Relishing the chance to sink into a two-hour lecture in the lilting cadence of Mexican Spanish, I was captivated by this woman's narrative as she brought to life the letters of a Scottish woman, Madame Calderon de la Barca, who spent time writing letters about her new experiences and chaos of Mexican independence as she accompanied her husband there in the 19th century.
The lecture reminded me of the color and brilliance of México - exotic Mangos, leaders such as Miguel Hidalgo, the murals of Orozco in las Cabañas... Espejo as such an animated story teller of Madame Calderon de la Barca's life in México brought me back to my own former life in México and realize how much I adored the chaotic, vivid way of living. So, I wax a bit nostalgic for those days and also cry in earnest, "¡Viva México!"
Curious about Espejo? I definitely would like to dig up some additional reading. Here are some additional links about her (I couldn't find anything in English, which is a pity, as I was so impressed by her person):
- An article (in Spanish) about winning the Bellas Artes Prize
- An extended written interview (in Spanish) about feminism, writing, and life as a woman
1 comment:
This summer I read Barbara Kingsolver's newest book "The Lacuna" which won the Orange Prize. I loved it & the book educated me about Mexico, Trotsky & a period of American history which I didn't know much about.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jun/09/orange-prize-barbara-kingsolver
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