Fr. Jolly publishes "A YEAR TO REMEMBER"

Prolific writer, Father Clement S. Jolly, C.Ss.R. has published "A Year to Remember" his 23 book.

In the foreword to the 376-page book, Fr. Jolly says the publication is a record of the events of his life in 2015, the year Tropical Storm Erika devastated Dominica.

Here is the complete foreword which provides a summary of the content of "A Year to Remember".

"I am very pleased to present to you this book, which I hope you will find both interesting and informative. Not only is it a record of important events in my life in Dominica in the year 2015, but it is also an expression of ideas which occurred to me during that period of time. Man is a rational being, so it is not surprising that he is led to reflect and express opinions on various matters that transpire during the course of his life.

"You will recall that Tropical Storm Erika paid us a visit on August 27, 2015. This event left its mark not only on the physical structure of our country but also on the psyche of our fledgling nation. I have, therefore, written quite a bit on the effects of the Storm. The reader is advised to refer to the 15th issue of my magazine 'BUILDING BRIDGES'. There he will find much of the material which I have either written or published, including six poems related to Tropical Storm Erika.

"During the course of the year 2015, I have also published several articles in the SUN newspaper. These I have reproduced in the present publication. Wherever it is noticed that words are printed in bold, it will be recognized that these are articles referred to, which I trust will refresh the mind of the reader.

"The role of a writer is not merely to recall incidents, past and present, for their sake. A literary man opens his eyes to the events of his day and seeks to discover lessons to be learnt. He also endeavours to cast light on new trails on the historical journey. In doing this, he can assist in building a society, particularly one where there is a laissez-faire attitude and the status quo is often embraced.

"Someone has said: "Learning is food even for the teacher." While my main purpose is not to teach anyone but to give expression to my ideas, because I am a thinking person, and while it is my hope that others can learn from my literary production, I also derive much benefit. I gain wisdom and knowledge from my writings. Writing itself sets in motion a current of thinking and becomes a catalyst for progressive and constructive ideas.

"It is my fervent hope that this book is considered a useful and important contribution to literary production in Dominica and in the Caribbean as a whole. May it give encouragement to young writers in our region.

"I take this opportunity to thank Ms. Alma Darroux for typing the material for this Book. I should also like to thank Paramount Printers for the publication of 'A Year to Remember'.