Hispanic Division News and Events

Author Marie Arana Discusses Simon Bolivar, the Great Liberator

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:46:03 GMT

"It is astonishing that Simon Bolivar, the great Liberator of South America, is not better known in the United States."

So begins Marie Arana's new biography "Bolivar: American Liberator," and so too began her lecture at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress on Thursday, June 6, 2013. An author, journalist, and visiting scholar at the Kluge Center, Arana described the remarkable life and oft disputed legacy of the powerful but imperfect South American hero, Simon Bolivar, a man whose name is still shouted in the streets, whose legacy inspires fanatical worship, whose image is used to bolster ideals not his own, and whose mantle is claimed by both left and right.

Both Arana's narrative flair and Bolivar's dramatic life story cause the book to read more like a novel than a biography, but in reality every detail is drawn from first-hand accounts. Relying principally on the vast collection of primary documents - particularly Bolivar's personal correspondences - available at the Library of Congress, Arana captures early 19th-century South America and the explosive tensions that helped revolutionize Bolivar. From his battlefield victories to his ill-fated marriage and legendary love affairs, Bolivar emerges as a man of many facets: fearless general, brilliant strategist, consummate diplomat, passionate abolitionist, gifted writer, and flawed politician.

Arana herself is a woman of many facets. Born in Lima, Peru, to a Peruvian father and American mother, she is the author of the memoir "American Chica," as well as several award-winning novels. Her most recent novel, published in January 2009, is "Lima Nights," and she has written the introductions for many books on Latin America, Hispanicity and biculturalism. Among her many other achievements, Arana has also served as an organizer for the Library of Congress's National Book Festival.

To learn more about Simon Bolivar and the history of South America's 12 year war for independence, be sure to consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240, and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Hispanic Division Hosts Poetry Marathon

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:52:11 GMT

On Friday, June 7, 2013, the Hispanic Division will present the Teatro de la Luna's 21st Poetry Marathon (Maraton de Poesia). This event, hosted annually by the Library of Congress, gathers noteworthy poets from the Hispanic world who live in the United States for a fascinating and enjoyable reading and discussion about the meaning of poetry. The event will be held from 1:30-3:30pm in the Mary Pickford Theater, Madison Building (3rd floor), Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave, SE.

This year's participants are Jorge Miguel Cocom Pech (Mexico), Jose Eduardo Degrazia (Brazil), Angela Hernandez Nunez (Dominican Republic), Laura Hernandez Munoz (Mexico), Astrid Lander (Venezuela), Marianela Medrano (Dominican Republic), Emilio Mozo (Cuba), and Nicasio Urbina (Nicaragua). The session will be moderated by poet and George Mason University professor Rei Berroa.

The event is free and open to the public. Contact cgom@loc.gov.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Authors Fred Arroyo and Maria Melendez to Discuss Latino Literature and Record for the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:13:01 GMT

The Hispanic Division and the Poetry and Literature Center are pleased to present a reading with U.S. Latino authors Fred Arroyo and Maria Melendez on Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. in the Montpelier Room (6th floor, James Madison Building), Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave, S.E., Washington, DC. The authors will read from their respective works, discuss the state of Latino literature, and sign books after the conclusion of their presentation (books will be available for sale). This program will be presented in collaboration with Letras Latinas (University of Notre Dame) and the University of Arizona Press, and is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. Contact: 202-707-5394.

On the morning of the presentation, the two authors will also be privately interviewed for the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT). The AHLOT has recordings of nearly 700 writers from Spain, Latin America, and the US, and is available to registered readers by appointment in the Hispanic Reading Room. For more information, consult the AHLOT webpage (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html).

Fred Arroyo is the author of a collection of short stories called "Western Avenue and Other Fictions" (University of Arizona Press, 2012) and the novel "The Region of Lost Names" (University of Arizona Press, 2008), which was a finalist for the 2008 Premio Aztlan. Maria Melendez is the editor of "Pilgrimaje" magazine in Pueblo, Colorado. Her poetry collections include "How Long She'll Last in This World" (University of Arizona Press, 2006) and "Flexible Bones" (University of Arizona Press, 2010).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Mexico's April Fool's Day: Dia de los Inocentes

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:29:36 GMT

On Monday, it's possible that you were tricked into believing the clocks were an hour fast or that several of your Facebook friends had either become engaged or unexpectedly split up. Whether it took you a few seconds or several hours, one would hope you eventually checked the calendar and realized that you were the victim of an April Fool's joke.

