Quince Duncan's fictional universe is built on roots as deep as the very beginnings of human self-consciousness articulated in the oldest and most pervasive myths. In "The African Presence in Caribbean Literature" Edward Kamau Brathwaite, perhaps the most distinguished living poet and scholar of the Caribbean, declared that African culture, from which Caribbean literature flows, is oriented toward religion. The most fruitful readings of Caribbean literature respect this spiritual centering.

Quince Duncan, born 5 December 1940 in San José, Costa Rica, to a second-generation Costa Rican with Jamaican roots and a Panamanian of Barbadian heritage, grew up in the eastern province of Limón. A trained teacher and at one time an Anglican priest, he earned a licentiate in Latin-American studies from the Universidad Nacional Heredia. His publications indicate the breadth of his scholarly interests and artistic focus. Nevertheless, Duncan has made his most lasting contribution in creative...