Gary Klang
Encyclopedia
Gary Klang is a Haiti
an-Canadian poet
and novelist. Since 2007, he is the President
of the prestigious “Conseil des Écrivains francophones d’Amérique” (Council
of America’s francophone writers). Klang's work is very rich
. It includes novel
s, poetry
, short stories
and essay
s. On July 14, 2000, “l’Union Française à Montréal” (the French Union of Montreal
) chose Gary as the promoter of the French national holiday
marking the storming of the Bastille
. The same day, the same French
Union participated in the launch of his collection
of verses
"La terre est vide comme une étoile". Gary Klang is also a member of the “Association des Ecrivains Québécois (UNEQ)” (Association of Quebec’s writers), a member of the “Association des Ecrivains de langue française” (Association of writers of French
origin) and of the PEN Club of Montreal. He was nominated for the Haitian grand Literary Prize
of 2004, together with Edwidge Danticat, René Depestre
, Frankétienne
, Dany Laferrière
, Josaphat-Robert Large
and Leslie Manigat
(Ex President of Haiti
, the winner of the Prize
).
. He
left Haiti
in the 1960s, at the worst time of the Duvalier
's dictatorship
. In Paris
where he went, he received a Ph.D.
in literature
at Sorbonne University. His thesis
is on Marcel Proust
, the famous French novelist. It was in France
that Gary met Maggy, the French student from Brittany
who later became his wife
. In 1973, they left together for Canada
where they settled in Montreal
. At first, Gary has been a professor
of stylistics
at the Université de Montréal
. But, as he never like teaching, he changed hat
and became a translator at the famous Engineering
firm SNC-Lavalin. He retired from that position in 2006. Gary is very active in the French literary world. He participated in festivals in Mali
(2007), Benin
(2009) and Haiti
(2007), not to mention Canada
(Festival des Trois-Rivières) (2008)http://fr.netlog.com/Le_BlogDeJosaphatRobertLarge/blog/blogid=2847278
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an-Canadian poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and novelist. Since 2007, he is the President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the prestigious “Conseil des Écrivains francophones d’Amérique” (Council
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
of America’s francophone writers). Klang's work is very rich
Rich
Rich may refer to wealth. Rich may also refer to:- Organizations :* B.C. Rich, guitar manufacturer* Rich Products, international food products corporation* Rich's, U.S. department store retail chain in the southern U.S....
. It includes novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
and essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s. On July 14, 2000, “l’Union Française à Montréal” (the French Union of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
) chose Gary as the promoter of the French national holiday
National holiday
National holiday may refer to:*A National Day, in which a country celebrates its independence, establishment or an otherwise significant event....
marking the storming of the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
. The same day, the same French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Union participated in the launch of his collection
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
of verses
Verse (poetry)
A verse is formally a single line in a metrical composition, e.g. poetry. However, the word has come to represent any division or grouping of words in such a composition, which traditionally had been referred to as a stanza....
"La terre est vide comme une étoile". Gary Klang is also a member of the “Association des Ecrivains Québécois (UNEQ)” (Association of Quebec’s writers), a member of the “Association des Ecrivains de langue française” (Association of writers of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
origin) and of the PEN Club of Montreal. He was nominated for the Haitian grand Literary Prize
Prize
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people to recognise and reward actions or achievements. Official prizes often involve monetary rewards as well as the fame that comes with them...
of 2004, together with Edwidge Danticat, René Depestre
René Depestre
René Depestre is a Haitian poet and communist. He lived in Cuba as an exile from the Duvalier regime for many years and was a founder of the Casa de las Americas publishing house. He is best known for his poetry.-Life:...
, Frankétienne
Frankétienne
Frankétienne is an author, poet, playwright, musician and painter. He has written in both French and Haitian creole...
, Dany Laferrière
Dany Laferrière
Dany Laferrière is a francophone Haitian and Canadian novelist and journalist.Born in Port-au-Prince, Haïti, and raised in Petit Goâve, Laferrière worked as a journalist in Haïti before moving to Canada in 1976...
