The Wrestler: Haiti Round Two

One week in the States and I have decompressed enough that I am starting to be able to think clearly about Haiti and the Haiti Oral History Project. I have 48 interviews, ranging in length from twenty minutes to two hours. The interviews touch variously on politics, Christianity, trauma, health conditions, the camps, crime, Vodou, almost all in the context of the earthquake or it's shadow. Most are in Kreyol or French, a handful of them are in English. The first third or so aren't so great, in my opinion, just because I wasn't very comfortable yet in the position of the interviewer and I had a pretty boring questionnaire. Or I should say, I had a questionnaire at all. By the end I already had in my head the most interesting questions and I was much more flexible, trying to search out whatever the subject's concerns or angle was, and prompting them to talk about that. I think I have 40 hours of conversations.

Of course none of this matters unless of course I find something incredible to do with it. My plan to make a donation to an archive seems pretty puny now, honestly. Its not enough now amazing conversations with refugees and others only to stick them in an archive and hope maybe someone else someone else decides to dust them off and decide to give them a listen. My heart is inside of them, and pieces of other people's hearts are inside them too. Amara suggested that I write a play based on them. I could also start thinking of them as field work for a yet to be determined dissertation. Give up the slavery question altogether and start reading about the 20th century. I had no idea this side project was going to become so big. But really, in retrospect, what did I expect? How did I think I could spend two months ducking into refugee tents, climbing over piles of rubble, hearing stories about the worst day in the history of Haiti without it being a big fucking deal? But what can I do that will do justice to myself and my material? Publish? When I set out I was only a collector of stories and opinions, and now that's just not good enough. But it's a lot easier to do research than analyze it. So what next?

I've decided to go back. I talked to my department, and they dig my research, and they agree that the best crash course in all things Haitian is actually living in Haiti. So I'll stay in the States until September, pack up my apartment, and fly back to Port-au-Prince. But instead of taking the semester off I will design three independent studies, so technically I will still be in school and receiving my stipend even though I'll be living in Port-au-Prince and spend my days continuing my interviews. There are a lot of methodological points I should work out for Haiti Round Two. I'm aiming for 200 interviews. Whatever I end up doing will be a lot stronger if I have more documentation, more perspectives. I'll work more outside of Port-au-Prince, go into more camps. Talk with more people who aren't refugees, who still live in their houses and maybe believe they aren't that affected. Find Sean Penn and ask him what exactly what he thinks he's doing. If you are reading this and thinking "wow yeah claire really needs to figure out what she's doing" please email me and let's talk because I agree. All input welcome.

I feel like a wrestler who has had the crap kicked out of him and then climbs to get back in the ring with his teeth covered in blood. Let's just hope I'm not like Micky Rourke.