In Mexico and Spain, a similar tradition of mischief is observed on December 28, which is known throughout the Spanish-speaking world as el Dia de los Inocentes or the Day of the Innocent Ones. Originally a somber occasion with religious overtones, the holiday has grown more lighthearted through the centuries. Today, it is observed with the same practical jokes and false newspaper headlines that we in the United States associate with April 1.

It is well-known in Mexico that money lent on December 28 will most likely remain in the pocket of the recipient. The foolish lender will then hear the following singsong refrain: "Inocente palomita, que te dejaste enganar, sabiendo que en este dia nada se debe prestar." In English, this translates to: "Innocent little dove, you let yourself be fooled, knowing that on this day nothing should be lent." Fools may also be marked by a small white paper doll, a symbol that friends stick to each other's backs to indicate the "innocence" of the person who wears it.

To find out more about Spanish and Latin American customs and traditions, come and visit us in the Hispanic Division! If you're interested in Mexican history and culture, be sure to consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240, and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

"Entry into the Forest": A Mural by Candido Portinari

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:13:21 GMT

One of the most colorful murals in the Hispanic Division's foyer is Candido Portinari's "Entry into the Forest," the second in a four-fold series painted by the renown Brazilian muralist in 1941. The mural shows four men on an expedition through one of the dense, wild forests of the recently discovered Americas. As wildlife, undergrowth, and trees surround the human figures in the scene, the vastness of the forest is remarkable; nonetheless, the explorers dominate the composition--and perhaps even nature itself--with their determined stares, self-assured stances, and solid forms.
Available through the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog, Portinari's initial sketches for "Entry into the Forest" reveal details about his compositional decisions. An early sketch includes more men (and fewer animals) in the background exploring the forest (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3g06745/) while another drawing shows that Portinari initially envisioned a smaller composition with a greater focus on the two explorers toward the right (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/00650395/). In the finished mural, three explorers stand as they survey the forest, while a fourth lies on his stomach to drink from a stream that runs horizontally through the painting (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/img/forest.jpg). The two explorers in the foreground frame the scene and provide an interesting visual comparison to one another. The man on the left has his back to the viewer, feet planted firmly as he stares off into the forest. In contrast, the man on the right faces the viewer straight on, holding a gun in one hand and a bird in the other. His clothing differs from that of the other men and may serve to demonstrate his authority as the commanding explorer. He wears a bright red-and-white checkered shirt, a yellow belt, and is the only explorer to wear a hat. He is also the only figure in the group to hold a gun, while a sack of supplies and a coil of rope have been momentarily set down on the floor of the forest.

Consistent with Portinari's self-imposed constraint that the Hispanic Division’s murals not depict one specific place, age, or nation, the unidentified forest and explorers symbolize the many expeditions of the Spanish and Portuguese in the Americas during the Age of Exploration. Nonetheless, the animals that appear in Entry into the Forest are animals typical of Brazil and some suspect that their presence may be a small tribute to Portinari's native country. In the foreground of the painting one sees a small wild deer or veado in Portuguese. Only reaching the knees of a nearby explorer, this small deer could be a Grey Brocket, a grey-brown deer found in Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay that often lives on the edges of forests. Behind the deer, a small creature emerges from the undergrowth, perhaps curious about the explorer drinking from the stream. This is likely a capybara, one of the world's largest rodents. Resembling a guinea pig, the capybara is a short-haired mammal that can grow to be 1 meter long and can weigh up to 70kg. As in Portinari’s mural, the capybara normally lives near water sources in dense forests but is also found in savannas. It is often hunted for its meat and hide. In the center of the mural, a giant anteater (called a tamandua-bandeira in Portuguese) emerges from behind the tree trunks. Solitary, slow-moving creatures usually found in jungles or savannas, giant anteaters have thick coats and long claws. They are instantly recognizable thanks to their long snouts through which they eat ants and termites. Finally, the explorer to the right holds a bird resembling a type of Brazilian woodpecker, with its straight beak and red plumage on its crown. Generally found in subtropical or tropical forests, Brazilian woodpeckers vary in size and color but all have a distinctively strong, straight beak that allows them to drum into tree trunks in search of insects and eat nuts, tree sap, and fruit.

