
The Poet Slave of Cuba
A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano
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Narrated by:
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Yesenia Cabrero
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Chris Nunez
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Ozzie Rodriguez
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Roberto Santana
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By:
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Margarita Engle
About this listen
Born into the household of a wealthy slave owner in Cuba in 1797, Juan Francisco Manzano spent his early years by the side of a woman who made him call her Mama, even though he had a mama of his own. Denied an education, young Juan still showed an exceptional talent for poetry. His verses reflect the beauty of his world, but they also expose its hideous cruelty.
Powerful, haunting poems create a portrait of a life in which even the pain of slavery could not extinguish the capacity for hope.
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