Tribute to Morris Cargill

Preface

I am a German journalist and became aware of my Jamaican colleague Morris Cargill while first visiting his country in the 1980s. When I started to read his columns in the Jamaican Gleaner newspaper, I knew nothing about him - I just found his polemics extremely refreshing. Many columnists just offer wimpy and bland recitals of the news they're supposed to comment on, while Morris Cargill's approach has been best described by "Discover Jamaica": "Provoking Pompous People".

This is a quality that Cargill has in common with another one of my favorite colleagues, Carl Hiaasen (non-fictional books: "Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World", "Kick Ass: Selected Columns of Carl Hiaasen", "Paradise Screwed: Selected Columns of Carl Hiaasen"). Cargill's bashing of Jamaican politicians and Hiaasen's bashing of politicians in Florida are written in such powerful styles that they are enjoyable even to those readers who aren't familiar with the details of Jamaica's or Florida's political scenes.

I recently looked for articles I had read on the Gleaner's website around 1997. To my dismay, I found out that they aren't available online anymore. I was even sadder to read that Morris Cargill died on April 8, 2000 at age 85. But his writing lives on.

Since even those articles by Morris Cargill which can still be found on the website of the Jamaican Gleaner are pretty much hidden away (it takes a lot of searching to find them), I decided to share the results of my recent search in the following link list. For older columns, check out the books by Morris Cargill.

I should add that I don't agree with all of Cargill's views (e.g., on Jamaican patois or against reggae music). But even those rants that strike me as uncharacteristically closed-minded are fun to read. I hope you enjoy them as well!

- Peter Jebsen

About Morris Cargill

Short biography by Discover Jamaica:

CARGILL, Morris, C.D.; Retired Attorney-at-Law, Writer. Born: St. Andrew, Jamaica, June 10, 1914, son of John Henry Cargill, Attorney-at-Law, and Isobel Halton Morris-Cargill, House wife (both dec’d.). Educated: Munro College, Stowe School (England). Career: Law (admitted 1937); Business Manager, Crown Film Unit (England); Newspaper Editor (Trinidad); Newspaper Columnist (Jamaica); Member Federal House of Representatives 1958-62; Novelist, Broadcaster, Farmer, Writer. Publications: A Gallery of Nazis 1977, Jamaica Farewell 1977, and other books. Religion: Buddhist. Children: 1 daughter. Interests: Provoking Pompous People.

Editorials by Morris Cargill

'Beware of the Greeks...' - Oct 29, 1998 - Jamaica Gleaner
A beautiful dream - Nov 18, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
A Christmas Treat - Dec 24, 1998 - Jamaica Gleaner
A delightful outing - Apr 15, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
A few dislikes - Dec 31, 1998 - Jamaica Gleaner
A letter to Wayne Brown - Dec 9, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
A matter of gratitude - Jan 16, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
A musical interlude - Nov 21, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
A sale killed - July 1, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
A thick skin - March 30, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
A thorn in the flesh - Nov 7, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Admiration lost and found - Sept 23, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
All the hype and paranoia - Jan 9, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Almost forgotten celebrity - Feb 10, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
An excellent performance - May 13, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Are we getting less poor - Nov 14, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Bad news - July 15, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Bananas and bullies - Jan 28, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Beyond the pale - Nov 28, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Big deal - Feb 18, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Bleaching etc - July 29, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Blessings upon the auditor general - Dec 12, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Brilliant nonsense - Aug 26, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Cash in circulation - Jan 13, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Caught out on debt matters - June 7, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Citizens for civil society - July 19, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Citizens losing control - March 19, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Columnists and awards - Dec 3, 1998 - Jamaica Gleaner
Coming down to earth - July 22, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Cosmetic legislation - June 3, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Debts and riots - Apr 22, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Discontent beef - Nov 26, 1998 - Jamaica Gleaner
Dishonest practices - March 16, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Education and telephones - Nov 19, 1998 - Jamaica Gleaner
Emancipation, Independence and all that - Aug 23, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Female dominance - Jan 6, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
FINSAC and debt disclosure - March 26, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Forward sales of bauxite - Dec 2, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Ganja debate coming of age - March 29, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Gas works - Feb 4, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Getting ticked off - Sept 16, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Good news for a change - Jan 27, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Government's nervousness - Nov 11, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Governmental fantasies - May 20, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Hallucinations and Commissioner Forbes - Oct 7, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Heartbreaking - Apr 1, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Heigh-ho for 1999! - Jan 21, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Hoping for punctual trains - March 12, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Importer food - Aug 5, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Independence, coffee 'geniuses' et al - Aug 12, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Interest rates illogicality - Feb 3, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Invasion of privacy - March 11, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Jamaica Orange Company - July 8, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Making hanging possible - Dec 10, 1998 - Jamaica Gleaner
Many questions needing answers - Sept 13, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Martin Henry thinks too much - Feb 24, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Ministerial salaries and prison food - Jan 20, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
More mea culpas - Oct 17, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Negotiating out of fraud - Nov 12, 1998 - Jamaica Gleaner
No early birds - July 12, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
On being brought up - Apr 2, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
On male irresponsibility - Apr 8, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
On prophets and patriots - Oct 10, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
On prophets and patriots - Oct 11, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Our suicide syndrome - Apr 29, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Our superior women - Dec 5, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Peaceful protest - a primer for children - Oct 14, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Poverty and God's will - Nov 4, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Public Sector Millionnaires - Oct 21, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Pride and Air Jamaica - Nov 5, 1998 - Jamaica Gleaner
Probing those private tutors - Aug 16, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Pronunciation, accent and so on - Aug 9, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Quoting the Bible - July 5, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Rolling back - May 6, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Sensible resolution for ganja - Oct 4, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Small-mindedness - March 25, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Some extraordinary events - Jan 4, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Sugar's Neros and fiddling - Sept 30, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Sundry ideas - March 18, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Test of time confronts Merlene - Sept 6, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The big mushroom promise - June 21, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The Caribbean Court of Justice - March 9, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
The confession season - Sept 9, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The difficulties of farming - Aug 19, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The farce concerning hanging - Feb 11, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The Force by any means necessary - May 31, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The great conjuring trick - Aug 30, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The Integrity Commission - June 28, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The largest owner of all - May 27, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The last royal wedding - June 24, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The Lord's second coming - Sept 27, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The old Nazi problem - Feb 13, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
The overworked auditor general - Jan 30, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
The public sector salaries disgrace - Oct 28, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The Red Tape cutter - Feb 17, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
The right to strike - Apr 12, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The scourge of sexual offences - Feb 27, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
The second coming of Columbus - Oct 24, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
The sick joke of corruption - Jan 23, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
The temptations of 'sport' - Feb 20, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Tough cookies, lies and statistics - Nov 25, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Trinidad resumes hanging - June 17, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Truth commissions and all that - Sept 20, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Two unfortunate matters - June 10, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
UK judges to go easy on Rastas - Oct 31, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Uncle Dudley's 'mea culpa' - Sept 2, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner
Waiting for the Big Bang - Feb 6, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Why reward squatting - July 26, 1999 - Jamaica Gleaner