To see the Portinari murals in person, come and visit us in the Hispanic Division! To view images of Portinari's murals or his preliminary drawings, consult the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/). For more information about Candido Portinari, his work, or the geography and wildlife Latin America, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240, and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Argentine-Spanish Author Andres Neuman is Recorded for the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT)

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:28:01 GMT

Last week, the Hispanic Division recorded Argentine-Spanish novelist, poet, and short fiction writer, Andres Neuman; he is the first author in 2013 to become part of the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT). He was interviewed by the chief of the Hispanic Division and curator of the AHLOT, Georgette Dorn, in the same Library of Congress recording studio where Gabriela Mistral, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and many other notable writers of the Hispanic world have been recorded for the Archive in the past. During the recording session, Neuman read from his award-winning novel "El viajero del siglo" ("The Traveler of the Century," 2009), from his book of poetry "Decada: Poesia 1997-2007" ("Decade: Poetry 1997-2007," 2008), and from his book of short stories "Hacerse el muerto" ("Playing Dead," 2011).

Andres Neuman was born in Buenos Aires. Son of emigrant musicians, he moved to Granada, Spain when he was young. He studied Spanish philology at the University of Granada, and at the same institution he taught Spanish-American literature. With more than 20 books published to date, the highly prolific young author has been included on the Bogota-39 list of the most outstanding Latin American authors, as well as in Granta's list of the best young Spanish-language novelists.

The AHLOT has recordings of nearly 700 writers from Spain, Latin America, and the US, and is available to registered readers by appointment in the Hispanic Reading Room. For more information, consult the AHLOT webpage
(http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html).

To learn more about Andres Neuman, and Latin American literature, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Happy Birthday, Benito Juarez / El Natalicio de Benito Juarez

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:34:39 GMT

While many in D.C. are eagerly awaiting the first official day of spring this Thursday, we in the Hispanic Division look forward to March 21 because it is the Mexican national holiday commemorating the birthday of former president Benito Juarez. Sometimes referred to as the "Mexican Abraham Lincoln," Juarez is remembered and celebrated as a champion of democracy, equal rights, and Mexican national sovereignty.

Born March 21, 1806, in a small village in rural Oaxaca, Juarez was the first Mexican president of Zapotec descent. As such, he was a staunch advocate for natives' rights. Before serving as Mexico's president, he was a lawyer, judge, governor, and Supreme Court justice. According to Juarez, "law has always been my shield and my sword."

During his five terms as president, he oversaw major political, social, and institutional changes. In what came to be referred to as La Reforma del Norte, Juarez's liberal, federalist, anti-clerical, and pro-capitalist initiatives triumphed over the conservative, centralist, corporatist, and theocratic elements of the Mexican political establishment.

Today Juarez is commemorated in Mexico by the city, airport, and national holiday that bear his name. He is also remembered right here in Washington, D.C., at the intersection of Virginia Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue N.W., where his bronze figure, part of the city's Statues of the Liberators collection, stands pointing into the distance.

To find out more about Benito Juarez, or to see his portrait, come and visit us in the Hispanic Division! If you're interested in Mexican political history, be sure to consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240, and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Discovery of the Land: A Mural by Candido Portinari

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:53:30 GMT

Upon entering the Hispanic Division Reading Room, Library of Congress patrons are often awestruck by the richly colored murals that tower above them on the vestibule walls. Painted by Brazilian muralist Candido Portinari in 1941, the four murals collectively portray the discovery, exploration, and settlement of the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese.

At the invitation of then Librarian of Congress, Archibald MacLeish, and through generous funding provided by the Brazilian Government, Portinari began to prepare his sketches for the murals in August 1941. Although he deliberated painting on canvases, in the end he decided to paint directly on the walls to make the best use of the relatively small vestibule space. He also chose to paint on dry plaster in tempera (instead of the more traditional wet plaster) because, he maintained, this technique would allow for a more brilliant blending of colors and would heighten the dramatic effect of his works.

