Vol.63/No.45 December 20, 1999
Books on Cuba are top sellers at Miami fair
{Young Socialists Around the World column}
This column is written and edited by the Young Socialists (YS), an international organization of young workers, students, and other youth fighting for socialism. For more information about the YS write to: Young Socialists, 3284 23rd St., San Francisco, CA 94110. Tel: (415) 824-1429.
E-mail: 105162.605@compuserve.com
BY MIKE MARTÍNEZ
MAIMI—"I want to find out more about Che Guevara," was a comment heard frequently at the Pathfinder Bookstore booth at the Miami Book Fair International held here November 19–21. Hundreds of people visiting the fair stopped at the Pathfinder stall and browsed through the colorful book displays. Many were originally from the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Eighty copies of the 1999 Pathfinder catalog were sold, and hundreds of bookstore business cards and leaflets were distributed.
During the three days of the book fair the volunteers staffing the Pathfinder booth sold more than $1,100 in books and periodicals, despite intermittent rain. Pathfinder volunteers took a goal of selling 10 copies of Capitalism's World Disorder at the fair and came close, selling eight copies of this important book. People at the fair bought 18 books and pamphlets on the Cuban revolution, as well as 14 titles by Malcolm X and 11 pamphlets on Puerto Rico.
As has been the case in previous years, the best-selling title was The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, with 13 people buying the pamphlet in either English or Spanish. Visitors to the Pathfinder booth snapped up 33 copies of the Militant, 10 copies of Perspectiva Mundial, and a Perspectiva Mundial subscription during the fair.
Like last year, there were no serious attempts to try to disrupt or close down the ongoing political discussions around the booth. Many opponents of the Cuban revolution, upon seeing the titles at the booth, simply muttered under their breath and walked away.
Bookstore volunteers noted this the kind of political space to discuss the Cuban revolution was similarly reflected by the inability of local government and Cuban counterrevolutionary groups to force the cancellation of the October concert by the popular Cuban band Los Van Van.Of particular note were the number of high school and college students who bought books and pamphlets. Five "4-packs" were sold to young people. These were four pamphlets— The Communist Manifesto, Socialism and Man in Cuba, Malcolm X Talks to Young People, and Is Biology Women's Destiny—were priced at $10 for young people interested in learning more about socialism. In addition to the Pathfinder books about Cuba that were sold, five copies of the weekly Granma International, two of Tricontinental, one of Cuba Socialista, and one La Gaceta de Cuba were sold. The display of these periodicals from Cuba attracted quite a bit of attention.
Many young people also took a leaflet put out by the Miami Young Socialists, and were pleasantly surprised that a socialist youth organization had a presence in Miami. One Miami high school student from Colombia asked how to join the group.
Fifty-one people signed a mailing list to get more information about Pathfinder books and the Young Socialists. Already, one student has returned a coupon requesting more information on the Young Socialists.
Michael Martínez is a member if the Young Socialists. Bill Kalman, a member of the United Transportation Union, contributed to this article.
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