''MaComère'' () is a biannual

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covering studies of and creative works by and about women in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

and its

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published by the Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars (ACWWS). Past issues (1998–2009) are available online at the

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. The journal was established in 1998 and the

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

is Hyacinth Simpson ( Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University)).

Name

As described by Helen Pyne-Timothy, founding member of the ACWWS:

The word ''MaComère'' is widely used by women in the Caribbean to mean "my child's godmother"; "my best friend and close female confidante"; "my bridesmaid" or "another female member of a wedding party of which I was bridesmaid"; "the godmother of the child to whom I am also godmother"; "the woman who, by virtue of the depth of her friendship, has rights and privileges over my child and whom I see as surrogate mother." This name seemed appropriate because it so clearly expresses the intimate relations which women in the Caribbean share, is so firmly gendered, and honors the importance of friendship in relation to the important rituals of marriage, birth and … death. Moreover, ''MaComère'' is a French Creole word which, though related to the French language, has taken on a structure and a meaning which is indigenous to the Caribbean. ... In the purely English-speaking islands, the only comparable term is ''godmother'' (usually the mother's best friend). In the Hispanophone Caribbean, there is the similar ''comadre'', although, as we would expect, some of the connotations are different."

References

External links

*
''MaComère'' online
in the Digital Library of the Caribbean
Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars
Caribbean studies journals English-language journals Biannual journals Publications established in 1998 {{area-journal-stub