In addition to choices about technique, Portinari also faced decisions concerning the content of his works. How should he portray the arrival of the Europeans in the Americas? Which regions or figures should he highlight? Portinari finally resolved that he would not depict specific details, such as Columbus leading the Spanish or Cabral leading the Portuguese, but would instead portray a succession of events in the exploration of the Americas that might have occurred in any Latin American nation. Portinari settled on four general scenes for his murals: the first sighting of the new continent, the exploration of vast forests, the cultural and religious exchange between Europeans and indigenous peoples, and the search for precious metals.

Portinari's initial sketches provide valuable insights into how the artist achieved the final murals. Discovery of the Land, the first mural in Portinari's series, is a particularly interesting case. Available through the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog, this preliminary graphite drawing (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006683915//) demonstrates that Portinari initially considered portraying an expansive view of an impressive fleet approaching the New World. Later drawings however, such as this one, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/00650396/, reveal that he abandoned this idea in favor of a much more intimate scene: a group of ordinary sailors at their work aboard a vessel. By highlighting these anonymous men, Portinari seems to be emphasizing that they were indispensible to the voyages of discovery and, later, to the fleets that enabled conquest, colonization, and commerce. Furthermore, in this later drawing there is a prominent use of rope--one of Portinari's favorite symbols: two sailors determinedly heave on ropes in the foreground, a third sailor retrieves a coil of rope from the deck, and a rope ladder blows in the wind. Since rope appears in all four of the Hispanic Division's murals, many have suggested that Portinari used it to symbolize humanity's ability to harness nature. Finally, in this "close-up" view of the sailors, Portinari captures the intensity and monumentality of the moment when the men catch their first glimpse of land. As the wind buffets the sails and propels them onwards, the sailors joyously celebrate the long-awaited discovery of land and the viewer cannot help but sense their palpable excitement.

To see the Portinari murals in person, come and visit us in the Hispanic Division! To view images of Portinari's murals or his preliminary drawings, consult the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/). For more information about Candido Portinari or his work, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240, and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Latina Groundbreakers in Government

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:34:24 GMT

At first glance an astronaut and a lawyer do not share many things in common; however, Ellen Ochoa and Edith Ramirez are both successful Latinas at the top of their fields. Both women grew up in California with immigrant parents, attended prestigious universities and attribute much of their success to their upbringing and Hispanic roots. In honor of Women's History Month, we highlight the accomplishments of these two women.

Ochoa, the first Latina to go to space when she boarded the Discovery space shuttle in 1993, is now the top commander of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston TX. As the director, she is heading a cutting-edge project to develop a beyond low-earth orbit vehicle called the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, the first of its kind. NASA plans to launch a test flight by 2014. To explore the Library's vast collection on the history of American astronauts and Latinos in science visit the online guides below created by the Library's Science, Technology and Business Division:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/SciRefGuides/aeronautics.html
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/SciRefGuides/latinos.html

Ramirez served as editor of the Harvard Law Review along with President Obama and is the first of his recent appointees to be a minority. She will head the Federal Trade Commission, which protects consumers from financial fraud, and will be the first fluent Spanish-speaker to hold such a title. She has a history of community involvement such as serving on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice which serves low-income residents of East Los Angeles.

Researchers can find more information about the role of women in the United States by accessing the online research guide, American Women at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/index.html. The Hispanic Division has created a section in this guide dedicated to Latina women. To learn more about Latinas in government visit http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/awas12/latinas.html.

For more resources related to US Latinas or women in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking nations, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Dies at Age 58

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:50:31 GMT

On Tuesday, March 5, Vice-President Nicolas Maduro made the official announcement that Hugo Chavez had died after battling cancer for close to two years. During his treatment, few details about the leader's prognosis were revealed publically though it is known that he travelled to Cuba for radiation, chemotherapy, and surgical procedures. Chavez's absences from the official scene, particularly during his most recent prolonged hospitalization in Cuba, put the country in a state of limbo. Now, in the wake of the charismatic leader's death, Venezuelans are feeling anxious about the uncertain political future of their country.

