The daughter of Cuban exiles, Ana Menéndez (b. 1964) was born in Los Angeles and later moved to Miami. She has worked as a journalist for the Miami Herald and the Orange County Register, and has written four books of fiction, earning a Pushcart Prize for In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd. Her other books include Loving Che, The Last War, and Adios, Happy Homeland! Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Vogue, Bomb Magazine, Poets & Writers, and Gourmet Magazine, and has been included in several anthologies, including Cubanisimo! and American Food Writing.