Tales from the Cuban Empire

In the manner of fabled storytellers, Ponte creates a vivid picture of contemporary Cuba—its real and imagined place in the world—through stories told by a foreign exchange physics student, urban planners who discover an underground metropolis in their own neighborhood, a traveler stranded in an airport restroom, a suspicious stranger listening to stories spun in a barbershop, and a Chinese butcher in love with a beautiful daughter of Ochún. This inventive brew of fantasy, popular religion, science and science fiction, travel adventure, and tall tales celebrates the Cuban spirit at home and abroad.

Antonio José Ponte (born 1964 in Matanzas, Cuba) lives in Havana. He is the author of poetry, essays, novels, and stories.