It took Clarke three years to write what would become his literary masterpiece. One of the hurdles he faced writing The Polished Hoe, set in the ’30s and ’40s, was telling the story from a woman’s perspective.

“It’s not something I took for granted,” the 72 year-old writer says. “I was sensitive that I was treading on thin ice. What helped was that I was brought up by women — my mother, aunt, cousin and grandmother. I think I’m a better man because I was brought up by those women. And they showed me the strength and beauty of women.”

More on The Polished Hoe and its adaptation to the stage.

[via Barbados Free Press]

1263 days ago