“Writing a Careful Study of What Took Place”: A Reflection from the Transatlantic Writing Workshop in Jamaica

Abstract

This reflection, from a UTCWI [United Theological College of the West Indies] student and TWP workshop aide, considers the significance and impact of writing and telling one’s own story, based on a devotional reflections from Luke 1:1 (NIV):  “. . . I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place.”  While he was initially daunted by academic writing and publishing, he developed an appreciation for writing as an academic and spiritual discipline.  He recognized the importance of articulating his Caribbean lived experience, seeing it as a historical record and witness to Caribbean tenacity and vitality and a firsthand historical record that will inform and inspire future generations.