Alina Troyano’s one-woman shows, plays, and essays have astonished audiences and readers with their creativity, humor, and crackling political energy. I, Carmelita Tropicana offers the first comprehensive collection of her work, from “Memorias de la Revolucion” (with Uzi Parnes) to “Your Kunst is Your Waffen” (with Ela Troyano).
“This book makes you cry in one eye and laugh in the other.” -John Leguizamo, author of Freak
“The writing in this wonderful book is like caf‚àöv† Cubano: rich, strong, satisfying.” -Steve Buscemi
“Dwellers of the Lower East Side have long known of the magic they call Carmelita Tropicana. Carmelita and her comrades-in-arms teach us that humor can have a subversive edge and that politicized performance can be hilarious. This book is a triumphantly tacky treasure trove of tropical delights.” -Jos‚àöv† Esteban Mu‚àöv?oz, author of Disidentifications
“The inimitable Carmelita Tropicana is one of the queer world’s wonders: sexy, outrageous, and insightful, her performances transform rooms full of strangers into communities of lovers, friends, and admirers.” -Jill Dolan, author of Presence and Desire
“Laughter is Troyano’s weapon, and she wields it expertly to send up stereotypes like the Latina spitfire and to push the limits of rigid identities. This long-awaited book will be a boon in any classroom studying performance, as well as in racially and gender-inflected queer and cultural studies.” -Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano, editor of Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation, 1965-1985
“I, Carmelita Tropicana brings together in print the amazing work of one of the most important performance artists of the Americas.”
-David Rom·n, author of Acts of Intervention