Winter, 2009 Lecture Series at the IFC !
Daniel Grippo will again be offering two lecture series on Mexican history and culture at the IFC this winter begining January 16. Dan has taught at several U.S. universities and holds an M.A. in Latin American Studies, an M.A. in Religious Studies, and a Ph.D. in Latin American History.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
I’ve taken Dan’s classes in the Spring of 2008 and I honestly can’t think of a better person to teach Mexican history and culture. His classes go far beyond traditional education and well into entertainment (with understanding). He knows the subject inside and out and relates it to *real life* here in Mexico on a broad level.
Lecture Series One – A Literary Expedition Through Mexican History and Culture
Fridays: January 16, 23, 30; February 6, 13 (five weeks)
10:30 a.m.– 11:45 a.m., IFC clubhouse
This course will use as its primary text Mexico in Mind: An Anthology (Vintage Books). From the publisher’s description: “This evocative literary travel guide gathers the work of great writers celebrating Mexico in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, ranging from 1843 to the present.”
“John Reed rides with Pancho Villa; Graham Greene defends Mexico’s priests; Langston Hughes describes a bullfight; Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs chronicle their escapades; Alice Adams visits Frida Kahlo’s house.”
“Here are poems by Muriel Rukeyser, Archibald Macleish, and Sandra Cisneros, stories by Katherine Anne Porter and Ray Bradbury, and excerpts from John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, Tennessee Williams’s Night of the Iguana, and Salman Rushdie’s The Ground Beneath Her Feet. From the bustle of Mexico City to coffee plantations in remote Chiapas, from Mayan ruins to the markets at Oaxaca,” the scenes evoked reflect the rich variety of Mexican life and culture,” as seen through the eyes of visiting writers.
Lecture Series Two – A Brief History of Mexico
Fridays: February 27; March 6, 13, 20, 27 (five weeks)
10:30 a.m.– 11:45 a.m., IFC clubhouse
Reprising a popular lecture series on Mexican history from last winter, this series will use as its primary text A Brief History of Mexico by Lynn V. Foster (Checkmark Books). This series will highlight key moments and movements across the gamut of Mexican history: the rise of the first indigenous civilizations in North America and the Spanish conquest; the fascinating, 300-year colonial era leading up to Mexican independence in 1821; the turbulent 19th century where Mexico lost half its land to the U.S; the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1917 and 20th-century developments; and ending with an exploration of developments in the last decade.
This course will provide a foundation for a deeper understanding and wider appreciation for the vast richness that is Mexico, past and present.
Lecture and Registration Details
All lectures will begin at 10:30 a.m. and conclude at 11:45 a.m. in the IFC meeting hall.
The fee for per person, per lecture series is $400 pesos for IFC members, $500 pesos for non-members. Fifty percent (50%) of all registration fees directly support the charitable works of the IFC.
Please note: Registration passes of five entrance tickets will be sold only for a complete series of all five lectures, not for individual lectures. If you are unable to attend all five lectures in a series, you may give your unused tickets to someone else to attend in your place. Only one person may enter per ticket, however.
Registration will be available at the IFC office from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. M-F, beginning on Monday, January 5. Thank you for bringing exact change in pesos when registering!
Optional reading material will be available for purchase at cost. The readings are not required, but will enhance the learning experience.