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Richard Rodriguez—award-winning author, journalist and lecturer—will
discuss his personal journey from a close-knit Mexican family
into the mainstream of the American public when he gives the keynote
address September 17-22 for CWRU's 2002 celebration of Humanities
Week, sponsored by the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities. 
The talk, co-sponsored by the College Scholars Program, begins
at 4:30 p.m. September 20 in Strosacker Auditorium and explores
ideas and issues he raises in a trilogy of books that begins with
Hunger of Memory, a required reading for this year's freshman
class, and ends with the recently published book, Brown: The
Last Discovery of America.
Rodriguez, a son of Mexican immigrants, was born in San Francisco
and raised in Sacremento, Calif. Hunger of Memory is autobiographical
and speaks of how education brought Rodriguez out of the secure
cocoon of his Spanish-speaking, private family into the public
person he is today. He sets his development in the larger social
context of movements for bilingual education, affirmative action
and changes in Catholicism. The book pulls from a collection of
articles he wrote for such publications as The American Scholar
and Change.
Brown continues this exploration of self through questions
of race and ethnicity in contemporary America.
Following his talk, Rodriguez will sign his books. He also will
meet with College Scholars in an informal discussion while on
campus.
Rodriguez's talk is one of many events (readings, films, musicals,
lectures and exhibits) for Humanities Week. The Baker-Nord Center
for the Humanities selected the theme of "In these Americas" for
this year's event.
"The countries of Americas share, variously, in a common history,"
said Thomas Bishop, director of the Baker-Nord Center and professor
of English. "Often in the United States, we tend to look East
and West to find our bearings. After the events of the last 12
months, it seemed a good time to reflect on the collective life
and experience of this hemisphere of the world, both North and
South, and to explore that commonality, along with the variety
and tensions within it."
Other events scheduled for Humanities Week are:
September 13–October 4:
"La Persistencia de la Memoria: The Persistence of Memory"-a
free, public exhibit of contemporary art work by Cuban artist
Zaida Del Rio at Mather Gallery in Thwing Center. Hours are noon
to 5 p.m. weekdays.
September 17:
Lawrence Lipking, the Chester D. Tripp Professor of Humanities
from Northwestern University, is this year's Phi Beta Kappa visiting
scholar. He will give the talk, "The American Scholar: Poetic
Reflections on Survival" at 5 p.m. in 309 Clark Hall. Lipking
is the author of The Ordering of the Arts in Eighteenth-Century
England (1970), The Life of the Poet: Beginning and Ending
Poetic Careers (1981), Abandoned Women and Poetic Tradition
(1988) and Samuel Johnson: The Life of an Author (1998).
At 8 p.m. in Strosacker Auditorium, the CWRU Film Society will
show "Love and Human Remains," a love and murder-mystery story
set in Canada and directed by Dennis Arcand. Admission is free.
For information, call 368-2463.
September 18:
The CWRU Film Society presents "An American in Paris," the seven-time,
Oscar-winning film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, with
music by George Gerschwin. The free movie will be shown in Strosacker
Auditorium at 8 p.m.
September 19:
"Perspectives on Leadership: Careers for Liberal Arts Majors"
will be a roundtable discussion from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in 206
Clark Hall. Co-sponsored by the CWRU Career Center, students can
learn how to turn their chosen majors in anthropology, English,
history, philosophy, psychology, political science and sociology
into careers. Lunch is provided but reservations are needed. Call
368-4446.
The annual "Polyglot Follies," co-sponsored by the department
of modern languages and literatures, makes an encore Humanities
Week appearance with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to
show who is the fairest of them all in a myriad of different languages.
It takes place at 7 p.m. in 309 Clark Hall.
Shown on the big screen by the CWRU Film Society will be "El
Mariachi." Set in Mexico, a guitarist wants to carry on his family's
musical tradition, but a killer arrives to create havoc with El
Mariachi's plans. The movie starts at 8 p.m. Call 368-2463 for
location.
September 21:
Literatures of the Americas will be a marathon reading
of works by American writers from Canada to Argentina, with selections
from poetry, prose, stories and journalism. The department of
English welcomes readers to Guilford House Parlor from 11 a.m.
to 10 p.m.
Chilean poet Marjorie Agosin will discuss "Thresholds of Memory:
Poetry of Remembrance" at 7 p.m. in 206 Clark Hall. Agosin is
the author of Tres Vidas, a theatrical and musical production
about the lives of three Latin American women. A reception follows
Agosin's talk.
September 22:
Agosin's Tres Vidas will be staged at 2 p.m. in Harkness
Chapel. The theatrical and musical production explores the lives
of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, Salvadoran peasant-activist Ruffina
Amaya and Argentine poet Alfonsina Storni. Tres Vidas combines
narrative with Spanish music by Core Ensemble, a Florida-based
musical trio. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students
or senior citizens over 65. Call 368-6996 for information or reservations
or e-mail Charlotte Newman at cmn5@po.cwru.edu.
This event is co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences,
the departments of economics and music, Flora Stone Mather Alumnae
Association, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Office of
the President and University Women's Coalition.
For information and schedule updates, visit http://www.cwru.edu/artsci/bakernord.
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