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“Revolutionary in subject and form, United
States of Banana is a beautifully written
declaration of personal independence. Giannina Braschi’s
take on U.S. relations with our southern neighbors in
Latin America and the Caribbean, most especially Puerto
Rico, is an eye-opener. The ire and irony make for an
explosive combination and a very exciting read.” Barney
Rosset, The Evergreen Review
“Good
poets write great poems. Great poets create a new
language. Giannina Braschi is a brilliant artist who has
invented a syntax that reveals how we think, suffer, and
take delight in the twenty-fisrt century. Though the
tone can be playful, her work has deep roots in the
subversive side of classical literature. The scale is
epic.” D.Nurkse
"The best work of art on the
subject of September 11th that I have ever experienced!"
Mircea Cărtărescu, author of Nostalgia
"A surge of deep emotion runs through
anyone who listens to or reads Giannina Braschi because
she writes the most compelling work--dramatic,
philosophical, humorous and always unpredictable in its
experimental form. Braschi enlightens us with her
passionate energy." Pia Tafdrup, author of
Tarkovsky's Horses and Other Poems
Giannina Braschi explores the cultural and
political journey of nearly 50 million Hispanic
Americans living in the United States in this explosive
new work of fiction, her first written in originally in
English. United States of Banana takes place at
the Statue of Liberty in post-9/11 New York City, where
Hamlet, Zarathustra, and Giannina are on a quest to free
the Puerto Rican prisoner Segismundo. Segismundo has
been imprisoned for more than one hundred years, hidden
away by his father, the king of the United States of
Banana, for the crime of having been born. But when the
king remarries, he frees his son, and for the sake of
reconciliation, makes Puerto Rico the fifty-first state
and grants American passports to all Latin American
citizens. This staggering show of benevolence rocks the
global community, causing an unexpected power shift with
far-reaching implications. In a world struggling to
realign itself in favor of liberty, United States of
Banana is a force to be reckoned with in
literature, art, and politics.
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