drell, Francine Masiello, Chris Newfield, Marta Peixoto, Emma Pérez, Su-
san C. Quinlan, Chela Sandoval, and Sylvia Wynter. Librarians Adán
Griego and Nerea Llamas provided warm friendship and crucial biblio-
graphic support as did my research assistant, Marcia Rodriguez. I offer my
special thanks to Sylvia Molloy, whose input was instrumental to the origi-
nal development of this project. Charles Cutler, my first and most enduring
mentor, continues to be an inspiration. Thanks, too, to the anonymous
readers for the University Press of Florida who offered such useful and
intelligent suggestions.

For their abiding interest and emotional (and sometimes technical) sup-
port, I thank my family -- Ted, Wilma, Judy, Jim, Jess, and Jeannette Mar-
chant, Kin Seto, Teresa Pérez, Rafael Pérez Sandoval, and Estela and Scott
Narrie.

Finally, my greatest thanks to my partner, my heart, Rafael Pérez-Torres,
for his tireless support but mostly for staying on this plane of existence.

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