A U. S. Rarity But...
There Are Exceptions!
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| Photo courtesy: Michael Ciaglo/The Houston Chronicle.
It is rare indeed in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave to find a mainstream U. S. journalist with the courage and the integrity to write fairly and truthfully about Cuba. But the exceptions are worth reading, so permit me to direct you to an article, complete with 24 photos, in the Houston Chronicle, first published on May 9th and then updated on May 18th. It was written by Cuban-American Olivia P. Tallet. The article, prefaced by the photo above of the pigeons in the Playa Vieja section of Havana, was both fair and truthful and the title is: "Cuba, the Caribbean's Most Enigmatic Island, Is A Cultural, Visual Feast." Beyond the accurate, first-hand portrait of Cuba from Cuba by a Cuban-American, the writing itself was absolutely brilliant, and you should judge it for yourself. Here is the first paragraph:
"Welcome to Cuba, my native land: a place where time seems out of joint and where all the old certainties are jumbled."
The writing that follows is also superb as it accurately depicts today's Cuba. And here's the last, very tantalizing paragraph that resembles poetry in motion:
"Cuba is like a bottle of wine, found at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea. The taste is familiar and strange, too complex to decipher quickly. Give it time. And enjoy."
This is the Houston Chronicle's great writer and superb journalist, Olivia P. Tallet. While I thoroughly enjoyed her insightful article and its searing update on Cuba, it left me envious and a little sad, wishing I could write as beautifully as she can.
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