It's Here!

My good friend and (when I'm there) great neighbor (BBQs par excellence) Richard Fleming´s book, Walking to Guatánamo, was officially released yesterday. Amazon's got it, and so should you. In it, Richard, well... he walks to Guantánamo Bay, across Cuba (sometimes cheating, though). The book is a meditation on the birds, religion, music, culture of Cuba, written in an alternatingly serious and humorous tone. Richard, unlike some wonks, never takes himself too seriously, yet he also reaches out and touches Cuban culture in a way that makes it immediate and real, sometimes terribly sad. He's no ideologue, and he confronts some of the shortcomings (or maliciousness) of the Castro regime, while also appreciating the unique situation that that small island country--so different than the States, yet so near--is faced with. Any Latin Americanist, birder, religionist, musicologist or simple armchair adventurer will get a kick out of it.

Also, be sure to check out his blog (to the left): The Brooklynite on Ice. He's everywhere in the world all the time. I used to be jealous of him when I read the blog while I was stuck back at home, and it's one of the things that finally made me pack up and strike out on my own.