Catch of the day

The history of Arizona. This is a key topic for alleged Hispanists. An interesting paper on intertextuality in María: the problems are reading Napoleon’s diary and mimetic desire. Thomas Ward’s bibliography on María. ♦ On racism and the racial divide in Venezuela. On gentrification and the “new urbanism”– the next racial project. Adolph Reed on … More Catch of the day

Frisson

Doing research this morning I got this frisson, the project is moving. I had not had that feeling of engagement and progress in a long time. Today I worked for 12 hours: 1 on research, 9 on teaching, and 2 on service. It was a teaching day in midterms, hence the 9; we have a … More Frisson

Hypocrite étudiant

“That is Old Spanish” (referring to the language of a 19th century text). “That is from Spain, so it is by the oppressor, so it does not interest me and I should not have to read it.” “All you ever teach is literary analysis” (meaning that in language and culture classes, film and history classes, … More Hypocrite étudiant

Monica Ferrell

‘THE SOUL IS A NUMBER MOVING BY ITSELF’ –Aristotle, De Anima It is not cold at the top of the stairs. The years strike like radium drops. There is a little door, there is a little lock, There are many good machines whose purposes are lost. In the plump and tidy cabinets The red drawers … More Monica Ferrell

Stuart Schwartz

“Still, modern historian Francisco Scarano (1993:199) has argued that by the seventeenth century mestizos “were probably more numerous than the Spaniards themselves.” What may be at stake here is not the definition of “mestizo,” but rather the definition of “Spaniard.” Mestizos, especially those born legitimately and who lived according to accepted colonial norms were being … More Stuart Schwartz

Taxing post

Now that so much is paid by electronic bank transfer it is harder to keep up with receipts and it will be convenient to have a page in this blog for 2013 tax deductions. Right now we have this post. PROFESSIONAL EXPENSES AAUP IAS – STILL PAY – IT IS POLITE ILLI – STILL PAY … More Taxing post

Robert Frost

The Black Cottage We chanced in passing by that afternoon To catch it in a sort of special picture Among tar-banded ancient cherry trees, Set well back from the road in rank lodged grass, The little cottage we were speaking of, A front with just a door between two windows, Fresh painted by the shower … More Robert Frost

Impurity of Blood

On a book by Joshua Good: Although Francisco Franco courted the Nazis as allies during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s, the Spanish dictator’s racial ideals had little to do with the kind of pure lineage that obsessed the Nazis. Indeed, Franco’s idea of race–that of a National Catholic state as the happy … More Impurity of Blood

September 17, 2005

Looking through files I found this letter I wrote to the MLA in response to their offer of help for Katrina-ridden faculty. Dear Professors Feal and Stanton, I am pleased to see that the MLA is extending material support to faculty displaced by Hurricane Katrina. I write to suggest that the existence of such support … More September 17, 2005