, Josaphat-Robert Large
Josaphat-Robert Large
Josaphat-Robert Large is a Haitian-American poet, novelist and art critic. His novel Les terres entourées de larmes [Shore surrounded with tears] won the prestigious Prix littéraire des Caraïbes in 2003...
and Leslie Manigat
Leslie Manigat
Leslie François Saint Roc Manigat was elected president of Haiti by a tightly controlled military held election in January 1988.-In education:...
(Ex President of Haiti
President of Haiti
The President of the Republic of Haiti is the head of state of Haiti. Executive power in Haiti is divided between the president and the government headed by the Prime Minister of Haiti...
, the winner of the Prize
Prize
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people to recognise and reward actions or achievements. Official prizes often involve monetary rewards as well as the fame that comes with them...
).
Exile
Gary Klang graduated from the "Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague" in Port-au-PrincePort-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
. He
left Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
in the 1960s, at the worst time of the Duvalier
Duvalier
Duvalier is a surname, and may refer to:* François Duvalier , nicknamed "Papa Doc", President of Haiti * Jean-Claude Duvalier , nicknamed "Baby Doc", son of François Duvalier and President of Haiti...
's dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
. In Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he went, he received a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
at Sorbonne University. His thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
is on Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...
, the famous French novelist. It was in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
that Gary met Maggy, the French student from Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
who later became his wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
. In 1973, they left together for Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where they settled in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. At first, Gary has been a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of stylistics
Stylistics
Stylistics might apply to:* The Stylistics, a Philadelphia soul group* Stylistics , the study of language and its context...
at the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
. But, as he never like teaching, he changed hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
and became a translator at the famous Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
firm SNC-Lavalin. He retired from that position in 2006. Gary is very active in the French literary world. He participated in festivals in Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
(2007), Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
(2009) and Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
(2007), not to mention Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(Festival des Trois-Rivières) (2008)http://fr.netlog.com/Le_BlogDeJosaphatRobertLarge/blog/blogid=2847278
Novels
- Haïti! Haïti! written with Anthony Phelps. Montréal: Libre Expression, 1985.
- L'île aux deux visages. Brossard (CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
): Humanitas, 1997. - L'adolescent qui regardait passer la vie. Brossard (Canada): Humanitas, 1998.
- Un homme seul est toujours en mauvaise compagnie. Montréal: Mémoire d'encrier, 2005.
Poetry
- Ex-île. Grenoble: Éditions de la Vague à l'âme, 1988.
- Je veux chanter la mer, suivi de Les Fleurs ont la saveur de l'aube. Montréal: Humanitas, 1993.
- Moi natif natal, suivi de Le Temps du vide. Montréal: Humanitas, 1995.
- La terre est vide comme une étoile. Brossard (Canada): Humanitas, 2000.
- La vraie vie est absente. Brossard (Canada): Humanitas, 2002.
- Il est grand temps de rallumer les étoiles. Montréal: Mémoire d'encrier, 2007.
Short Stories
- Kafka m'a dit. Longueuil: Humanitas, 2004.
- « Elle n'avait peur de rien ». Nul n'est une île: Solidarité HaïtiHaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. Sous la direction de Stanley Péan et Rodney Saint-Éloi. Montréal: Mémoire d'encrier, 2004: 107-115. - Les chiens noirs. Montréal: Plume & Encre, 2006.
Essays
- La méditation transcendantale. Montréal: Stanké, 1976.
- Je ne veux pas mourir chauve à Montréal. Brossard (Canada): Humanitas, 1999.
Article on the Author
- La bataille de JérémieJérémieJérémie is the capital city of the department of Grand'Anse, in Haiti, with a population of about 31,000 . It is almost isolated from the rest of the country...
. Jeune Afrique 1345 (15 October 1986). - Ex-île au Canada. Le Dauphiné libéré (16 November 1988).
- Être écrivain en exil. Le Nouvelliste (1 February 2001).
- L'écrivain haïtien Gary Klang en compagnie de Rimbaud, Villon, Brassens, Léo Ferré. Haïti en Marche (27 August 2003).
- L'écrivain haïtien en grande compagnie. Le Nouvelliste (5–7 September 2003).
- Hébert, François. Un thriller à la sauce haïtienne, politique, action et fiction. Le Devoir (Montréal, 1 June 1985).
