1997 ◽  
Vol 71 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 265-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Zeuske

[First paragraph]"Aunque por supuesto nuestro trabajo no es historico (Miguel Barnet)" Apart from Manuel Moreno Fraginals's El ingenio, there is hardly any other book in Cuban historiography that has met with such wide circulation as Biografia de un cimarron by Miguel Barnet.1 It is, in spite of a series of contradictions, the classic in testimonio literature for contemporary studies on slavery as well as for the genre of historical slave narratives extending far beyond Cuba. In particular the various new editions and translations, such as the English versions that have been published under the titles Autobiography of a Runaway Slave (Barnet 1968), Autobiography of a Runaway Slave (Esteban Montejo & Miguel Barnet 1993) or Biography of a Runaway Slave (Barnet 1994) and the discussion that Barnet's book stimulated bear witness to this position.2


2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-10
Author(s):  
Dunja Mihajlovic

Biografía de un cimarrón es el título del testimonio de Esteban Montejo, un esclavo cubano, recopilado y traspuesto a la escritura por Miguel Barnet. En este testimonio, Montejo manifiesta sus ideas sobre la religión católica y las creencias y prácticas religiosas afrocubanas. Este trabajo propone que la ideología de la revolución cubana se encuentra inserta en el texto. Las expresiones de indiferencia acerca de la religión pueden leerse como parte de un mensaje textual acorde con las ideas de la revolución cubana. Biography of a runaway slave is the title of the “testimonio” of Esteban Montejo, a Cuban slave, compiled and written by Miguel Barnet. In this text, Montejo expresses his ideas on the Catholic religion, as well as on Afro-Cuban religious beliefs and practices. It is suggested that the ideology of the Cuban revolution is present in the text. The expressions of indiference towards religion can be read as part of a textual message that agrees with the ideas of the revolution.  


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