The red chair on the front cover of Lost and Found in Cuba has sat prominently in the living room of my psyche since I first saw the image among Shawn’s Davis’ photographs of Havana. For me, the weary plastic of the seat and the low angle at which Shawn shot the photo suggest a child's eye view  of the 1950s. I am transported back to when I was a mere child, Fidel still had a lot of hair, Sputnick was circling the earth (did it have a dog in it?), and Communism and Cuba were merged as twin evils in the national consciousness (a primitive idea that most of us—but apparently not our government-- have outgrown).

I was thrilled when Shawn agreed to let his photos be used in the cover design (created by Go! Creative in Kensington, Maryland). Four photos of his are used on the front and back covers, and I'd love to hear what associations readers have to his images. If you like the shock of gorgeous color in Red Chair, you might also love his Blue Car which hangs in our Yellow Springs home. 

Yesterday, at Shawn's house in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC, we celebrated our collaboration. His sister Sara took the picture of the two of us that appears below. Joining us for wine and watermelon and book signing were Shawn's partner Richard, Mavis Anderson of the Latin America Working Group, and a group of Shawn and Richard's friends. Many were former Peace Corps Volunteers which was fitting, since Shawn and I originally met when we were both doing work for the WorldView Magazine of the National Peace Corps Association.