Miguel Barnet

"African-derived religions enrich all aspects of Cuba's social, cultural, and everyday life, and encompass all ethnic and social groups. Politics, art, and civil events such as weddings, funerals, festivals, and carnivals all possess distinctly Afro-Cuban characteristics. Miguel Barnet provides a concise guide to the various traditions and branches of Afro-Cuban religions. He distinguishes between the two most important cult forms - the Regla de Ocha (Santeria) and the Regla de Palo Monte. Regla de Ocha promotes worship of the Orisha (gods), and uses traditional oracles that originated in the old Yoruba city of Ile-Ife. The Regla de Palo Monte came from the Congo area. The term palo refers to the ritual use of trees and plants, which are believed to have magical powers.". "Africans who were brought to Cuba as slaves had to recreate their old traditions in their new Caribbean context. As their African heritage collided with Catholicism and with Native American and European traditions, certain African gods and traditions became more prominent while others lost their significance in the new Cuban culture. The author also discusses the roles of music and dance as forms of Cuban religious expression and describes the specific instruments and symbols they employ. The book ends with an enthusiastic depiction of Barnet's recent research journey to West Africa, the Land of the Orishas."--BOOK JACKET.

A novel about pre-Castro Cuba, told through the story of a famous cabaret dancer.

"Valuable new version of Biografía de un cimarrón includes Hill's expert translation; brief but informative preface about Esteban Montejo (the book's first-person narrator); Barnet's afterword (which replaces, albeit partially, his original introduction), in which he explains his understanding of literatura testimonal; and a glossary of terms. Original work was first translated as Autobiography of a runaway slave by Jocasta Innes (1968)"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.

Epic western about the Cravat family settling the Oklahoma prairie. Yancy Cravat is a newspaperman and lawyer who helps found the town of Osage. An adventurer, he finds town-life stifling and seeks his thrills even further into the frontier. His wife ends up becoming a town leader when his absences leave her no other choice.

"A Cuban transvestite prostitute shares her experiences working on the streets of Havana and struggles with issues of identity" -- Provided by publisher.

Set in Cuba during the 1920s, this novel recounts the eventful life of a cabaret dancer named Rachel. The protagonist is an actress, a dancer, and a heartbreaker who takes readers on a guided tour through the different stages of her past, from the filthy theaters, cabarets, and circuses in which she debuted, to the mythical Alhambra Theater in which she reached the height of her career. In addition to Rachel's narrative, the voices of stagehands, journalists, friends, enemies, and gossips depict an accurate portrait of the customs during the Cuban belle époque.