LITERANISTA Dialogue on Multicultural Books, Tech & Life

Literanista September 7, 2007

Is she serious?

“So much for the sedate alternative to Rosie O’Donnell on “The View.” Whoopi Goldberg used her first day on the daytime chat show Tuesday to defend football star Michael Vick in his dogfighting case. Goldberg said that “from where he comes from” in the South, dogfighting isn’t that unusual.

“It’s like cockfighting in Puerto Rico,” she said. “There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of the country.””

Um, no it’s not! First off, most Puerto Ricans (on mainland US) do not engage in cockfighting and as someone with a degree in anthropology and a background in cultural studies – I have never come across one mention of dogfighting or cruelly drowning dogs and bashing their heads in as part of a deep South/African American cultural study.

Secondly, while it’s no argument that it’s savage, in Puerto Rico cockfighting has been a legalized sport since 1933. There is no relevant comparison between what Vick’s was doing in his mansion to the Puerto Ricans and cockfighting.

People who don’t know what their talking about need to shut up, for real!
Don’t perpetuate your own ignorant biases, please.

On to other news:

Scholastic wouldn’t save Libreria Lectorum! They suck, if you ask me…
Read more here

NYC Events:

1. NYWIFT @ International Film Festivals in New York

A Brunch and A Day of Films by Latin American Filmmakers
@ Latinbeat Film Festival, 2007

The growing success of Latin American filmmaking is more evident than ever in this year’s Latinbeat Film Festival. The festival presents 20 recent films from 11 Latin American countries, including outstanding works from countries with emerging industries that have never been represented in the festival before. It’s proof that this year’s festival is as diverse as Latin America itself.

For a fourth year, The Film Society of Lincoln Center and NYWIFT celebrate the work of Latina filmmakers with a brunch reception at the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery of the Walter Reade Theater.

Join us as we welcome Patricia Riggen (Mexico), Maryse Sistach (Mexico), Paula Heredia (El Salvador), Paz Fabrega (Costa Rica), Paz Encina (Paraguay), Tania Hermida (Ecuador), Tania Cypriano (Brazil) and Sandra Kogut (Brazil).

1:30 program:

Pinta The Bird / La Pajara Pinta
Paula Heredia, El Salvador, 2006, 10 min.
A book opens to reveal a magical legend set in a village in the smallest country of the American continent, where Pinta the Bird beckons a boy and a girl and makes their dreams come true.

Temporal
Paz Fabrega, Costa Rica, 2006, 22 min.
In a small village on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Tanya and Laura are the only two high school students who stay behind after school closes. The two girls become close as they dream of the future.

My Grandmother Has a Video Camera
Tania Cypriano, Brazil/U.S., 2007. 60 min.
For over 20 years, a family of Brazilian immigrants in the United States used their home video camera to record first-hand how they saw their new world and struggled to establish themselves.

4:00 pm
How Much Further/Que tan lejos.
Tania Hermida, Ecuador, 2006, 92 min.
Esperanza arrives in the Andean country from her native Spain and runs into Tristeza, a cynical, mistrustful Ecuadorian university student. They soon embark together on a journey where, along the way, their exchanges with strangers and the companionship they find in each other result in surprising revelations.

6:00pm
Under the Same Moon/La misma luna
Patricia Riggen, Mexico, 2007, 190 min.
This is the story of nine year old Carlitos and his mother Rosario, who illegally crossed over to the United States to offer a better life for her son. Carlitos is raised by his grandmother in Mexico, until unexpected circumstances lead him and his mother to embark on separate journeys, in a desperate attempt to reunite.

Don’t miss other films by Latina filmmakers showing at the festival:

Paraguayan Hammock/Hamaca paraguaya. Paz Encina, Paraguay
Mutum. Sandra Kogut, Brazil
Violet Perfume/Perfume de Violetas. Maryse Sistach, Mexico

All film are presented in their original languages with English subtitles
For more information about the films visit www.filmlinc.com

Sunday, Sept 9th
Brunch reception @ 12:00 noon
Screening @ 1:30 pm
Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center
165 West 65th Street between Amsterdam and Broadway, Plaza Level

NYWIFT and Film Society members $7. Non-members $11 (brunch included)
Tickets are available at The Walter Reade Theater box office,
and by prepayment at www.filmlinc.com. Please select affiliate price.

To RSVP for the brunch, please copy and paste the link below into your browser

RSVP: https://www.123signup.com/register?id=xstdb

Please note: YOU MUST PURCHASE A TICKET at www.filmlinc.com TO VIEW THE SCREENINGS

For more information: https://www.123signup.com/event?id=xstdb

2. Fort Greene Festival feat. Talib Kweli
Sat 9.8 (12-10pm) Fort Greene Park (Dekalb Ave & Washington Park, Bklyn, 347.529.4171) map Event Info

Coming strong off his excellent new Eardrum release, BK son Talib Kweli joins local jazz, reggae, and hip-hop acts, as well as two feature films (including Rosie Perez’s Yo Soy Boricua) and offerings from scores of restaurants, to celebrate this historically creative community.
Note: The fest runs all day, but musical acts take the stage starting at 2pm.

3. Celebrate México Now
when: Wed 9.5 – Sun 9.16 (schedule)
where: Various locations
price: Various
links: Event Info

Forget mariachis and margaritas, Celebrate México Now explores a culture ripe with diversity, all across town, over 11 days. Enjoy gourmet meals at Maya — featuring traditional Purépecha cuisine and native wine (Mon 9.10 – Thur 9.13) — and Papatzul (Sun 9.16), championing the traditional Sunday feast. Sample Mexico’s recent cinematic explosion with shorts from the 2006 Morelia International Film Festival, followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Elisa Miller and Gustavo Gamou (Fri 9.7).

South-of-the-border music abounds, ranging from experimental cumbia sonidero to Veracruz sounds with Afro-Latin rhythms and indie rock. Since it’s not a festival without a parade, on Saturday, 9.15, the stilt-walking Brooklyn Jumbies take to Chelsea with a street performance created by Laura Anderson Barbata.

— Hispanic Heritage Month:

Gale Thomson has some great resources come and get ’em

– Grow your brain!
20 simple ways become bookworm