After the deluge of emails that I have received I will have to change the end of my post from “Art Blogética” and in place of, “I survive because I post,” I will have to write, “I survive because I post and because you read me.”
To all the friends who have written me recently from places such as Ecuador, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, USA, Spain, Italy, France, Brazil, Sweden, Germany, England and even China, motivated by the item in Reuters or because they found a link to “Generation Y,” I give you the sound of THANK YOU. It is going to take me a little time to process and respond to each message received (you know of my difficulties in surfing or navigating the Internet), so here are some general answers to the most common questions people have asked:
Why doesn’t this Blog accept comments?
- It will. Right now the blog is not mounted on any known platform such as or WordPress or Movable Type, but built letter by letter in pure html, because it was the easiest way I found to do it from Cuba. Later this month I am going to redo everything, so it will work as a Blog, with all the associated features. Meanwhile, please have patience, something at which we Cubans are experts.
Have I had any retaliation for writing Generation Y?
- For this, specifically, no. The “retaliations” I experience are the same ones faced by all Cubans who live here: almost zero or very limited Internet access; a dual monetary system that makes it hard for us to access some services such as Cybercafés; a paranoia that is always present about doing something too risky; and the disenchantment that generates the question of “what for?” Beyond that, no one has yet, for the moment, “taught me the instruments.”
How do I put up every Post?
- Friends, to respond to this with complete sincerity I would have to “burn my bridges” on the paths that are still open to me. I can only tell you that I do, more often than not, in the few public places that allow access to the Internet. There are loopholes in the system, and one can walk the thin line between legality-illegality. The rest I leave to your imagination.
How can my readers help me?
- Words of encouragement can never go wrong. You are also allowed to cross your fingers and try to project a future where every Cuban blogger can access the internet as they see fit. Making links from your site to “Generation Y” is also a tremendous help.
Is it allowed to publish the posts of “Generation Y” and my photos elsewhere?
- Everything in my Blog may be reproduced or mentioned anywhere, I ask only that the source be cited.
In what language will I reply to your emails?
- Those who have written to me in English need to know that I can understand them but it’s hard for me to respond in the same language. I do better in German (what a surprise!). Anyway, I will respond if you have the patience to wait for a friend who can correct my poor English.
Why the name “Generation Y”?
- Because I carry the generational guilt of silence, passivity and tacit acquiescence. I think it is high time that my generation is heard, in all its plurality and disenchantment.
Again, thank you for the words of encouragement, for the recommendations, and even for the insults that will always come. You can wait for the next post from “Generation Y” if the technology, the saints and the censors will allow.
Text on painting: “I would like to say”