Gilbert Mirambeau: "Art in its raw form can't be handled by the human brain"

Photo provided by Gilbert Mirambeau

Writing is second nature to Gilbert Mirambeau. In fact, he spends most of his free time writing. He enjoys going to the movies, hanging out with his friends and cooking a good vegetarian meal, but at this point in his life, his mind is very focused. 

He plans to become one of the contemporary writers that is studied, and with the dedication he has, he is one step away from actualizing this dream.

Everything related to culture interests him and strengthens his exclusive mentality. 

Born and raised in Haiti, writing gradually became a part of Gilbert's life in high school until it became a compulsive need to vomit a divine thing (as he describes it) on paper.
It all started with him being excruciatingly bored and probably annoyed at the French literature that he was forced to read and memorize while at St. Louis de Gonzague in Haiti. As a way to rebel against this educational system, he started writing poems.
For the longest time, it was just a habit until he discovered The Battle of the Titans and fell in love with Greek mythology.
The way that the characters were contrived definitely got his attention. It inspired him to write, create astonishing characters and take on other literature genres aside from poetry.
He only started writing professionally 3 years ago. Although not specified, something happened. He attended several workshops and became even more dedicated to writing.
Although he is an avid reader, Gilbert tries to not be influenced by other writers and create his own masterpiece.
"I want to sketch my own path," he explained. He defines his writing not as a gift but rather as a message that he is compelled to share with his readers. He attests that a divine thing comes to him in the form of an image and he projects that image in his writing.
He decodes that picture and brilliantly pulls the senses of his readers towards every last bit of details that composes the whole picture. Because of that, his writing tends to be very graphic. The quote in the title of this blog post ("Art in its raw form can't be handled by the human brain") describes that powerful step that he goes through before editing and polishing his works.
However, behind the sweat, the bashing and the smell of his words lay a simple yet unique man with a systematic plan to impact his society. He admitted that he has always been an outcast with a constant need to pick apart society as a whole and isolate himself from shallow attitudes that cripple our mentality. Hence, his writing is his weapon against all entities that are destroying our daily life. His piece, Les Miens, deals with this issue of self vs. society.
Moreover, as an activist, he needed an extensive medium to pass along his message. This quest guided him towards playwriting.
"When you assist a play, it is more in your face," he said. "The actor is living the character for an hour and a half in your face. It is so believable that you grasp everything- the emotions, the tears and even the breath."
He once hired a cast and crew and presented a play in Montreal with family members, friends and professional actors in attendance. It was a way for him to test the market, and he received many positive criticisms for his play.
Writing takes more than just the willingness to write, and Gilbert understands that. Now, he is in the process of moving back to Haiti to present his play. This will also help him reconnect with the people of Haiti (outside of Port-au-Prince) and draw inspiration.
Eventually, he will travel the world, especially Europe where the theatrical culture is at his highest, and tour his plays.
He has four major projects that he is working on. The first one, My Last Orgasm, depicts a mentally challenged, old woman looking for herself; the second one addresses the issue of skin color and loveless marriages; the third one, 4 H 53, is related to the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and his last project centers around the life of a restavek in an urban family.
To know more about Gilbert, please visit his blog. Do not forget to translate the page in English if you do not speak French nor Creole.