruthless ambition. But, as she explains, commercial theatre is still relatively new territory for her. "It was a challenge for me, truly, because I've never been in this kind of commercial theatre production before," says the 29-year-old, who also drew hefty praise for her work in Fabian Thomas' compelling vision of In The Red and Brown Water earlier this year. 

While pursuing undergraduate studies at Mona, Burns worked with director Brian Heap and the University Dramatic Arts Society (UDAS), known for staging daringly experimental pieces that meld poetry and existential drama. "I've always been drawn to outside-the-box pieces, which come with depth and transport the audience to a whole different world," says Burns, who holds degrees in social work and languages and presently teaches a foundation course at the Edna Manley College. 

What's more, she knows just how fortunate she is, as a rising star, to have appeared in two of the year's most acclaimed stage productions. "I am blown away, because I've been around the energy in the theatre industry for years, but now it feels like I'm becoming part of it," she says. "It's humbling and kind of a surreal experience so far. It's a learning process."

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