Yoruba from Cuba: Selected Poems of Nicolas Guillen

This dual-language book features selections from Nicolás Guillén, one of Cuba's most outstanding poets. The range of his work, from Poemas de Transicion through La Rueda Dentata and El Diario que a Diario, is covered. Notes on the poems, a chronology, and a reading list add to the lively and readable English translations. Both the colloquial vigor of Guillén's language and the Cuban dance-inspired rhythms are captured. The selection highlights Guillén's references to the Yoruba Orisha religion, themes of racial injustice, and the historical legacies of slavery. Also emphasized is Guillen's anticipation of the creolité movement in stressing the heterogeneity of Cuban culture in drawing on African, European, and other immigrant traditions.