Fabio Fiallo, in full Fabio Federico Fiallo Cabral (February 3, 1866 – August 29, 1942) was a Dominican writer, poet, politician, and diplomat, primarily known for his modernist short stories and verses, as well as being an outspoken anti-imperialist during the American occupation of 1916–1924. Intensely patriotic, he was one of the most prominent critics and leaders of the opposition to occupation, alongside Américo Lugo; though, as a result of his political writings, Fiallo was sentenced to 3 years of hard labor in 1920. Aside from his more patriotic works, Fiallo wrote romantic poems that evoke sensuous passion and profound tones of love. Of Fiallo’s prose, his chief claim to fame rests upon his two books of short stories —Cuentos Frágiles and Las Manzanas de Mefisto. The former was published in New York in 1908, with a second edition edited in Madrid in 1929. Las Manzanas de Mefisto was published in Havana in 1934. Cuentos Frágiles is popular throughout the world and has been translated to German, French, Italian, and Portuguese. He died in 1942 in Cuba in exile. Early life Fiallo was born on February 3, 1866, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. His interest in politics stemmed from his family’s deep political roots: his parents were Juan Ramón Fiallo Rodríguez, a politician and member of Congress of the Dominican Republic in 1867, and Ana María Cabral y Figueredo, the niece of the president of the republic, General José María Cabral. He first began writing poetry at the age of twelve, after falling in love. From a young age he also had the political guidance of his father, who took part in important committees to negotiate a Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Commerce between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. After joining the Faculty of Law at the Instituto Profesional de Santo Domingo (later as Instituto Profesional, en Universidad de Santo Domingo and now as Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo), he abandoned his studies to devote himself to politics and poetry. He was also uncle of fashion designer Oscar de la Renta and the politician Viriato Fiallo, the latter was also his son-in-law due to a cousin marriage between Viriato and Prudencia Fiallo, Fabio's daughter. Career His political activities limited his career as a writer. He was imprisoned for defending Dominican independence during the American occupation of the Dominican Republic (1916–24). He was a founder of the newspapers El Hogar (1894),