Alonso, Dora (1910—)

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Alonso, Dora (1910—)

Cuban author. Name variations: (pseudonyms) Nora Lin, D. Polimita. Born Dora Alonso on December 22, 1910, in Máximo Gómez, Cuba. Selected works of fiction and drama include Tierro adentro (1944), Cain (1955), and Once caballos (Eleven Horses, 1970).

Dora Alonso studied at the Cárdenas High School in Cuba before withdrawing to continue studying and writing on her own. In 1931, her first publication was "Humildad," a story that won top prize from the journal Bohemia. Both political and writing interests led Alonso to move to Havana in 1935, where she was a contributor to a number of Latin American journals. Her first novel, Tierro adentro, appeared in 1944. A dedicated member of the Communist Party, Alonso traveled throughout Mexico, Europe, and the former Soviet Union. Her work includes children's books and fiction of the working class in Cuba, as well as depictions of her political and social views. Her 1955 play Cain attacked racism.

Crista Martin , Boston, Massachusetts