So I was reelected by a landslide to that position, and my candidate for co-chair lost by a 3% margin. This puts me in a toxic situation for the next two years given the counterpart with whom I have been saddled and given that a majority of the committee we serve voted for that person. … More The upshot
This was supposed to be an abstract for a conference, but it might be turning into the article already. I may have hit upon a good writing strategy: say I am writing an abstract for a longer piece. This is better than outlining or storyboarding, which I never really liked. I usually write from an agenda … More The darker side of mestizaje: a writing group post
This is apparently the current meme. Meanwhile I railed against negativity in the writing group today. I have never been an adjunct so I speak from “privilege” but believe me when I tell you I have been through more kinds of academic hell than most people still left standing. In particular I know what it … More Life after tenure
Myths professors live by. Read, then act. Axé.
…more of my bad style. I do not get to move a millimeter from here this summer, which is why I must place myself on virtual immersion. Read a lot in Spanish and Portuguese and also listen to people whose style I like, talking. Los proyectos de identidad mestizos no son exclusivamente latinoamericanos. Desde el … More Writing du jour
You can see how long I have been obsessed with the topic of my alleged book: this abstract is of a talk I gave in 1996. This presentation would be a critique of Hispanocentrism in the discourse of Spanish-American literature and culture. I would argue that the discourse of Hispanism (including the important pan-Hispanic movement … More The Discourse of Hispanism and the Elision of Difference
I told you, vision is the thing. Goode, 25: in Covarrubias’ dictionary of 1611, “raza” is said to refer to thoroughbred horses, which are branded with an iron so they can be known. Race is important to know but hard to see. Far from being free of racial thinking, Spain is the first racial state. … More That discerning eye
Joshua Goode says Spain attributed its 1898 defeat to the racial inferiority of its soldiers — they were not mixed enough. Mixing the blood of Spaniards would also help dissolve regional divisions in the country. They reasoned that when you choose the most robust youths for soldiers, you then remove their genes from the general … More Insufficient mestizaje
2 eggs, 1 cup of kefir, 2 cups of sugar = mix them all well together 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 2 tablespoons of cocoa, 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil = add to the mix and mix very well 2 cups of flour = add to the mix and mix well to create … More That kefir cake
I was out walking and came upon one of the bailes de cuna Villaverde describes taking place in Havana, but that we also have here. A grandfather in a green silk suit waved me in. Another one grabbed me to dance. I like your step was his first salida. Caribbean men. He was one of … More Call for contributions
