Author’s biography: Oscar Orbea, Ph.D., was born in Camagüey, Cuba, in 1955. He emigrated with his family to the United States in 1966 after completing elementary school in his home country. In the U.S., he graduated summa cum laude from Loyola-Marymount University, Los Angeles, with a doublemajor in Spanish and French and a minor in Italian. He lived in Florence, Italy, for a time before returning to the U.S. and obtaining his Doctorate of Philosophy in Romance Languages and Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles, from where he graduated with highest honors. He has traveled extensively in Europe. He has also been the recipient of various scholarships, fellowships, and grants. Dr. Ramírez taught foreign languages and literatures for several years at the university level in California and also published in the field of literary criticism. He lives currently in Northern California, He longs one day to return to his native Camagüey, which holds many fond memories for him. His anthology of short stories, Cuba, I Remember You/Cuba, te recuerdo, deals with his life in Cuba until the age of ten, before and after Communism. Cuba, Between History and Legend/Cuba, entre la historia y la leyenda is a collection of short stories inspired by events in colonial Cuban history and classic Cuban legends. Future writing plans currently under consideration include a work on the role of Catholicism in a post-Communist Cuba, a bilingual children’s book, as well as an anthology of short stories on his favorite city, New Orleans. Biografía del autor: El doctor Oscar Orbea nació en Camagüey, Cuba, en 1955. Emigró a los Estados Unidos con su familia en 1966 después de completar la escuela primaria en su país. En los EEUU, se diplomó con los más altos honores de la universidad jesuita Loyola-Marymount University, en Los Angeles, California, con doble título en español y en francés y con título menor en italiano. Vivió en Florencia, Italia, por cierto tiempo antes de regresar a los EEUU para obtener su doctorado en lenguas y literaturas romances de la Universidad de California en Los Angeles (UCLA), diplomándose con los más altos honores. Ha viajado extensamente por Europa. Ha sido el ganador de numerosos premios y becas. El profesor Orbea impartió cursos universitarios en California y también publicó en el área de crítica literaria. Actualmente vive en el Norte de California. Añora algún día poder regresar a su querido Camagüey, el cual guarda tan gratos recuerdos para él. Su antología de cuentos cortos, Cuba, I Remember You/Cuba te recuerdo, trata de su vida en Cuba hasta la edad de diez años, antes y después del comunismo. Cuba, Between History and Legend/Cuba, entre la historia y la leyenda es una antología de cuentos cortos inspirada por eventos de la Cuba colonial y por leyendas clásicas cubanas. Proyectos para el futuro incluyen una obra sobre el papel del catolicismo en una Cuba post-castrista, un libro bilingüe para niños, al igual que una antología de cuentos cortos sobre su ciudad preferida, Nueva Orleáns..
This book contains nine stories with a basis of history but layered with legend and myth. The nine stories are “The Mouth of Hell / La boca del Infierno,” “Kidnapped y Pirates! / ¡Secuestrado por piratas!!,” “Isn’t It Romantic? / ¡Ay, pero qué romántico!,” “Aimless / Sin brújula,” “The Hardest Thing / Lo más duro,” “Letter to an Unknown Woman / Carta a una desconocida,” “Heaven-sent / Don del Cielo,” “The Secret / El secreto,” and “The Interrogation / El interrogatorio.”
As you can tell this book, like Cuba, I Remember You, is written in both Spanish and English. This makes it possible for both English and Spanish speakers to read this book. It can also be employed to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) or for English-speaking students to learn Spanish. There is a beauty to the Spanish prose that makes reading the Spanish, even if I am not conversant in the language, a romantic adventure.
Each story concludes with an Epilogue followed by notes. The notes give a historical account of the tale as well as resources to follow up on researching the event, people, and places.
The book also finishes with a section listing further resources in English and Spanish for the reader who wants to know more about Cuban history, legend, people, and literature.
Overall the stories capture the rich imagery and romance of the island nation. They follow the Greek ideal to seek “the good, the true, and the beautiful.” The romance of Cuba’s names come through. The book also contains many pictures, photos, and paintings relating to the history, geography, lore, and faith of the nation and people of Cuba. The stories tell of the struggles and persecutions of the people, especially the minorities of race or faith.
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