Chavez ruled Venezuela for fourteen years. A graduate of the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences, Chavez was jailed in 1992 for a failed coup attempt. Upon his release, he strengthened his political party, the Movement of the Fifth Republic, and was elected president of Venezuela in 1998. His socialist policies helped garner the support of the country's poor and working class. After his election, he provided health clinics in poor neighborhoods, set up state-subsidized stores, and established other social welfare policies aimed at improving the lives of Venezuela's underclasses. Nonetheless, daily life in Venezuela remained fraught with challenges, ranging from the difficulties of dealing with a convoluted and often corrupt bureaucracy to the fear engendered by escalating rates of murder and other violent crimes. Under Chavez, Venezuela's oil and other foreign-owned resources were nationalized leading to a rapid decline in foreign and private investment. His outspoken views about the US and its international policies, which he denounced as imperialist, as well his close relationships with Cuba and Iran, frayed diplomatic ties with the Bush and then Obama administrations. While many in the country remained devoted supporters of Chavez, thousands of Venezuela's educated middle and upper classes fled in search of more stable lives elsewhere. Whether they will return remains to be seen.

The state funeral for Chavez will be held on Friday, March 8. The Obama administration has announced that it will send an official delegation.

For more information about Hugo Chavez or the politics and history of Venezuela, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

The Dominican Republic Celebrates Independence Day

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:23:57 GMT

The Dominican Republic and the United States have long been political and cultural allies. To commemorate the 1844 independence of the Dominican Republic from Haitian rule, we wish to highlight a variety of Dominican-related items from the collections of the Library of Congress. These items have been digitized and are available via the Library of Congress web site.

Among the vast collections of the Geography and Map Division is a 19th-century map of the city of Santo Domingo portrayed in ink and watercolor. This French military map depicts the unsuccessful 1805 siege of the city by the Governor-General, and later self-appointed Emperor, of Haiti, Jean Jacques Dessaline. Among the details shown on the map are the encampments of French and Spanish forces, streams, roads, cultivated fields, and navigational hazards.
http://www.loc.gov/item/00561857

In addition to other images related to the Dominican Republic, the Prints and Photographs Division has an 1854 wood engraving of President Buenaventura Baez Mendez. Baez was among the leaders of the rebellion against Haiti and became the third president of the newly independent nation.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003653406/

Since the introduction of baseball to the island nation in the 19th century, Dominicans have been captivated by the game. On June 30th of 2006, the Hispanic Division hosted Dr. Roberto Gonzalez Echeverria, professor of comparative literature at Yale University and expert on the history of Caribbean baseball, as he presented a talk on the World Baseball Classic of 2006. The presentation can be viewed in its entirety online.
http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=3897

For books and articles related to the Dominican Republic, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies, a bibliography compiled in the Hispanic Division.
http://hlasopac.loc.gov

This is only a fraction of the treasures that can be found in the Library of Congress collections. We invite you to visit us in the Hispanic Reading Room for more information on the items mentioned here and to explore our extensive collections!

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240, and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Salvador Dali and Don Quixote

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:44:07 GMT

Salvador Dali (1904-1989), known to many as the creator of outlandish, dream-like paintings such as "The Persistence of Memory," and the surreal portraits of his wife, Gala, was an artist who didn't shy away from a deep exploration of his creativity. In addition to painting, the artist delved into jewelry-making, mural-painting, furniture design, cinema, and literature. His artistic legacy is a reflection of his extensive and varied aesthetic interests and passions.

Dali's fascination with the written word, among the other media, was in great part due to the influence of his friend, the Spanish author, Federico Garcia Lorca. Dali loved to write and he created works of non-fiction such as his famed autobiography, "The Secret Life of Salvador Dali (http://lccn.loc.gov/43000502). His experiments with fiction include the novel "Hidden Faces" (http://lccn.loc.gov/44005688), which he wrote in 1944.

