Arts and Literature of Cuba

people of West Africa, along with elements of Roman Catholicism; and produced a study of the Yoruba dialect of Lucumí. In 1960, after Fidel Castro came to power, Cabrera left Cuba. She eventually settled in Florida. There she continued her ethnological studies and produced two more volumes of short stories: Ayapa: cuentos de Jicotea (1971) and Cuentos para adultos, niños y retrasados mentales (1983; “Stories for Adults, Children and the Mentally Retarded,” 1983). Cabrera died in 1991 at the age of 91. Cabrera’s short stories—written in her crisp, direct prose style—in many cases treat the theme of the eternal battle between good and evil. Drawing heavily on Afro-Cuban myths and folklore, the stories are often populated by anthropomor- phic animals such as Jicotea the turtle and Mayimbe the buz- zard. Spirits and Yoruba deities also make frequent appear- ances, and the supernatural routinely intrudes into the world of humans. “The Hill of Mambiala” is a typical example. At the Did You Know? T he Miguel de Cervantes Prize (Premio de Literatura en Lengua Castellana Miguel de Cervantes) is a major literary honor. It is award- ed annually by Spain’s Ministry of Culture, and recognizes the lifetime achievement of an outstanding writer in the Spanish language. Writers from any Spanish-speaking country are eligible. Since the award was creat- ed in 1976, three Cubans have received the Miguel de Cervantes Prize: novelist Alejo Carpentier (1977), poet Dulce María Loynaz (1992), and novelist Guillermo Cabrera Infante (1997).

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