When a government stops investing in a city's quality of life, that city decays. Much of Brown Girl deals with voodoo and obeah. I had to go to the library and do research into Orisha worship. I didn't realize until a few years ago that they were distinct belief systems. I'm not a devotee, but I do honor and give respect to the Orishas.
Some traditions have it that they are the oldest ancestors of African people.
If I am in a space where they are being addressed, I take part as much as I can in the ritual. The book is filled with quotes, phrases, and sayings. It feels like acknowledging the other creative people whose work has inspired and challenged me. There is a quotation from one of my late father's poems in the novel. I like the idea of being able to have a literary dialogue with him in that way.