In Honor of Edward Baugh

In Honor of Edward Baugh (1936-2023)

15 December 2023

Photo taken from the American Academy Society of Arts and Sciences website

We in the Small Axe Project join many, in Jamaica and the world over, in mourning the passing of Edward Baugh who died on 9 December 2023 at the age of 87. Eddie, as he was fondly known, was a legend in the arena of Caribbean letters: a lyrical poet of great subtlety, a measured critic of historical sensibility, and a memorable voice as a Public Orator. But more than these, what we will most remember when we remember him, is the quality of his urbane presence, at once cosmopolitan in width and complexity and profoundly rooted in his Jamaican (and Caribbean) commitments. He was the best of us, and we will miss him. Walk good Eddie.

In honor of Eddie Baugh, we have made the special section titled "READING EDWARD BAUGH READING," that includes a republication of his essay "The West Indian Writer and His Quarrel With History," and discussion essays by Alison Donnell, Lawrence Breiner, Nadi Edwards, as well as a response by Edward Baugh, freely available for the next six weeks. You can access the entire section here.