Who We Art: Haitian Art in New England

About the Book

“This anthology is an exploration of the deep connections between Haiti and Massachusetts […]  will help revive the shared cultural heritage between the world’s first Black Republic and the long defense of democracy that is a fundamental aspect of New England history and culture." — Henry Louis Gates Jr.

“This anthology celebrates the culture, creativity, and spirit of the vibrant Haitian community in New England by highlighting the many achievements of its most prominent artists.” — Pierre Terjanian, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Patrick Sylvain is a Haitian-American educator, poet, writer, translator, and literary critic whose work explores the culture, politics, language, and religion of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora. The author of several poetry collections in English and Haitian Creole, his writing has appeared in leading journals including Ploughshares, Callaloo, Transition, Prairie Schooner, Agni, and The American Poetry Review.

He holds degrees from UMass Boston, Harvard University, Boston University, and Brandeis University, where he was the Shirley Dorothy Robbins Creative Writing Prize Fellow. Sylvain recently taught Global, Transnational, and Postcolonial Literature at Simmons University and served on Harvard University’s History and Literature Tutorial Board. As of Fall 2026, he is Associate Professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies and Director of the Human Rights minor at UMass Boston.

His publications include Fire on the Tongue (Arrowsmith Press, 2026), Education Across Borders (Beacon Press, 2022), and Underworlds (Central Square Press, 2018). Forthcoming works in 2026 include A Critique of Haiti’s Political Leaderships: Scorched Pearl of the Antilles (Palgrave Macmillan), as well as the poetry collections Habits of Light and Unfinished Dreams / Rèv San Bout.