Closed for Repairs

Closed for Repairs is a series of eleven vignettes that depict Cuban ingenuity in the face of urban problems. Each solution is framed with humor and irony and gives a glimpse of life on the island today.

In a clever fashion, Nancy Alonso shows us the spirit of resolve on the part of Cubans when faced with such issues as transportation problems, lack of water, and the shortage of consumer goods and construction materials caused by the embargo.

Illuminating the endurance and resilience of the Cuban people, these stories will make you chuckle. Alonso's sly wit is compelling as she satirizes the bureaucracy-an element of her work that will resonate universally.

Closed for Repairs is a series of eleven vignettes that depict Cuban ingenuity in the face of urban problems. Each solution is framed with humor and irony and gives a glimpse of life on the island today.

In a clever fashion, Nancy Alonso shows us the spirit of resolve on the part of Cubans when faced with such issues as transportation problems, lack of water, and the shortage of consumer goods and construction materials caused by the embargo.

Illuminating the endurance and resilience of the Cuban people, these stories will make you chuckle. Alonso's sly wit is compelling as she satirizes the bureaucracy-an element of her work that will resonate universally.

Nancy Alonso is an award-winning short story writer with a background in biological science. She published Tirar la Primera Piedra (Casting the First Stone) in 1997 and Cerrado por Reparación (Closed for Repairs) in 2002. Her stories have appeared in several anthologies in Cuba and abroad. She currently lives in Cojímar, Cuba.

Anne Fountain teaches Latin American Literature and Culture and coordinates Latin American Studies at San José State University. She is the author of José Martíand U.S. Writers (University Press of Florida, 2003) and Versos Sencillos: A Dual-Language Edition (McFarland, 2005).

Nancy Alonso is an award-winning short story writer with a background in Biological Science. She published Tirar la Primera Piedra (Casting the First Stone) in 1997 and Cerrado por reparación (Closed for Repairs) in 2002. Her stories have appeared in several anthologies in Cuba and abroad. She lives in Cojímar, Cuba.

Anne Fountain teaches Latin American Literature and Culture and coordinates Latin American Studies at San José State University. She is the author of José Marti and U.S. Writers (University Press of Florida, 2003) and of Versos Sencillos: A Dual-Language Edition (McFarland, 2005).