The Prince of los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood

Richard Blanco

Feb 2023 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Adi Cabral

About this audiobook

A poignant, hilarious, and inspiring memoir from the first Latino and gay Presidential Inaugural Poet, which explores his coming-of-age as the child of Cuban immigrants and his attempts to understand his place in America while grappling with his burgeoning artistic and sexual identities. Richard Blanco's childhood and adolescence were experienced between two imaginary worlds: his parents' nostalgic world of 1950s Cuba and his imagined America, the country he saw on reruns of The Brady Bunch and Leave it to Beaver-an "exotic" life he yearned for as much as he yearned to see "la patria." A prismatic and lyrical narrative rich with the colors, sounds, smells, and textures of Miami, Richard Blanco's personal narrative is a resonant account of how he discovered his authentic self and ultimately, a deeper understanding of what it means to be American. His is a singular yet universal story that beautifully illuminates the experience of "becoming"; how we are shaped by experiences, memories, and our complex stories: the humor, love, yearning, and tenderness that define a life.

About the author

An accomplished author, playwright, and educator, Richard Blanco has published several volumes of acclaimed poetry. He is a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, a recipient of several honorary doctorates, and a dynamic speaker supporting diversity, the LGBTQ+ community, immigration, cultural exchange, and poetry education.

Adi Cabral is a classically trained actor, dialect coach, and intimacy director holding their MFA in theater performance from Arizona State University. As a professor of theater, voice, and movement, their research focuses on inclusive practices for training LGBTQ+ identified actors.