Narratives

Ediciones Vigía and El Fortín derive their inspiration from literary traditions spanning three continents. Most works emanate from the most obvious source, Cuba’s rich literary heritage. However, Latin America and Spain are also well represented. Less expected, perhaps, are translations of European and American writers. Although Ediciones Vigía publishes a variety of formats, from letters to short stories to poetry; Intersections: Cultures, Identities, Narratives shines a spotlight on select letters and poetry. In addition, a sampling would not be complete without examples of the literary journals published by Ediciones Vigía. 

Cuban writers are well represented in this collection through the works of author’s such as José Martí, Dulce María Loynaz, Nancy Morejón and Ruth Behar. In Cuba, José Martí is regarded as a nationalist hero, as well as poet.  Two works included here illustrate this dual character: Versos sencillos, IX—la niña de Guatemala and Martí con todos: tres discursos. Poemas sin nombre, Miel imprevista and La novia de Lázaro exemplify the works of renowned poet Dulce María Loynaz. Contemporary writers Nancy Morejón and Ruth Behar, are represented by Ana Mendieta and Everything I kept/ Todo lo que guarde respectively.

Amongst the other significant works included in this collection are those by celebrated Latin American and Spanish writers: Jorge Luis Borges (Cristo en la Cruz y otros poemas); Juana Inés de la Cruz (Entre Engaños Velos); Gabriel García Márquez’s (La Santa) and Federico García Lorca (Poeta en Nueva York). From the European tradition, a strong Russian influence is evident in the publication of authors such as Boris Pasternak (La vida es minuciosa) and Sergei Aleksandrovich Esenin (Motivos persas). From North American, writers such as Edna St. Vincent Millay (Endecha sin música/ Dirge without music) and Ernest Hemingway, who inspired "Angel and the Sea” remind us of a the persistent connection between Cuba and American culture. To round out the collection, Intersections offers a sample of journals published by Ediciones Vigía:  Barquitos del San Juan: la revista de los niños, a literary journal for children and La Revista del Vigía, published twice annually.