- Hérard, Huguette. L'ex-île de Klang. Le Matin (Port-au-PrincePort-au-PrincePort-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, 23–25 September 1989). - Jean-Gilles, Gesler. Gary Klang, un auteur accompli. Haïti en Marche (31 January 1996).
- Josaphat-Robert LargeJosaphat-Robert LargeJosaphat-Robert Large is a Haitian-American poet, novelist and art critic. His novel Les terres entourées de larmes [Shore surrounded with tears] won the prestigious Prix littéraire des Caraïbes in 2003...
. Gary Klang, la poésie dans le temps du vide. Haïti en Marche (17 April 1996). - Josaphat-Robert LargeJosaphat-Robert LargeJosaphat-Robert Large is a Haitian-American poet, novelist and art critic. His novel Les terres entourées de larmes [Shore surrounded with tears] won the prestigious Prix littéraire des Caraïbes in 2003...
. Esquisses d'une écriture élégante, Je veux chanter la mer de Gary Klang. Haïti en Marche (15 December 1993). - Peterson, Michel. Je ne veux pas mourir chauve à Montréal, d'Alain Stanké à Monique LaRue, un écrivain raconte. Nuit Blanche (QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
) 76 (1999): 28. - Saint-Cyr, Guy-Robert. Gary Klang ou le regard d'un adolescent sur la vie. Le Nouvelliste (21 July 1999).
- Saint-Cyr, Guy-Robert. Considérations sur l'œuvre de Gary Klang. Haïti en Marche (4 February 2004).
- Saint-Cyr, Guy-Robert. Les confidences de Kafka. Propos sur la dernière publication de Gary Klang. Le Matin (Port-au-Prince) 32210 (30 June 2004).
- Sannon, Fritz-Meyer. L'île aux deux visages, roman de Gary Klang. Haïtiens Aujourd'hui (fébruary-mars 1998).
- Séguin, Marcel. Gary Klang, chantre d'Haïti. Haïti en Marche (1 November 1995).
Videos
- Entretien avec Claudine Bertrand sur Radio France-Québec: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNuoZxbgHLc
- Lecture de poèmes au Bénin (Cotonou). (Reading in Bénin (Cotonou)): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyt0REgjRg4
- Entretien avec Josaphat-Robert LargeJosaphat-Robert LargeJosaphat-Robert Large is a Haitian-American poet, novelist and art critic. His novel Les terres entourées de larmes [Shore surrounded with tears] won the prestigious Prix littéraire des Caraïbes in 2003...
(Talk between 2 authors): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlxwxmvKKKghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlxwxmvKKKg
External links
- Author file at île en île (in French):http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/ile.en.ile/paroles/klang.html
with biographyBiographyA biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
, bibliographyBibliographyBibliography , as a practice, is the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology...
, links and audio recording - Author file at l'île (in French): http://www.litterature.org/recherche/ecrivains/klang-gary-644/
- Author file at Etonnants-Voyageurs http://www.etonnants-voyageurs.net/spip.php?article1427
Sources
- La Moisson littéraire. Montréal: Proteau, 1993: 1-9.
- 101 Poètes en Québec. Montréal: Guérin, 1995: 223-225.
- Vingt ans d'Estuaire. Montréal: Estuaire, 1996: 146.
- Le dernier poème du millénaire. Montréal: Estuaire, 1999: 105.
- Dictionnaire des poètes d'ici de 1606 à nos jours. Montréal: Guérin, 2001: 552.
- Le 11 septembre des poètes du Québec. Montréal: Trait-d'Union, 2002: 124.
- Anthologie de la poésie haïtienne contemporaine, 1945-1999, FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and haitian creole texts collected by Raymond Philoctète. Montréal: Cidihca, 1998: 148-151. - Panorama de la littérature haïtienne de la diaspora. Pierre-Raymond Dumas. Port-au-Prince: L'Imprimateur II, 2000: 268-271.
- Toute terre est prison, poème. Une journée haïtienne, by Thomas C. Spear. Montréal: Mémoire d'encrier / Paris: Présence africaine, 2007: 67-70.