In 1946, the Illustrated Modern Library, an imprint of Random House (New York), published Miguel de Cervantes' "The First Part and Achievements of the Renowned Don Quixote de la Mancha" (http://lccn.loc.gov/46011859), translated into English by Peter Motteux. Dali was commissioned to illustrate this edition of the novel, returning the artist to his true element--the visual realm. According to Consuelo Ciscar Casaban, director of the Institut Valencia d'Art Modern (Institute of Modern Art of Valencia), through his illustrations of "Don Quixote," Dali not only intended to examine "the figure from an aesthetic point of view," but also to "understand him [Cervantes] from the logic of thought."

To find more about Salvador Dali, send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/) or consult the Library of Congress catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov/). Images of the painter are available through the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

In Memoriam: Joseph T. Criscenti, Historian

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:24:33 GMT

Dr. Joseph T. Criscenti, professor emeritus of history, Boston College, World War II veteran, and former Contributing Editor to the Handbook of Latin American Studies died in Needham, MA on January 3, 2013 of congestive heart failure.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Criscenti received his Bachelor's degree in 1942 from Detroit College and shortly thereafter was assigned to General MacArthur's Army headquarters in Manila. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star and, as an Army Reservist, went on to work at the Pentagon's Office of Military History. Following World War II, Dr. Criscenti pursued graduate studies at Harvard University and in 1955 was awarded a Ph.D. in history with a specialization in Latin American history. He taught in the History Department of Boston College from 1955-1988, while also pursuing his research interest in the history of Argentina, particularly the formation of the Argentine Republic.

Throughout his career, Dr. Criscenti demonstrated continued scholarly generosity and an unflagging commitment to the field of Latin American studies. As professor of history at Boston College, and later as professor emeritus, Dr. Criscenti prepared the section on Argentine history for the Handbook of Latin American Studies. He contributed to the Handbook for thirteen years from 1986-1999 (Vols. 48-56). During that time, he was instrumental in helping to build the Argentine history collection at the Library of Congress. In the early 1970s, Dr. Criscenti was one of the founders of the New England Council of Latin American Studies (NECLAS), and the secretary-treasurer of the organization for nearly twenty years. NECLAS was established to provide an opportunity for faculty and graduate students in the region to present and share their research and learn from one another. In honor of his efforts, NECLAS now offers the annual Joseph T. Criscenti Best Article Prize. The prize and Dr. Criscenti's many reviews and introductory essays in the Handbook will continue to inspire further research and writing on Latin America for many years to come.

To read Dr. Criscenti's reviews and introductory essays for the Handbook or to learn more about the history of Argentina, consult HLAS Online (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/) and the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Kluge Center Accepting Applications for Kislak Short-Term Fellowships for the Study of the Early Americas

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:37:02 GMT

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress is now accepting applications for the Kislak Short-term Fellowship for the Study of the History and Cultures of the Early Americas. The application deadline is March 1, 2013.

The Kislak Fellowship is a short-term fellowship for independent scholars, undergraduate and graduate students, and college and university faculty to conduct research based on items from the Kislak Collection, a major collection of rare books, manuscripts, historic documents, maps and art of the Americas donated to the Library of Congress by the Jay I. Kislak Foundation of Miami Lakes, FL. The collection contains some of the earliest records of indigenous peoples in North America and superb objects from the discovery, contact, and colonial periods, especially for Florida, the Caribbean, and Mesoamerica.

The Fellowship supports scholarly research that contributes significantly to a greater understanding of the cultures and history of the Americas. Fellows conduct full-time research on-site at the Library of Congress and are provided a stipend of $4,200 per month for a period of up to 4 months. Two fellowships will be offered during the next round. Awards will be announced by August 2013.

Apply for the Kislak Short-Term Fellowship by visiting:
http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/fellowships/kislakshort.html

The John W. Kluge Center was established at the Library of Congress in 2000 to foster a mutually enriching relationship between the world of ideas and the world of action, between scholars and political leaders. The Center attracts outstanding scholarly figures to Washington, D.C., facilitates their access to the Library’s remarkable collections, and helps them engage in conversation with members of the U.S. Congress and the public. Learn more at: http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/.

