Jorge Reyes
Encyclopedia
Jorge Reyes is a Cuban-born, American author known for authoring books in several genres. He is an honor graduate (1993) of Barry University
, from which he received a B.A. in history, a B.S in political science, and a minor in literature.
, Reyes left Cuba
with his parents via Costa Rica
, before settling permanently in Miami in 1982.
Most of what is known about Reyes's childhood was penned down by Reyes himself in his book, Rediscovering Cuba: A Personal Memoir, published in 2001. In it, he talks about his childhood days in a small town called Boniato on the outskirts of Santiago de Cuba. The book itself, based on a family emergency, became also an analysis of Cuba's present condition as viewed by Reyes himself. Reyes's method of choosing to write his Cuban memoirs displayed some writing skills for which he has been noted, mainly:
1) The ability to utilize a wide array of genres in unexpected but highly effective visual ways;
2) The ability to write biographical themes, such as his Cuban memoirs, which many writers reserve for fictional accounts, such as: stream of consciousness, poetry, and even short-stories in order to explain non-fictional accounts of events.
In 2003, Reyes surprised his readership by publishing, among other things, a book of poems titled, My Words Mean Something, which did not seem to please his fans, nor Reyes himself, but it was a genre which he would return to with, "Day's Night," to be published in 2007, five years after finishing it.
The next few years Reyes slowed down a seemingly prolific writing career, shelving most of the books slated for publication after 2003 and which included both "Caramelo's Dream" and "Day's Night." No explanation has been given to publicly account for Reyes's sudden halt in his writings, though it was rumored that he was simply maturing into his craft by seeking other literary interests, concentrating mostly on the essay format, to expound on a variety of subject-matters of particular interests to him, mainly on art and politics. Again, always demonstrating Reyes's penchant for diversity in his writings, these essays are known as much for their refreshing approach to their topic matter as much as for their eclectically-drawn conclusions, if not often confrontational style.
Finally, in 2006, the long-promised book of poems Day's Night was announced to be published in September 2011. No publication date has been given for "Caramelo's Dream."
Day's Night is a collection of poems about "a self-examined look at a love affair gone sour," with illustrations by the reclusive artist Neith Nevelson
. The Reyes/Nevelson duo, described by Entertainment News Weekly as one of the strangest cooperations in literary history, is one which, nonetheless, seems to have pleased some critics if pre-publication reviews are any indication of a book's worth. Aside from Reyes's terse comments about the book's topic, theme and origins, Reyes has refused to discuss much about the personal affair that prompted him to write about the book. For someone who has always been extremely guarded about his private matters, the choice to write a book while refusing to discuss much of its personal origins seems to be what attracts many to Reyes's readership.
Reyes lives in South Florida.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, from which he received a B.A. in history, a B.S in political science, and a minor in literature.
Early life
Born in Santiago de CubaSantiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
, Reyes left Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
with his parents via Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, before settling permanently in Miami in 1982.
Writing
Reyes has written books in several genres of literature: biography, fiction, non-fiction, children's books and poetry.Most of what is known about Reyes's childhood was penned down by Reyes himself in his book, Rediscovering Cuba: A Personal Memoir, published in 2001. In it, he talks about his childhood days in a small town called Boniato on the outskirts of Santiago de Cuba. The book itself, based on a family emergency, became also an analysis of Cuba's present condition as viewed by Reyes himself. Reyes's method of choosing to write his Cuban memoirs displayed some writing skills for which he has been noted, mainly:
1) The ability to utilize a wide array of genres in unexpected but highly effective visual ways;
2) The ability to write biographical themes, such as his Cuban memoirs, which many writers reserve for fictional accounts, such as: stream of consciousness, poetry, and even short-stories in order to explain non-fictional accounts of events.
In 2003, Reyes surprised his readership by publishing, among other things, a book of poems titled, My Words Mean Something, which did not seem to please his fans, nor Reyes himself, but it was a genre which he would return to with, "Day's Night," to be published in 2007, five years after finishing it.
The next few years Reyes slowed down a seemingly prolific writing career, shelving most of the books slated for publication after 2003 and which included both "Caramelo's Dream" and "Day's Night." No explanation has been given to publicly account for Reyes's sudden halt in his writings, though it was rumored that he was simply maturing into his craft by seeking other literary interests, concentrating mostly on the essay format, to expound on a variety of subject-matters of particular interests to him, mainly on art and politics. Again, always demonstrating Reyes's penchant for diversity in his writings, these essays are known as much for their refreshing approach to their topic matter as much as for their eclectically-drawn conclusions, if not often confrontational style.
Finally, in 2006, the long-promised book of poems Day's Night was announced to be published in September 2011. No publication date has been given for "Caramelo's Dream."
Day's Night is a collection of poems about "a self-examined look at a love affair gone sour," with illustrations by the reclusive artist Neith Nevelson
Neith Nevelson
Neith Nevelson, , is an artist best known for paintings of horses, female nudes, and male faces.-Background:...
. The Reyes/Nevelson duo, described by Entertainment News Weekly as one of the strangest cooperations in literary history, is one which, nonetheless, seems to have pleased some critics if pre-publication reviews are any indication of a book's worth. Aside from Reyes's terse comments about the book's topic, theme and origins, Reyes has refused to discuss much about the personal affair that prompted him to write about the book. For someone who has always been extremely guarded about his private matters, the choice to write a book while refusing to discuss much of its personal origins seems to be what attracts many to Reyes's readership.
Reyes lives in South Florida.
External links
- JorgeReyes.info - official website
- A website which includes a biography for Jorge Reyes
- Latin Biz Magazine (Spring 2006, PDF), featuring an article on Reyes
- The 2002 Miami International Book Fair
- "Let Cuba be rediscovered by this generation" (article by Jorge Reyes, The Miami Herald, 2001)
- The Reyes Report: A biweekly column at Blogspot