After the launch events in Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haïtien, and Montreal for the Haitian Creole/French edition, NÈGÈS MAWON and Haiti Cultural Exchange invite you on January 28th at 6 p.m. in Brooklyn to the U.S. launch of the Haitian Creole/English edition of the fifth issue of ALASO, the Haitian feminist anthology of the Haitian feminist organization NÈGÈS MAWON, titled “Dous” (Pleasure/Desire).

ALASO is a trilingual publication in Haitian Creole, French, and English. It serves as a space for feminist expression and dialogue, promoting the production of critical thought, debate, and analysis to make feminist ideas accessible in various formats and modes of dissemination. At the event, the fifth issue of ALASO will be available in both Haitian Creole/French and Haitian Creole/English editions. Previous issues of ALASO will also be available for purchase.

This event will feature a panel discussion with:

• Nathalie Joachim: Grammy-nominated singer, flutist, and composer born in Brooklyn. Nathalie’s groundbreaking works, including Fanm d’Ayiti and Ki moun ou ye, bridge Haitian musical traditions with contemporary innovation.
• Tafa Mi-Soleil: Haitian designer, stylist, painter, and singer, as well as a contributor to ALASO #5. Known for her impactful music, including Mizik sove vi m, and her debut album Phoenix, Tafa’s artistry spans disciplines and inspires audiences worldwide.
• Talie Cerin: Writer, musician, and translator for ALASO based in Philadelphia. Talie is also the lead editor of Woy Magazine.
• Pascale Solages: General Coordinator of NÈGÈS MAWON
• Fania Noël: Afrofeminist writer, sociologist, and publication director of ALASO.

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About ALASO #5: Dous [Pleasure/Desire]

This fifth issue, Dous [Pleasure/Desire], is not an escape from reality but the continuity created by the space that feminist thought represents: holding the line in the face of opposing forces. ALASO, not being a news magazine or a newspaper, does not have the imperative to respond to the events of the moment, but as a feminist anthology, it must be a space for a moment. Each issue tackles this to shed light on the present and the past but also to act as an archive and serve as a benchmark for the moment of its creation. Dous, pleasure/desire, is addressed in this issue on personal, intimate, and political scales, or sometimes all three intertwined. Grounded by the words of the poet and Black Feminist intellectual June Jordan: “Regardless of tragedy, regardless of the grievance, regardless of the monstrous challenge. Some of Us Have not Died. Some of us did not die… And what shall we do, we who did not die?” Such is the current position of ALASO.

The 5th issue of ALASO features works by Andrise Pierre, Melissa Paultre, Ruth Darwina Valmyr, Tafa Mi-Soleil, Nathalie Joachim, Myriam Chancy, Micaëlle Charles, Thara St-Hilaire, Anaïse Hector, and Dashka Charlemagne, with translations by Gaëlle Bien-Aimé, Rose-Myrlie Joseph, Talie Cerin, Doris Lapommeray, and Nadine Mondestin. Corine Bond provides the issue’s vibrant artwork.

HT/FR edition: Available in bookstores in Haiti, France, Belgium, and Quebec, and online at Syllepse.net. HT/EN edition: Available in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, and online at Bookshop.org.

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About An n Pale

An n Pale | Let’s Talk is an ongoing series of artist talks featuring conversational encounters with artists engaged with issues connected to Haiti and the Diaspora.