About Morris Cargill

Jamaica Gleaner - Morris Cargill the socialist - Thursday May 18, 2000
Morris Cargill remembered - Apr 19, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
PAJ honours Cargill - Nov 26, 1998 - Jamaica Gleaner
Stock market soars - Apr 14, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
Jamaica Gleaner Letters to the Editor - April 16, 2000
Morris Cargill and his words - Apr 17, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner
The passing of a giant - Apr 16, 2000 - Jamaica Gleaner

Books by Morris Cargill

Most of Morris Cargill's book are out of print. Used copies of some titles are available at Half.com.

Ian Fleming Introduces Jamaica (edited by Morris Cargill)
Hardcover (June 1965)
E P Dutton; ISBN: 9997555716

A Gallery of Nazis
Hardcover (May 1978)
Lyle Stuart; ISBN: 0818402563
Description on page http://www.militaryhistorybooks.com/catnx.htm (doesn't seem to exist anymore):
NX-1187 Cargill M ~A GALLERY OF NAZIS~ 1978. Lyle Stuart 224 pages, 250 photos (19134) A powerful photo study of the leadership of the Third Reich and a number of war criminals. The illustrations portray the individuals often at the height of their power and also at the time of their trials. Includes a selection of horrific photographs of the inmates of the concentration camps. dw wn, ow vg £35.00

Morris Cargill : a selection of his writings in the Gleaner, 1952-1985
- 321 pages 1st ed. edition
Topical Publishers; ISBN: 9768061006

Jamaica Farewell Jamaica Farewell
Paperback (March 1995)
Barricade Books; ISBN: 1569800316
Description from Barnes & Noble's Reader Catalog:
Personal memoir of leave-taking from a widely respected Jamaican newspaper columnist whose family has lived on the island for three centuries

Public Disturbances
Description on page http://www.demercado.com/millpressbooklist.htm:
Collection of Gleaner Writings 1986-1996, edited by David D'Costa
A continuation of reprints of testy, zesty, unabashed and well-informed comments by Jamaica's incorrigible tailtwister, Morris Cargill; superbly edited by his loyal and learned friend, David D'Costa: softcover 6" x 9"
Published March 1998, US $18.00
Description on page http://www.commanders.com/flemings_jamaica/incidental.htm:
Morris' latest book of columns is called "Public Disturbances". He is one of the last remaining writers beloved enough to be a nation's conscience.

Input wanted!

If you know of any other websites related to Morris Cargill, please add them to the Morris Cargill LinkHitList.


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© 2002 Redaktionsbuero Peter Jebsen

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