Patrick Howard’s Reviews > Selected Writings > Status Update

Marti' could write with equal precision and grace in Spanish, French and English. The Cuban Constitution cites him, along with Marx, Lenin and Fidel Castro, as "the men who inspired our socialist revolution".

Understanding Marti’s position amongst those figures has been the most compelling aspect of this collection. He oscillates between romanticized perspectives of America and New York and more traditionally class conscious criticism, such as of the Haymarket Square bombing, which highlight his unique social and political background.

Quite true, which is why both the Cuban government and the Miami Cubans can and do claim him with equal vigor and relish. I know one prominent Cuban-American historian who claimed in her book on the 1898 War that Marti' would have welcomed the U.S. occupation!