Quince Duncan: Writing Afro-Costa Rican and Caribbean Identity

213 Pages·2014·1.13 MB·English

by  Dorothy E. Mosby

Quince Duncan

Quince Duncan
Writing Afro–Costa Rican and
Caribbean Identity
Dorothy E. Mosby
ThE UnivErsiTy of AlA bAMA PrEss
Tuscaloosa
Copyright © 2014
The University of Ala bama Press
Tuscaloosa, Ala bama 35487- 0380
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United states of America
Typeface: Garamond and baskerville
Cover photograph: Detail from mural located in vargas Park, Puerto limón, Costa rica,
ca. 1996. Used with permission from Guadalupe Alvarez rojas. Photo courtesy of Joseph
Powell.
Cover design: James Elkin buttram/Metanoia Design
∞
The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum requirements of Americ an
national standard for information sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed library
Materials, Ansi Z39.48- 1984.
library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mosby, Dorothy E., 1970–
Quince Duncan : Writing Afro-Costa rican and Caribbean identity / Dorothy E. Mosby.
pages cm
includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-0-8173-1349-4 (trade cloth : alk. paper) — isbn 978-0-8173-8722-8 (e book)
1. Duncan, Quince, 1940—Criticism and interpretation. 2. Costa rican literature—black
authors—history and criticism. i. Title.
PQ7489.2.D8Z77 2014
863'.64—dc23
2013020405
To my parents, James and Helen,
for launching me out into the world with support and love

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Abbreviations xi
introduction 1
1. short fiction 19
2. novels of identity: Hombres curtidos and Los cuatro espejos 50
3. novels of samamfo: La paz del pueblo, Kimbo,
and A Message from Rosa 104
4. Dismantling the Myths: Final de calle and El trepasolo 152
Conclusions 177
notes 181
Works Cited 189
index 195

Acknowledgments
This project has been many years in the making and there are many people to
whom i am grateful for their encouragement and assistance: Marvin A. lewis
and M. J. Muratore, the progenitors of this project; franklin Perry, Dlia. McDon-
ald, and Guadalupe Álvarez rojas for their unyielding support; Carol Knight for
her devotion; sheridan Wigginton for her constant motivation; and, of course,
Q uince Duncan, for his generosity and patience.