How to Say Babylon: A Memoir

Read a poem from Sinclair’s poetry collection Cannibal. What elements of her poetry are present in her memoir?

Howard’s music career plays a large role in the memoir. In what ways do music and lyricism appear in Sinclair’s writing? What role does it play?

Is the Woman in White a hallucination, dream, or nightmare? Does she have a positive or negative influence on Safiya’s journey to freedom?

In many ways, the landscape is a character in the memoir. Pick a specific description of Jamaica and do a close reading of Sinclair’s language. What rhetorical and poetic devices does she use and to what effect?

Sinclair never names the Old Poet. How does this decision to leave him anonymous contribute to or alter the narrative? Why might she choose to withhold his identity? 

The memoir often juxtaposes Jamaica’s expensive resorts with the relative poverty of Jamaican citizens. What is the memoir’s message about tourism in Jamaica? How does Sinclair convey that message?

There are many poems referenced in the text. Choose one of the poems Sinclair includes and read it. Why is this poem in the memoir? How does it contribute to—or alter—the story?

Howard’s control over his daughters is an attempt to protect them from the male gaze. Are there instances when Safiya attempts to subvert this gaze? How does she do it, and is she successful?