Visit the Hispanic Reading Room to learn more about the Luso-Hispanic collections at the Library of Congress. The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

University of Maryland Professor to Discuss Mexican Literature

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:03:57 GMT

The Hispanic Division and the Poetry and Literature Center of the Library of Congress are pleased to present a lecture by Professor Sandra Cypess on two of Mexico's most celebrated literary figures, Octavio Paz, and Elena Garro. The event will be held on Monday, December 17, 2012, in the Mary Pickford Theater of the Library of Congress (James Madison building, 3rd floor), at noon.

Paz and Garro (once married) wrote about many of the same experiences throughout their literary careers. Both authors contributed significantly to the formation of Mexican identity but, according to Dr. Cypess, they were judged quite differently, primarily because of gender.

For more information on the literature of Octavio Paz, Elena Garro, or other Mexican authors, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Book Talks Feature Spanish and Mexican Writers

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 22:05:44 GMT

Join the Hispanic Division and the Poetry and Literature Center for two book talks on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 with award-winning Spanish writer Javier Cercas and Mexican poet and professor Pedro Serrano. Cercas, a Spanish writer and winner of Spain's National Narrative Award for his book "Anatomy of a Moment" (2009) about the failed 1981 coup, will discuss the current state of Spanish literature. The author will be recorded for the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape in the morning of December 6, 2012, and will give a public reading at 2 pm in Room LJ-119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E. Washington, DC.

Serrano, a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), has written five collections of poetry, edited an anthology, and is editor of an acclaimed poetry website, Periodico de Poesia (http://www.periodicodepoesia.unam.mx/). During his lecture, "Bridging the Uncanny: T.S. Eliot and Octavio Paz," Serrano will discuss his latest work about the relationship between the two Modernist poets. This program will be held in the Mary Pickford Theater (Madison Building, 3rd Floor) on Friday, December 7th, 2012 at 12 pm.

For more information on Spanish and Latin American literature, please consult the Library of Congress online catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov), the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or send a question to the Hispanic Division reference staff via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Caballero Bonald Wins Cervantes Prize

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 18:11:38 GMT

The poet, novelist, and essayist Jose Manuel Caballero Bonald was awarded this year's Cervantes Prize, the most prestigious literary award in the Spanish-speaking world. Previous winners of the Prize include Mexicans Carlos Fuentes and Octavio Paz and Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa. Though he himself tends to resist labels applied by critics and others, Caballero Bonald is often known as one of the Generation of 1950, a name given to a group of writers who opposed General Franciso Franco's authoritarian regime (1939-1975) in Spain. Caballero Bonald was praised by the Cervantes Prize committee for his masterful use of language and for having won over readers in both Spain and Latin America.

In 1961, the Hispanic Division recorded Caballero Bonald reading several of his poems from his collections "Las horas muertas" and "Pliegos de cordel." The AHLOT has recordings of nearly 700 writers from Spain, Latin America, and the US, and is available to registered readers by appointment in the Hispanic Reading Room. For more information, consult the AHLOT webpage (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html) or contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Happy Birthday, Rachel de Queiroz!

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:54:06 GMT

Today the Hispanic Division remembers Rachel de Queiroz, a Brazilian novelist and journalist known for her works of social criticism. Born on November 17th, 1910, Queiroz spent most of her childhood on a ranch in the northeastern state of Ceara, a region that became the setting for most of her novels. An avid reader, Queiroz became a teacher at the age of fifteen. In 1927 she began her career as a journalist when she anonymously submitted an article to the newspaper "O Ceara," mocking a contest the publication supported called "Queen of the Students." The publication of her first novel "O Quinze" (1930) was an unexpected success and launched the previously unknown twenty-year-old onto the Brazilian literary scene. Based on the memories of her family’s hardships, "O Quinze" is a profoundly realistic novel in its descriptions of the poverty and despair that the people of Ceara confronted in the drought of 1915.

Queiroz became a prolific writer, both continuing her work as a journalist and also producing original novels, plays, children's books, and cronicas. Some of her most renowned works include "Joao Miguel" (1932), "As Tres Marias" (1939), and "Memorial de Maria Moura" (1992). She even translated the works of Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Emily Bronte into Portuguese. In 1964 Queiroz served as Brazil’s representative to the United Nations and in 1977 she became the first female writer elected to the Academia Brasileira de Letras. She died in Rio de Janeiro in 2003, the same year the Rachel de Queiroz Cultural Centre was founded in her hometown of Quixada, Ceara.

