Under usual circumstances, I start off my interviews by lightly stalking the subjects, or people that are assigned to me. In this case, my interview will be very different in that I’m already acquainted with this young author and I am Facebook friends with him, so I don’t need to dig too deep as his business is one click away. Some of that business happens to be his new book, Words of Change. Voices from Soualiga Soil, which is a collection of essays outlining his social commentary on St. Maarten’s society and politics.
He is no stranger to the written word and has had articles written about him before. There was recently an article posted about him receiving funding from a Member of Parliament in support of his work, but there will be more about this a bit later. Ralph Cantave is a published writer with Teen Times. He used the time with the publication to create a compendium of his works. I sat down with the new author a while back and this is what basically happened.
How did you first get into writing?
I got into writing when I was 15 years old when I decided to join Teen Times.
We all have someone we admire in life; who is that person for you?
My high school homeroom teacher, Mr. Cook; my history teacher Mrs. Warner; Malcolm X; Dr. John Henrik Clarke and a lot of the island’s elders who I like to visit.
You’re fairly young; how did you decide to write this book?
My motivation for writing the book came from my dissatisfaction with our schools and the lack of information we received about St. Martin's history and culture. In high school, I would always pound my history teacher for information on such and, thankfully, she was enthusiastic about sharing as much knowledge as possible about our island. However, that took place after what was on the curriculum was taught. Therefore, I decided to put together a book. It has always been my goal from since I was 16. More of that motivation also came from my belief that if a young person can do something like write a book, it will influence change in the curriculum of our education system to introduce a full course about us in the schools.
Ok, so it’s clear you weren’t a very average teen; what kind of hobbies did you develop to relax?
I guess it would be no surprise if I said I love to read; but one of my favourite pastimes is playing pool. I also love working out at the gym and watching old movies.
What’s your go-to movie then?
My go-to movie would be anything with Denzel Washington, Marvel movies; anything action packed. I love dramas as well. I'd watch a comedy only if it has a six-star rating at least.
Now that you’re out of high school, where are you finishing your studies and what is your major?
I started USM in 2014 and am currently studying General Liberal Arts. I plan to get my degree in Communications and Political Science.
What do you plan to do with your education?
I plan to start my own public relations company, find ways to create programs for our communities and get into representational politics eventually. I have always believed that it is one of the noblest moves any man or woman can make. It is something that I've thought about ever since high school. Anyone who knows me from then knows politics and history are what I'm about.
You got into this because you wanted to learn more; is there no plan for teaching?
There’s probably part-time university teaching in my future. I would teach high school students as well, because they are at the age where they are searching for their true selves and I would love to play a role in helping young people find their path in life because I had teachers do the same for me.
What does your creative process entail?
I like to get some quiet time first, so I would either go to the library, museum or room at a guesthouse to put my thoughts down to read and create an outline. From there, I would continue looking up whatever topic I'm writing about until I get the urge to write. But a lot of times, I write straight from the dome then review some information then edit what I write. There's this line in the movie Finding Forrester which goes something like this: “Write with your heart, then your brain.” I love this and usually emulate it.
The cover is very interesting; who did the art and what does it represent?
Shawn York did the cover art. It’s the artistic representation of the name of the book.
Are you publishing with House of Nehesi?
No, it was not with House of Nehesi.
What was your favourite part of this whole experience besides the finished product?
My favourite part of the experience was finding out what I wanted my first book to be. I had some down periods because I had started working on two concepts; but I’ve put them on hold until I have more time to commit to my research. I also loved the advice I got from friends, and one person in particular who really helped me on the path recently is Ardwell Irion. He gave me some great advice on marketing and social media outreach.
What was the hardest part?
Trying to sift through all of my essays to find the best ones.
Are you thinking about a follow-up?
Yes I have thought about a follow-up. One of them will be a play and the other will remain a secret for now.
Is there anything else you’d like to add before we leave?
What I would like to say to the people is to be optimistic about the future of our island, and be prepared for my generation. Like Jose Lake Sr. once said, “Only the people can save the people.”
Contributed by Charlesea Joseph, WEEKender
