“[An] anthology of stupendously astute essays...Guerriero’s meticulously curated dozen essays offers an irresistibly beckoning window onto a nation just 90 miles from American shores, though far away in practice and culture.” — Booklist (starred review) “...This anthology captures much of the broad, surreal spectrum of experience possible on the world’s most complex and controversial island.” — Alex Mar, author of Witches of America “These essays speak to and against one another, they cannot be politically aligned, and that is all as it should be - but what unites them is brilliant writing, a depth of intelligence, and a desire to pull us down from fantastic abstractions to the level of the human.” — Justin Torres, author of We the Animals “[A] fascinating anthology . . . Not quite a travelogue, this appealing volume will nevertheless satisfy any Americans wanting to be transported into the lives and experiences of real Cubans.” — Publishers Weekly “This fascinating collection of essays explores Cuba’s modern transformation, tackling topics from politics to music to baseball. You’ll find yourself both informed and entertained.” — Paste Magazine “[An] excellent new anthology.” — New York Review of Books

Winner, 1995 American Sociological Association Robert E. Park Award? Projecting fantasies of wealth and excess, Miami, "America's Riviera," occupies a unique place in our national imagination. Uncovering the hidden story of this dreamlike place, Portes and Stepick explore the transformations of Miami from a light-hearted tourist resort to a troubled, complex city.

Taking part in the Cuban Revolution's first armed action in 1953, enduring the torture and killings of her brother and fiancé, assuming a leadership role in the underground movement, and smuggling weapons into Cuba, Haydée Santamaría was the only woman to participate in every phase of the Revolution. Virtually unknown outside of Cuba, Santamaría was a trusted member of Fidel Castro's inner circle and friend of Che Guevara. Following the Revolution's victory Santamaría founded and ran the cultural and arts institution Casa de las Americas, which attracted cutting-edge artists, exposed Cubans to some of the world's greatest creative minds, and protected queer, black, and feminist artists from state repression. Santamaría's suicide in 1980 caused confusion and discomfort throughout Cuba; despite her commitment to the Revolution, communist orthodoxy's disapproval of suicide prevented the Cuban leadership from mourning and celebrating her in the Plaza of the Revolution. In this impressionistic portrait of her friend Haydée Santamaría, Margaret Randall shows how one woman can help change the course of history.

"Presents a collection of mostly mid-19th-century photographs of Havana"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.