First Published in 2016. If scholarship on Cuban studies after the 1959 revolution focused on the historical and cultural aspects of the construction of a socialist order, the post-1989 crisis of socialism in Central and Eastern Europe raised questions about the island’s state as a socialist model. The scholarly gaze gradually began to focus on possibilities for alternative transformations at various levels of social life rather than on the deepening of traditional twentieth-century state socialism. This volume explores the newly emergent themes and debates about Cuban society and history.

First Published in 2016. If scholarship on Cuban studies after the 1959 revolution focused on the historical and cultural aspects of the construction of a socialist order, the post-1989 crisis of socialism in Central and Eastern Europe raised questions about the island’s state as a socialist model. The scholarly gaze gradually began to focus on possibilities for alternative transformations at various levels of social life rather than on the deepening of traditional twentieth-century state socialism. This volume explores the newly emergent themes and debates about Cuban society and history.

Picturing Cuba explores the evolution of Cuban visual art and its links to cubanía, or Cuban cultural identity. Featuring artwork from the Spanish colonial, republican, and postrevolutionary periods of Cuban history, as well as the contemporary diaspora, these richly illustrated essays trace the creation of Cuban art through shifting political, social, and cultural circumstances. Contributors examine colonial-era lithographs of Cuba?s landscape, architecture, people, and customs that portrayed the island as an exotic, tropical location. They show how the avant-garde painters of the vanguardia, or Havana School, wrestled with the significance of the island?s African and indigenous roots, and they also highlight subversive photography that depicts the harsh realities of life after the Cuban Revolution. They explore art created by the first generation of postrevolutionary exiles, which reflects a new identity?lo cubanoamericano, Cuban-Americanness?and expresses the sense of displacement experienced by Cubans who resettled in another country. A concluding chapter evaluates contemporary attitudes toward collecting and exhibiting post-revolutionary Cuban art in the United States. Encompassing works by Cubans on the island, in exile, and born in America, this volume delves into defining moments in Cuban art across three centuries, offering a kaleidoscopic view of the island?s people, culture, and history. Contributors: Anelys Alvarez | Lynnette M. F. Bosch | María A. Cabrera Arús | Iliana Cepero | Ramón Cernuda | Emilio Cueto | Carol Damian | Victor Deupi | Jorge Duany | Alison Fraunhar | Andrea O?Reilly Herrera | Jean-François Lejeune | Abigail McEwen | Ricardo Pau-Llosa | E. Carmen Ramos

This catalog, which accompanied an exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, gathers paintings, drawings and photography from Cuba done over the past century and a half. In addition to hundreds of works on paper, it features revealing photographs - some never before published - that record the country's wars of independence and revolution, its utopian endeavors and social realities. Numerous essays explore aspects of the Cuban visual arts such as nineteenth-century landscapes and photojournalism, the burgeoning of the arte nuevo period, Wifredo Lam's seminal African-inspired images, the creation of the famed collective mural, Castro-era poster art and the emergence of a new generation of artists.

"Puzzled by the conditions that made possible a socialist revolution in Cuba--the first and only in the Western Hemisphere--scholarship after 1959 focused on the historical and cultural aspects of the making of a revolutionary order. Since 2008, the end of Fidel Castro's direct rule, world economic conditions and a wave of reforms and social transformation have forced a reconsideration of Cuban cultural and historical dynamics. The scholarly gaze is now on possibilities for alternative transformations rather than on the deepening of conventional twentieth-century state socialism. This handbook explores key themes in the current debate about Cuba's contemporary cultural and historical dynamics. Leading academics from Cuba, the United States, and Europe bring to light significant revisions of the artistic and literary canon and the historical archive, and they reconsider often neglected subjects and dynamics in historiography as well as contemporary affairs. The book includes new studies on contentious mobilization, leftist activism, and youth organizations in the pre-revolutionary republic. Current analyses include the relation between the Cuban state and intellectuals; institutional legitimation processes; the formation and reconstruction of national identity discourses; and new framings of gender, race, and sexual orientation." -- Publisher's description.

The most definitive guide to Cuban cigars: The Cuban Cigar Handbook profiles the history of cigars in Cuba and features an extensive guide to over 200 varieties. For more than two centuries, Cuban cigars have been heralded as the best cigars in the world. More than just a cigar, they're an art form, with tobacco growers and hand-rollers considered artists. Today, there are more than 200 varieties to discover, and this essential guide highlights each one. Featuring insights from industry experts like Gary Korb and Denis K. Toulouse, The Cuban Cigar Handbook presents an in-depth look at a wide range of fascinating topics, including: - a complete history of Cuban cigars - how to spot fakes - stories of celebrated cigar aficionados from Ernest Hemingway to Rudyard Kipling - the best Cuban rum to pair with a cigar - vivid descriptions of Cuba and its environs - dynamic profiles of growers, hand-rollers, and producers - and so much more! The Cuban Cigar Handbook tells the history of cigars in Cuba and includes an extensive guide to over 200 varieties. Tasting notes for all varieties of cigars explain what makes each type different from the others, and how to spot fakes. And should you get thirsty, this book also includes a guide for how best to pair Cuban cigars with Cuban rums. Light up a cigar, sit back, and read fascinating stories about notable cigar aficionados to learn what attracted the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Rudyard Kipling to Cuban cigars. The Cuban Cigar Handbook is the ideal gift for the cigar smoker in your life. This is the ultimate handbook for any burgeoning cigar enthusiast or seasoned connoisseur.