Born and raised in Cuba, Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria is Sterling Professor of Hispanic and Comparative Literature at Yale University, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1970. He is the author and editor of numerous books, including The Oxford Book of Latin American Short Stories and Myth and Archive: A Theory of Latin American Narrative, and is a frequent contributor to the New York Times Book Review. A former semi-pro catcher, he plays for the Madison Ravens of the Connecticut Senior Baseball League.