Writing about the Arab Spring in the New York Times in 2013, political scientist Sheri Berman said: "Establishing a stable democracy is a two-stage process. First you get rid of the old regime; then you build a durable democratic replacement." This comment struck me because it was presented as a given, a piece of received wisdom in the field of political science. But it seems to reflect a basic misunderstanding.

My friends and I wanted to tell the story of Cuban life, without interference. Before long, I was being isolated, monitored and interrogated

His feats of creativity reshaped American jazz-and found a way to say what needed saying through his music.