Jamaica Kincaid

Jamaica Kincaid (born May 25, 1949) is an Antiguan-American novelist, essayist, gardener, and gardening writer. She was born in St. John's, Antigua, which is part of the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. She lives in North Bennington, Vermont, during the summers and teaches at Harvard as the "Professor of African and American studies in Residence" at Harvard during the academic year. Kincaid is an award-winning writer whose work has been both praised and criticized for its subject matter because her writing largely draws upon her own life and her tone is often perceived as angry. In response, Kincaid counters that many writers also draw upon personal experience, and thus to describe her writing as autobiographical and angry is not valid criticism. 2Biography 3Early life Jamaica Kincaid was born Elaine Potter Richardson in St. John's, Antigua, in 1949. She grew up in relative poverty with her mother, a literate, cultured woman and home-maker, and her stepfather, a carpenter. She was very close to her mother until the first of her three brothers were born in quick succession when she was nine years ol