Transgression and Conformity Cuban Writers and Artists after the Revolution [Hardcover]

Defining the political and aesthetic tensions that have shaped Cuban culture for over forty years, Linda Howe explores the historical and political constraints imposed upon Cuban artists and intellectuals during and after the Revolution. Focusing on the work of Afro-Cuban writers Nancy Morejón and prominent novelist Miguel Barnet, Howe exposes the complex relationship between Afro-Cuban intellectuals and government authorities as well as the racial issues present in Cuban culture. A brilliant synthesis of Cuba’s cultural production since the Revolution. Linda Howe offers the ultimate guide to understanding the cultural policies of the island. This overview is enhanced by her detailed analyses of the works of Nancy Morejón and Miguel Barnet, two Cuban writers whose fortunes and literary preoccupations closely mirror the larger cultural and political movements of their times. Fascinating and comprehensive. —Cristina García, editor ofCubanísimo Transgression and Conformityis foxy, courageous, well-informed.  It comes from first-hand knowledge of high-and-low life in Cuba in the nineties. Linda Howe proves that those who do Cuban studies without frequent visits to the island risk knowing nothing of relevance about the rough and tender moods and textures of its human drama. — Eduardo González, Johns Hopkins University