February 18, 2005 - 5:00 PM
Several contributors of this timely volume will join editors Mauricio Font and Alfonso W. Quiroz in discussing the times and legacy of Fernando Ortiz.
Fernando Ortiz’s contribution to our understanding of Cuban society is both lasting and resoundingly contemporary. This interdisciplinary publication is the first work in English to reassess Ortiz’s vast contributions in many different fields. Including essays from international scholars in the US, Cuba, Spain, South America and Mexico, this illuminating volume celebrates the many facets of Fernando Ortiz— an intellectual, path breaking scholar, visionary humanist, and Cuban icon.
“This volume is a compelling encounter with the many personas of Fernando Ortiz–anthropologist, lawyer, politician, humanist, and, perhaps most important, Cuban visionary. Ortiz’s multidisciplinary contributions are approached with respect, affection, critical consciousness, and a welcome playfulness rarely seen in academic anthologies. Whether you are already familiar with the huge corpus left by Ortiz or discovering him for the first time, let this volume be your guide to the exuberance of Ortiz’s legacy, which is not only a gift to Cuba but to our globalized world, struggling with ever more pathos to figure out why culture still matters.”—Ruth Behar, University of Michigan
“This interesting collection of essays . . . highlights how relevant Ortiz’s writings are to understanding contemporary as well as historical trends in the Americas.”—Susan Eckstein, Boston University