Dear Ewan,

It seems fitting that our last adventure before the show should have been with the HARP gun. This was amazing and I wish we could have shared that night with all our loved ones. It was not just this 120 foot relic that is unreal but it is that it is here, hidden away on a military base on our small rock. How spooky to be at the end of the runway so close to the airplanes as they lifted off. I remember the air was cold and saturated with salt. I shone a torch and it appeared as a beam of light that reached the stars. Starman seemed to shoot out of the gun and up to the moon. Strange but you thought the opposite: that he was there attempting to use the HARP gun to shoot down the moon.

I will never forget that night. Thank you and thank Starman.

IP

Dear Ewan,

Why is Starman fixated with cages and fences? So many of the images you’ve sent are of him pushing through these particular thresholds. Do you know why?

IP

p.s. I recognize one of these as my house!

Dear Ewan,

So, I was back to Abed’s today. Now nothing is to good for my partner in art so I got you a 100% cotton. Hope you like it. While your costume is black – which works very effectively – the costume I am making for you is white. Why white? It is the “colour” of light and it is also the colour of death in Hindu culture. Seems a good combo for this very ambiguous character that we are now both immersed in.

IP

Dear Ewan,

I am still feeling a bit shitty. My “stuff” all words – except for the mad cow thing. So if you don’t mind I’m going to make other “stuff”. I tried to buy some Sea island Cotton to make you a genuine Bajan Starman costume. Just one teeny problem: we don’t sell it here. If you want the best cotton you would have to re-import it from Switzerland because that is where we have sent it to be processed. Always bottom of the food chain.


IP

Dear Ewan,

Thanks for the photo of Starman visiting the Empire. I know it is a landmark. It’s crumbling beauty is evident even with the collapsed roof and the dilapidated walls. It once belonged to my friend Neysha’s family but her grandfather gave it to the City of Bridgetown. Recently I had the privilege of interviewing the architect Tony Brooks and see some of the plans for its restoration. If he gets his way The Empire will strike back.

IP

Dear Ewan,

Yuh never say nutin’ bout Starman on de people Parliament building. It have real big up in dere gine tek Starman and lock he up. Yuh playin wid fire and yuh go get burn and lock up wid Starman. Yuh nah got nuff trouble?

IP

Dear Ewan,

Yuh never hear bout de blue paint an de duppy points?? It take ah Trini to tell yuh dat? Hehehe.

It’s all oral history but sending you some notes gleaned from internet.

IP