In Casualty Report, Ed Vega brings together seven previously published short stories and three new ones, including the politically charged “Casualty Report,” the story of a Vietnam veteran and his search for a solution to the plight of his people. His stories slice through the levels of Hispanic life in the city to reveal a richness and diversity of experience, and also the promise of potential or the threat of chaos and destruction. Casualty Report is at times tender and at times humorous, at times dark and at times tragic, but always disquieting and incisive in its awareness of humanity.
“Vega’s narrators are rarely sentimental, but their stories betray a deep concern and love for people living precariously between two worlds. A fine, provocative addition for Latino and large general fiction collections.”–Library Journal
“Ed Vega is a great writer and his stories are sensitive, unforgettable portrayals of Puerto Rican life, on the mainland, away from paradise.”–The Philadelphia Inquirer
ED VEGA’s full name is Edgardo Vega Yunqué. He is one of the most prolific Puerto Rican writers in the United States. Vega was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1936 and he grew up in Cidra, a small northern town on the island. His family moved to the United States in 1949 when his father became the Baptist minister of a Hispanic congregation in the South Bronx.
Vega published his first piece of writing, a short story called “Wild horses,” in 1977. He has taught at Hostos University, Hunter College, and the State University of New York in Old Westbury. He has also worked in community projects such as Addiction Service Agency and Aspira.
He has written short story collections such as Mendoza’s Dreams (1987) and Casualty Reports (1991) but he has mainly published novels like The Comeback (1985), No Matter How Much You Promise to Cook or Pay the Rent You Blew it Cauze Bill Bailey Ain’t Never Coming Home Again (2003), The Lamentable Journey of Omaha Bigelow into the Impenetrable Loisaida Jungle (2004), and more recently Blood Fugues (2005). He passed away in 2008.
