Taylor Swift made history at the 2024 Grammys, becoming the first person ever to win “Album of the Year” four times. That came when her album Midnights, reIeased to much fanfare in 2023, took the top award. Not everyone was fawning over Taylor, however, with some on social media expressing their displeasure with how, in their view, rudely she acted when she accepted their award.
Essentially, they argued that Ms. Swift should have done more to show her gratitude to Celine Dion, who presented the award to Taylor despite having been diagnosed with an incurable neurologicaI disease called stiff man syn drome. To many viewers, it appeared that Taylor ignored Dion when accepting the award despite Dion’s difficulty in being on stage.
For example, one commenter on Fox News’ post on Facebook about Taylor’s Grammys win wrote, “Good for her but she should absolutely be ashamed of herself! She walked on stage, took the Grammy from Celine & dismissed her like she was no one! Celine Dion is battling a disease & I’m sure struggIed to even show up! I felt so sorry for her & the way she was treated! Somebody, please teach Ms. Taylor some manners!”
This Caribbean Island Is Back From the Brink—and Ready To Share Its Treasures With the World
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The paintings of Italian-born artist Agostino Brunias, who made a profession of depicting the island in subdued, stylized settings that covered up the harsh realities of colonial control, were my first visual introduction to Dominica. However, as soon as I step onto its winding roads, which begin to twist shortly after I arrive, it becomes evident that this region, which is situated in the center of the Lesser Antilles’ curve, is anything but tame. The two-toned leaves of its bois canot trees, which change color from green to white when they sway in the wind, shimmer and bristle with the power of the volcano. It lulls with the erratic sound of its numerous waterfalls, scatters rainbows haphazardly across its breathtaking horizons, and enchants from the depths with its vibrant coral reefs. And it roars come storm season.
The indigenous Kalinago people of Dominica survived invasion by the French and British, who imposed slavery on the Africans who now make up four-fifths of the island’s population and left a linguistic legacy of English and French-based Creole, by mastering the lush tropical rainforest that covers more than 60% of the island. If you visit Trinidad for roti and Jamaica for jerk, you should travel to Dominica for green things like bush rum and flower teas. There are a ton of medicinal herbs in the forest.
The Jungle Bay Dominica resort, located smack dab in the center of the Soufrière jungles, leans into nature instead, maybe realizing the futility of fighting against the earth’s generosity. When I finally get there, the kitchen is closed. Joanne Hilaire, the operations manager, tells me that they never let guests go hungry, though, so I can feel the warmth of Dominica’s welcome. The cook is preparing an excellently stewed dish of beans with taro, rice, and plantain for our late dinner, off the menu, while I have a refreshing ginger-lime cocktail that is a local favorite. When I wake up the following morning, I find that my villa’s doors open onto a private veranda that faces southwest toward Soufrière Bay, where the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean converge. I let the light wake me for the remainder of my stay by leaving my blinds open.
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