To start with, for example this year, 2004, is the bicentennial of Haitian independence.

When you write ,it's like braiding your hair. Taking a handful of coarse unruly strands and attempting to bring then unity.

More and more people are able to access information - thank goodness we have the Internet and if you are interested you can find things. Which is different than even 20 years ago.

People often think of Haiti as a place where you're not supposed to have any joy. I wanted to show that this is a place with joy.

Especially moments when things are very difficult and complicated for me and I am still trying to grasp what is happening and I am still trying to understand and to reach family back home.

There [Haiti] were also leaders like Jean-Jacques Dessalines, whose motto was, "Cut their heads off, burn their houses."

Once you're involved in the work, it's really just you and the characters and the words.