[/caption]Cuban author, Mayra Montero, addressed an audience of about forty on Thursday night. The discussion and readings focused on Cuba in the world. Montero is originally from Havana and visits Cuba frequently. She has written a collection of short stories and nine novels. Her first novel, La Trenza de la Hermosa Luna, also known as The Braid of the Beautiful Moon was published in 1987. She is an acclaimed journalist and writes a weekly column for El Nuevo Dia, a Puerto Rican newspaper.
She read from her latest novel, Son de Almendra, which is about the mafia in Cuba during the 1950s. While many claim the novel is a thriller, she focuses on the love story. She was also sure to read the book in both English and Spanish because she wanted to keep the “flavor of the original”. The 1950s is her favorite decade because it was “muy rica” and it was a very eventful time in Cuba. Her research in the New York City archives and her parents’ experiences contributed to the novel.
The audience was then able to ask Montero questions about her novels, Cuban literature, and Cuba. The question and answer portion was almost entirely in Spanish with minimal English translation. She claims the difference between her and Cuban American writers is that she has lived in Cuba for a longer period of time. She also believes that Cuban writers are very isolated, but are slowly finding an audience through the internet. Montero tries not to become involved in politics, she is just a writer. She is in love with her native country Cuba, and says this love is based on intuition. She is hopeful about Cuba’s future and states that Cuba is in its most important moment. There is a real eagerness for change. Montero blames President George W. Bush for the lack of interchange between Cuban and American writers, but believes in a “rilliant and prompt future”.
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