Borderlands Literature Conference Slated for May 1-2 in Nuevo Laredo
Texas A&M International University invites the community to attend a literature conference in Nuevo Laredo that promises to attract prominent writers from both sides of the U.S. - Mexico border.
The "Second Gathering of Writers and Scholars of the Tamaulipas-Texas Borderlands" is scheduled for May 1-2 at the Casa de la Cultura, located at the corner of Héroes de Nacatáz and Juárez Streets. Admission to the meeting is free and hours are from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. on May 1 and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on May 2.
Rogelio Hinojosa, A&M International acquisitions librarian and one of the event's organizers, said the gathering will feature readings of participants' works on border topics and lectures by speakers ranging from writers to academics.
Meeting sponsors include A&M International; the City of Nuevo Laredo; The National Council for the Culture and Arts (Mexico); Border Festival 1999; Border Culture A.C.; The Council for the Culture and Arts of Tamaulipas; and the literary journal A Quien Corresponda, published in Tamaulipas.
The meeting aims to strengthen the ties among writers of both Texas and Tamaulipas and further the dissemination of their works. In addition, the gathering will offer an opportunity to view and purchase books on borderlands' literature and culture.
Among meeting participants will also be Dr. Norma Cantú, A&M International professor of English and currently acting director of the Center for Chicano Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The event program is as follows:
Saturday, May 1
10 a.m.---Registration
12:30 p.m.---Opening Remarks
1 p.m.---Buffet
3 p.m.---Readings by participants
5 p.m. ---Break
5:15 p.m.--- "Literary Perspectives in the Digital Age." Lecture by Guillermo Lavín, founder, A Quien Corresponda.
5 p.m.---Reading by participants
8 p.m.--- "Differences Between Literature and Literary Essays." Lecture by Arturo Zárate, researcher, writer, Matamoros office of the Colegio de la Frontera Norte.
9 p.m.---Dinner
Sunday, May 2
9:00 a.m. ---Breakfast buffet
9:30 a.m.---Readings by participants
11:15 a.m.---Break
11:30 a.m.---"Aztlán Borderlands: Chicano Identity." Lecture by Ignacio Magaloni, poet and writer, University of Texas at San Antonio.
12:30 p.m.---Break
12:45 p.m.---"Latino Literature in the USA." Lecture by Roberta Fernández, faculty member, Romance Languages and Literatures/Women's Studies Department, University of Georgia.
1:30 p.m.---Lunch
3 p.m.---Readings by participants
4 p.m.--- "Teodoro Torres, Journalism and the Lost Country." Lecture by Héctor Pérez, Tamaulipas journalist and writer.
5 p.m.---Closing ceremony
8 p.m.---Participation on TV program (XEFE-Television)
For further information on the meeting, please contact Hinojosa at (956) 326-2123. University office hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu