Caribbean Books

I loved the book. I am Dominican and I can say proudly that I know my history; that's why I think the author of "dead man in paradise" really did his homework in order to show the reader the Dominican culture and history, as sad as it was. Do not think he is exaggerating about the cruelty and oppression of those days; he is not.

By many expressions in the book, I can tell he is really identified with the Dominican People. I do not know how long it took for him to write the book, but I can tell it was quite some time. You could not get to know such a complicated history in details in a few months.

I hope this book someday is translated into Spanish and put in the bookstores of the Dominican Republic. We would hear a lot about it since many people from the book are still alive, and still in powerful positions.

"Dear Anne Frank" is a volume of poems about the young Jewish girl who, after her death during the Nazi Holocaust, became immortalized through the publication of her recovered diary. The author, Marjorie Agosin, is the descendant of European Jews who escaped the Holocaust; Agosin was raised in Chile. This is a bilingual edition, with Agosin's Spanish poems and the English translations on facing pages. Richard Schaaf is the primary translator, with additional translation done by Cola Franzen and Monica Bruno.

The book also includes Agosin's fascinating introductory essay, "Anne Frank or the Landscape Uprooted" (both in Spanish and in English translation). In this essay Agosin draws connections between the Nazi Holocaust and the atrocities committed under certain Latin American dictatorships.

Agosin's poems are somber and lean. Her voice is at times angry, at times compassionate, at times even a little wistful. She explores Anne Frank's role as young woman, as martyr, as writer, and as iconic figure. This is an important volume for those interested in Latin American literature, Holocaust studies, 20th century poetry, or Jewish studies.

This book is a refreshing look at contemporary Gay life that is not clouded by "political correctness" or special interests. It is simply an honest celebration of the joy that can be felt by the Gay or Lesbian through genuinely living life, as well as a sharing of the pain that can arise from troubled or failed relationships.

Its strength is in its unpolished honesty; refreshing for those who are tired of being told how Gay and Lesbian life should be lived. Deep Feelings simply reflects how our lives are lived, and provides a wonderful jumping point for entering a reflection on the reality of one's own life.

This well written book makes accessible a fascinating period of history -- the fate of slaves in the Caribbean after emanicipation and the further hurdles that were put in place to prevent full participatory democracy. Anyone who has doubts as to the real causes of prolonged instability in the region (Western meddling) will probably find this book enlightening and compelling.

El director para América Latina del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores Belga, muestra su sensibilidad y talento en identificar los problemas que retan al sub continente. El tiene experiencia de primera mano que mezcla de manera magistral con su fria vision de economista europeo y su ardoroso amor por la literatura latinoamericana contemporanea. Su libro es muy denso y ambicioso, como tal es inevitable que no pueda cubrir detalles y acciones importantes que evitarían, tanto al autor como al lector, caer en conclusiones falaces. Por ejemplo cuando explica la presencia Diplomatica de Costa Rica en Jerusalén, en base a una poblacion judia de más o menos tres mil personas, de gran logro intelectual y académico sin comprender que la Doctrina Monge conlleva una decisión presidencial y un acto de soberania del ambito de las relaciones bilaterales frente a una resolucion no vinculante bajo condiciones especiales de un organismo internacional. Otras veces deja de mencionar importantes detalles de acciones diplomaticas como la politica del desarrollo sostenible y los esfuerzos integracionistas alrrededor de dicho tema durante la Administración Figueres. Menciona de pasada, pero no ahonda en detalles importantes de la acción de apoyo de esta administración a los esfuerzos por la paz y la democracia en Colombia. Su visión sobre el solidarismo es típicamente europea y norteamericana, confundiendo una escuela de pensamiento alternativa y no contrapuesta al sindicalismo como paternalismo frente a un sindicalismo debil, sin analizar sus bases reales. No menciona entre los desaparecidos a los pasajeros y reipulantes del Diana D perdido para siempre en los archivos de Nicaragua Sandinista. Esto es inevitable con una obra tan comprensiva y tan densa. Antes de significar un demérito para la obra, significa un reto para los academicos y diplomáticos que junten el guante que ha botado con la elegancia y "panache" que lo caracteriza el Embajador Stevens. Su obra me recuerda mi cuadro favorito en el Louvre, La Balsa de la Medusa, pintado en lugubres y trágicos tonos, pero nadie percibe a lo lejos la luz del barco que les rescatará. Me parece sentir en la obra una fe en el hombre y en la mujer latinoamericana como los celebres cachorros del León espanhol que decía Darío.

Les confieso que la compre porque me intrigo el resumen que lei pero cuando la recibi y comence a leerla como se dice en ingles "I fell in love with it". La historia es muy conmovedora pero vale la pena leerla siempre y cuando tengas una caja de tissue al lado o te aguantes las ganas de llorar con la historia de esta nina. Ojala no haya un cielo para que asi los muertos no sufran mas viendo lo que hacemos aqui en la tierra los que quedamos.

The Polpo Vuh is also written by the Maya of Ancient America. It predates the Chilam Balam series by at least 4,000 years. This is written as a correction to the previous reviewers notes on the Chilam Balam. It is important to purchase these books while they are available to us, the American Aboriginal from any part of the Americas while there is peace. None of the California Public librarys carry any of our ancient texts as they still marginalize our needs. You can always get Ancient Classical Greek works in public librarys across the country and anything from across the ocean but our own American original pieces are not made available to us still. So, if you can please purchase these books, and the Popol Vuh and donate them to your public librarys while we still have a chance to recover from the on going conquest.

The Devil's Workshop is a collection of brief yet emotionally memorable free-verse poems by novelist and poet Demetria Martinez. Poignant and memorable, reaching out to people, The Devil's Workshop is a compendium of verse which embraces both the light and the dark of humanity. Today I was told that the words/'War is bad'/Make for/Bad poetry./ OK./Then consider/This poem/Dispensable,/Depleted/As uranium,/A poor poem,/A colored poem.

This book is probably one of the most interesting books found on the subject of Afro-Latin American civilization. Its detailed accounts on neighboring cultures in Latin America have brought it some unity and understanding. It expands and adds to the history of African slavery and not to mention is an important link from the African to the Latin American. It will definitely be on my shelf once I get the money!

Professor Allsop has been working on this volume for a long time, but for those with an interest in language, it was worth the wait.

There are two outstanding features to this dictionary. The first is the most obvious one: the etymology of words used in daily Caribbean life emphasises not just the culturally diverse origin of language in the region (indigeneous, European and African), but the capacity Caribbean people have displayed to come to terms through language with that diversity. The second thing is the wonderful contrast between the erudite and clinical definitions of the words, and the words themselves, which are alive with the musicalness that characterizes Caribbean English.