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Vagando a voluntad entre el ensayo y la naturaleza
January 31 @ 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Juan R. Valdez will talk about his latest book of essays, Sendas Extraviadas: Ensayos para Vivir en el Mundo que nos Queda, in dialogue with his friends and colleagues, Sergio Ugalde and Álvaro Contreras. In his book, Juan explores the possibilities of essayism as an unorthodox practice that involves venturing down the unknown or little-traveled paths of this literary genre. From there, he tries to redefine this turbulent present through a deliberate madness as well as a more loving communion with nature. This form of essay writing is a mixture of analysis, reflection and confession intertwined with lament and hope.
The book talk will be in conversation with Álvaro Contreras and Sergio Ugalde Quintana.
Juan R. Valdez is an essayist, a teacher, and a hiker. He hails from the tradition of maroon intellectuals and socionaturalists, a diverse array of writers and thinkers who roam at will between science and literature. His writing explores and engages with the experiences, visions, and stories of those who walked the earth, leaving very little trace. He merges the quest for freedom with humble human interests and the most profound concern for the natural environment.
Sergio Ugalde Quintana is professor at the Center for Linguistic and Literary Studies at El Colegio de México. His research and teaching interests are 20th century Latin American essays and poetry, seen from the perspective of intellectual history. He holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic literature from El Colegio de México and a Habilitation in Romance literatures and languages from the University of Potsdam, Germany. He is a member of the National System of Researchers, level III. His most recent book is Philology, Creation and Life. Alfonso Reyes and Literary Studies (El Colegio de México, Mexico, 2024).
Álvaro Contreras is a retired professor at the Universidad de Los Andes (Mérida, Venezuela). He has published Un crimen provisional. Relatos policiales de vanguardia (2006), Escenas del siglo XIX. De la ciudad letrada al museo silvestre (2006), Narrativa vanguardista latinoamericana (2007), Estilos de mirar. Ensayo sobre el archivo criollista venezolano (2012), El poeta y la revolución. César Vallejo en el país de Stalin (2020). In co-authorship with Julio Ramos, Farmacopea literaria latinoamericana (1875-1926) (2023).
Event will be in Spanish. Questions may be asked in either English or Spanish.
Livestream: tinyurl.com/13125lec