You are a human animal.

You are a very special breed.

Or you are the only animal.

Who can think, who can reason, who can read?

Hi, this is Michael Silverblad, and welcome to Bookworm. Today, my guest is

actually someone who's become a bit of a friend, Oscar I Huelos, the author of the Mambo Kings

play Songs of Love, whose new book, also from Farras Strauss and Cheru, is the 14 Sisters of

Emilio Montez O'Brien.

I thought I'd begin in a funny way.

I noticed that certain books carry warnings to readers.

Mark Twain, you know, begins Huckleberry Finn with a sign that says that people looking

for meaning will be prosecuted.

And Dr. O begins ragtime with a note telling people not to understand it too quickly.

That ragtime may sound easy, but it's very complicated.

And you, too, in this book, begin with a note about the style of representation practiced by the father of this family, a photographer.

And I wondered if you'd begin by talking about that.

Oh, my God.

What a...

That's a great question, Michael.

That's like being in Belfast, Ireland, and having a disc jockey ask you,

well, now would you explain the meaning of the Mambo to the people of Ireland?

Actually, when I started writing this book, I became very aware that its style was,

...