Cuba on the Verge

While the world ponders Cuba's future — and the United States weighs the effects of the trade embargo imposed more than 40 years ago — Cubans go about their everyday lives. They seek to overcome obstacles with a mixture of ingenuity, intelligence, perseverance and — above all else — a sense of humor.

"Cuba on the Verge" showcases the work of leading Cuban and American writers and photographers — and offers unprecedented insight into life in the island nation today.

How does this transitional moment in the island's history find expression in the lives of the Cuban people? What do the social, cultural and personal landscapes of Cuba look and feel like today?

The photographers and writers in "Cuba on the Verge" give an honest and balanced portrayal of the complex realities of modern Cuban life.

For example, novelist Russell Banks recalls his dream as a young man of joining the revolution — and climbs the Sierra Maestra in an attempt to come to terms with that vision of long ago.

Cristina García, author of "Dreaming in Cuban," writes about the experience of exile and the adaptations it engenders, while "New Yorker" correspondent Jon Lee Anderson writes about the New Middle Class in Cuba.

And Antonio José Ponte, one of the most talented of the current generation of Cuban writers, meditates on the unique sense of time on the island.

The essays and photography portfolios in "Cuba on the Verge" contribute to the central themes of the book, including Afro-Cuban culture, traditional music versus the cutting edge, architecture, sexuality, Santería, rural life, exile — and the role of women in Cuban society.

About Terry McCoy

Terry McCoy is an editor, arts producer, curator and documentary filmmaker based in New York City.

Her award-winning work has appeared in books, on PBS and cable television and in selected theaters.