Rodlyn
Douglas-Kirkwood
Rodlyn
Helena Douglas (30 December 1949-24 June 2010) was born in Barataria,
Trinidad to Rodney and Everlyn Douglas. Rodlyn moved to New York in
1967 when she was almost 18. She graduated from St. Pascal Baylon
High School that year then enrolled in a commercial school where she
received a certificate in secretarial studies. Naturally creative
from an early age, Rodlyn wrote essays and poetry and enjoyed
performing in front of an audience.
Rodlyn moved back to
Trinidad in 1977, where she spent the next 13 years earning a
stellar reputation as Creative Director for Christiansen and
Belgrave and Corbin Compton Communications, two of the leading
advertising and marketing firms in Trinidad. She would put her
creative gifts to use by making critically acclaimed contributions
in the advertising world. Rodlyn received numerous advertising
awards and accolades for her accomplishments that have attained
legendary status. She was the creative genius behind such classics
as “ Rum is Macho ” and “A beer is a Carib” which transcended the
advertising genre and become staples in the language of the
Caribbean. Rodlyn unselfishly made the difficult decision to resign
from the advertising firm and return to New York in 1990 to allow
her young children to benefit from the opportunities available to
them in the United States.
Despite her busy schedule, Rodlyn
was exceptional at balancing her personal, professional and creative
lives. She became a diarist and made it a priority to carve out time
for writing.
Rodlyn’s bittersweet stories of pain and passion
have been published in anthologies and literary journals, including:
Life Notes; Patchwork of Dreams; Erotique Noire; Pearls of Passion;
In Praise of African American Mothers; Creation Fire and New Voices.
Rodlyn created a workshop titled, “Your Life As Story: Once Upon A
Time”, to facilitate senior-citizens writing groups, bringing forth
their stories unto the page and the stage, through a series of
workshops she conducted for Poets & Writers. In 2009 she published
“October Morning and Other Poems About Healing”
Roodlyn’s
performance works featured an array of ethnic characters who were
strong, independent, tragicomical and lusty includes “Myth, Madness,
Magic” – a choreopoem performed at the Samuel Beckett and Harold
Clurman theatres in New York City; “Twelve (Diary of a Twelve Year
Old – a Woman’s Story)” at Living the Dream Theatre in Ohio; “Mouth
Open, Storey Jump Out” at several venues in New York City; Rodlyn
also co-founded and performed with, SpiritWoman, at the annual
summer conferences of the International Women’s Writing Guild at
Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. She is a long-standing member
of the IWWG “sisterhood”.
Rodlyn worked at the School of
Visual Arts where she managed and supervised the acquisition and
distribution of grants as a Foundation Director for the school; a
position she held until her retirement in 2008.
Rodlyn was a
strong, uniquely independent woman who embraced life and celebrated
it to the fullest. She touched many lives with her always positive
attitude that made us laugh, be proud and accepting of our
differences, and feel good about ourselves. Her time with us has
ended because her journey must go on but the energy, wisdom and
spirit of this talented and beautiful woman, exemplified by her
professional works and memories shared by her loved ones, will live
with us, and inspire us forever.
Rodlyn was married and was
the proud mother of three children— Jamel, Yanikk and Lenecia. Her
loving and devoted husband John, her children, family, in-laws,
friends and associates will miss her immensely.
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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