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Fiction 37
details of the subject’s story—ideally, through face-to-face
interviews. Though they may occupy a gray area between non-
fiction and fiction, testimonial narratives are generally consid-
ered novels, because the writer organizes, shapes, and polishes
the subject’s story. A good testimonial narrative will be faithful
to the essence of the story while not necessarily transcribing
every detail as it happened.
Biography of a Runaway Slave
was so good partly because
Barnet was able to capture the voice of the book’s humble, une-
ducated subject. But in addition, as a poet Barnet managed to
convey the mythic quality of Montejo’s remarkable story. This
Miguel Barnet (left) sits with Cuban president Raúl Castro at the closing of the Eighth
Congress of Cuba’s National Union of Writers and Artists.