Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs
CLACS

CLACS Reading Group | The Latin American Essay | Lorena Cabnal

CLACS Interdisciplinary Reading Groups Lorena Cabnal

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

59 Charlesfield St., Room 101

Please RSVP

Tea and sweets will be provided.

This reading group explores the intellectual landscape of Latin America produced outside of the US Academy. Who are some of the thinkers that are shaping the region’s intellectual discourse? Our selection of readings transcends disciplinary boundaries and incorporates diverse perspectives and backgrounds, from Brazil to Guatemala, from Mexico to Colombia. But it also transcends genre limitations, because we believe that critical thinking can be achieved through different creative approaches. As we delve into these essays, encompassing political, racial, and cultural topics, we'll ponder pressing questions that challenge our worldview: Why are certain bodies disproportionately subjected to violence?  How is the Mexican sewage system tied to a powerful publishing house and the fight of Indigenous peoples? What did the pandemic teach us about the “usefulness” of our bodies?  Why do we separate our reality from that of our territory? Four of the texts in this reading group are written in Spanish, while one is in Portuguese. However, English translations are available when available to ensure accessibility and inclusivity. 

Please contact Alba Lara Granero or Amanda Macedo Macedo to receive the reading material in advance.

Over the course of the 2023-2024 academic year, the Latin American Essay Reading Group will explore the following topics: (Dates for meetings 2-5 TBD)

  • Meeting 1: “El relato de las violencias desde mi territorio cuerpo-tierra” (Lorena Cabnal) 
  • Meeting 2: Política de los cuerpos. Emancipaciones desde y más allá de Jacques  Rancière (Laura Quintana). Available in English translation. 
  • Meeting 3: A vida não é útil (Ailton Krenak). Available in English translation. 
  • Meeting 4: Visita guiada al mundo de los muertos (Mariana Orantes) 
  • Meeting 5: Drenajes (Diego Rodríguez Landeros)