Alan Gross was released today from a Cuban prison where he was held for five years. Gross, an employee of USAID (United States Agency of International Development) was accused by the Cuban government of espionage for bringing telecommunication devices into Cuba and sentenced to 15 years. According to Alan Gross himself, Pope Francis interceded between […]
It is my pleasure to feature Susan Bernhardt, friend and writing colleague. Congratulations, Susan, on your second book, Murder Under the Tree, which just came out. Your first, The Ginseng Conspiracy, received great attention and notices. I’m sure this one will too. Thank you, Lorenzo. I’m happy for the opportunity to be here. How long […]
Today it is my honor to have Kathy Pooler as a guest blogger. Her recently published memoir, “Ever Faithful to His Lead: my journey away from domestic abuse,” is receiving well-deserved accolades. Here, Kathy gives us a glimpse of her story, what led her to her “poor choices” in love and why she wrote her […]
Farewell to Donny Saying goodbye to a friend after an enjoyable evening of dinner and drinks leaves us with a smile. When we lose a parent, spouse, sibling, child, or pet, however, our goodbyes come laden with grief rather than joy. Why have I included a pet on the list? Because saying goodbye to a […]
Is music a form of spirituality? With the top of the convertible down, the “Flower Duet” from Lakme poured out from the car into the cool breeze of the South Beach evening. The soprano producing such vocal gymnastics was Joan Sutherland. The mezzo, Huguette Tourangeau. The duet reached a melodic height so luscious and liquid, […]
The sight of Cubans traveling to Cuba, lugging duffel bags crammed with soap, toys and other consumer goods to give to their relatives, and bringing 40-inch television sets, bicycles, video-game consoles, even car tires, bothers me. My annoyance revolves around two points: 1) Those travelers are aiding Castro’s Cuba. Showering their relatives with those items […]
S. CHRIS SHIRLEY It is my pleasure to introduce S. Chris Shirley, award-winning author and director, whose first novel, Playing by the Book, was recently published by Magnus Books. Chris, before we start, I want to tell you how much I loved your book. Every time I put it down, I felt like I had […]
First, it’s a dream. Then, it’s hard work that stretches over months and years, peppered with sheer frustration. Doubts creep into your sleepless nights. Who will want to read this? Who cares? You don’t think you can do it. Somehow you go on. You’re too far into it to give up. The day comes when […]
According to a song in the musical A Chorus Line, all is beautiful at the ballet. But is it? At the National Ballet of Cuba, which has been hailed as one of the leading ballet companies in the world and the best in Latin America, dancers receive modest salaries of $10 to $30 a month […]
To some, she was Rosaura, Nena, or Nenita. To me, she was my mother, my world. She was my first piano teacher, instilling in me a life-long passion for music. She was Mother Courage, defying Castro’s regime and committing the ultimate sacrifice: sending her children away so they would be safe from communism. She was […]
LORENZO PABLO MARTINEZ 