These stories range from tales told to the author as a child, to fictional accounts interweaving erotica, fantasy, and suspense elements in the rural and urban Gothic; part homage to the ancestors who lurk immortal in family folklore, part stories of imagination where specters emerge from the darkness to taunt and torment. From the terrors of the Great Depression to the devastation following Hurricane María, these tales chronicle the resistance and spirit of the Puerto Rican people; a testament to survival and perseverance in the face of disaster and the phantoms awaiting us when we turn off the lights. "Charlie Vázquez revisits the history of Puerto Rico and its diasporas, telling the stories of our dead. Using a textual tonality that brings Edgar Allan Poe and Horacio Quiroga to mind, Vázquez creates wonderfully crafted stories about souls who perish in the Great Depression, young widows drowned in hurricanes, soldiers recruited for medical experiments, and ladies of the night succumbing to vice. With an all-encompassing eye, Vázquez digs deep into various moments in Puerto Rican history to tell the stories of our terror, stories that endure in the realm of phantasms, trapping the living in a limbo that also turns them into transparent, yet present, traces of collective trauma. Finally, a book about our persisting ghosts written with a clarity that can help us conjure collective memory so we can move forward." Mayra Santos-Febres, author and founder of Festival de la Palabra de Puerto Rico

Highlighting the lives and careers of writers whose cultural roots are embedded in a variety of racial, ethnic, regional, and religious traditions, the book not only makes it easier to locate their work - it provides insights into their writing styles, motivations, and points of view.

Follow los monstruos and los esqueletos to the Halloween party Under October's luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los muertos rise from their coffins to join in the fun. Los esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance through the door. And the scariest creatures of all aren't even there yet! This lively bilingual Halloween poem introduces young readers to a spooky array of Spanish words that will open their ojos to the chilling delights of the season. Los Gatos Black on Halloween is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year, the winner of the 2008 Pura Belpre Medal for Illustration and a Pura Belpre Honor Book for Narrative.

Over one hundred stories showcasing the wisdom and artistry of one the world’s richest folktale traditions—the first panoramic anthology of Hispano-American folk narratives in any language. Gathered from twenty countries and combining the lore of medieval Europe, the ancient Near East, and pre-Columbian America, the stories brought together here represent a core collection of classic Latin American folktales. Among the essential characters are the quiet man's wife who knew the Devil's secrets, the three daughters who robbed their father's grave, and the wife in disguise who married her own husband—not to mention the Bear's son, the tricksters Fox and Monkey, the two compadres, and the classic rogue Pedro de Urdemalas. Featuring black-and-white illustrations throughout, this Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library edition is unprecedented in size and scope, including riddles, folk prayers, and fables never before translated into English.

"This book will be useful to political scientists, political sociologists, and scholars of Latino and Puerto Rican studies. . . . [It makes] a contribution to voting studies while dispelling one of the most damaging myths about Puerto Ricans in the U.S. as well--namely, that their low level of electoral participation is a function of their culture."--Jose E. Cruz, State University of New York, Albany Puerto Ricans participate in elections at a far higher rate than voters in the United States, even though their election systems are similar. Why? Timely and intriguing, this study compares factors affecting voter turnout in both countries, offering lessons for political mobilization in the United States. Puerto Rico has virtually the same voting institutions as the United States; furthermore, most of the island's constitutional and legal arrangements are hostile to voting turnout. Yet voting behavior in Puerto Rico is radically different from its mainland counterpart. Combining both quantitative and qualitative analysis of data from the 1952-2000 electoral period, the author uncovers two important electoral differences that explain this bewildering phenomenon: the way political parties operate and the way people get involved in politics. He shows that Puerto Rican parties are stronger and more disciplined than American parties, with roots that go deeper into society. In addition, he says, "Puerto Rican culture apparently relates to elections with more passion and devotion than American culture. The campaign environment is much more 'carnivalesque' and festive than in the United States, thus adding to voting mobilization." His study casts doubts on the influence of some institutional and legal arrangements on voting turnout, and it highlights the importance of political parties and mobilization. On a note of caution, he points out that voter participation in Puerto Rico has steadily decreased since 1976. This trend debunks some of the myths about the island's voting turnout rate and could force Puerto Ricans to reevaluate their electoral system. He also predicts that the high level of electoral involvement of Puerto Rico may be coming to an end. Both accessible and complex, the book will be of interest to the general public and political analysts; it will also be valuable to scholars studying voter turnout, Puerto Rican politics, or the politics of Puerto Ricans and other Latinos living on the U.S. mainland. Luis Raul Camara Fuertes is assistant professor of political science at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan.

Since its U.S. debut a quarter-century ago, this brilliant text has set a new standard for historical scholarship of Latin America. It is also an outstanding political economy, a social and cultural narrative of the highest quality, and perhaps the finest description of primitive capital accumulation since Marx. Rather than chronology, geography, or political successions, Eduardo Galeano has organized the various facets of Latin American history according to the patterns of five centuries of exploitation. Thus he is concerned with gold and silver, cacao and cotton, rubber and coffee, fruit, hides and wool, petroleum, iron, nickel, manganese, copper, aluminum ore, nitrates, and tin. These are the veins which he traces through the body of the entire continent, up to the Rio Grande and throughout the Caribbean, and all the way to their open ends where they empty into the coffers of wealth in the United States and Europe. Weaving fact and imagery into a rich tapestry, Galeano fuses scientific analysis with the passions of a plundered and suffering people. An immense gathering of materials is framed with a vigorous style that never falters in its command of themes. All readers interested in great historical, economic, political, and social writing will find a singular analytical achievement, and an overwhelming narrative that makes history speak, unforgettably. This classic is now further honored by Isabel Allende's inspiring introduction. Universally recognized as one of the most important writers of our time, Allende once again contributes her talents to literature, to political principles, and to enlightenment.

Ann Dávila Cardinal's Five Midnights is a “wickedly thrilling” (William Alexander) and “flat-out unputdownable” (Paul Tremblay) novel based on the el Cuco myth set against the backdrop of modern day Puerto Rico. 2019 Digital Book World Award Winner for best Suspense/Horror Book Five friends cursed. Five deadly fates. Five nights of retribución. If Lupe Dávila and Javier Utierre can survive each other’s company, together they can solve a series of grisly murders sweeping though Puerto Rico. But the clues lead them out of the real world and into the realm of myths and legends. And if they want to catch the killer, they'll have to step into the shadows to see what's lurking there—murderer, or monster? “A frightening, fast-paced thriller.” —Julianna Baggott, Alex Award-winning author of Pure At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.