In 1974, the Hispanic Division recorded an interview with Queiroz for the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT). The AHLOT has recordings of nearly 700 writers from Spain, Latin America, and the US, and is available to researchers in the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html).

For more information on Rachel de Queiroz and analyses of her works, consult the Library of Congress' online catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov) and the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov) or contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Mexico's Day of the Dead: A Time for Celebration and Remembrance

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:25:30 GMT

November 1 is celebrated in Mexico as the "Day of the Dead" (Dia de los Muertos). It bears absolutely no relation to the "trick or treat" of Halloween, which is becoming increasingly popular in Mexico as a children's celebration. The "Day of the Dead" instead, is a family affair in which everyone strolls out to the cemetery to commune with and show reverence for family members who have gone. Relatives bring along radios, food for themselves and for their ancestors, games to play, chalk to make designs, cleaning supplies to fix up the gravestones, and flowers - especially marigolds- to plant and decorate the tombstones. Through these activities, the memories of relatives and ancestors are kept alive and remain meaningful and present to those still living.

The image of the skull is an important part of the festivities. It lives everywhere before November 1 in special breads shaped in human and animal forms and in sugary heads with bright paper eyes inscribed with the name of a person. The "calavera" shown here http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppmsca.13238/ is the famous design created by Mexico's premier engraver, Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913). The even-more-famous female version, Catrina, is almost a symbol of Mexico itself. Its popularity after over a century indicates the Mexicans' comfort with the idea of death and their willingness to accept and embrace it as part of life.

The calavera Oaxaquena image is a lithograph published in 1903 by the Imprenta de Antonio Vanegas Arroyo. The image is part of a collection of Mexican broadsides held in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Digital versions of this and other broadsides may be found by searching the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/).

To learn more about folk and cultural traditions of Mexico and other parts of Latin America, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov) or contact the Hispanic Reading Room staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Spanish novelist Enrique Vila-Matas Discusses His Novel Dublinesque (2012) and the Future of Literature

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:23:06 GMT

On October 24, 2012, the Hispanic Division recorded an interview with renowned Catalonian author Enrique Vila-Matas for the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT). Author of celebrated novels such as Bartleby y compania (2000), El mal de Montano (2002), and Para no se acaba nunca (2003), Vila-Matas has earned an international following with the translation of his works into over 30 languages. His visit to the Library of Congress was part of his US tour to promote Dublinesque (2012), the English version of his recent novel Dublinesca (2010), translated by Rosalind Harvey and Anne McLean.

In his interview, Vila-Matas shared that his inspiration for Dublinesque began with a very vivid dream about Dublin. Though at the time he had not visited the city, Dublin's rich literary history seemed to provide the appropriate setting for an apocalyptic novel that grapples with the death of literature. Samuel Riba, Dublinesque's protagonist, is a retired literary publisher struggling with the growing irrelevance of literature in the face of the digital age. Desperate to escape the boredom of his retirement, Riba is gripped by a desire to visit Dublin--a city haunted by the shadows of literary giants such as James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. There, where literature was once revered, Riba intends to perform a funeral for "the Gutenberg galaxy" to signify the demise of the age of books. In his interview, Vila-Matas seemed to share at least some of his protagonist's concerns over the declining influence of literature. Musing over the ever-increasing dominance of the internet and a subsequent "leveling" of the quality of all written text, in Dublinesque, and in his interview, Vila-Matas provides a masterful and provocative commentary about the trajectory of the literary canon.

To find out more about the Hispanic Division's interviews with eminent Hispanic authors, please consult the web page for the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html). The AHLOT is housed in the Hispanic Reading Room and is available to registered readers by appointment. For more information, please contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

To learn more about Enrique Vila-Matas and his novels, consult the Library of Congress catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov/) for works such as http://lccn.loc.gov/2011524657 or http://lccn.loc.gov/2004001105. The Library's holdings also include most of Vila-Matas' published fiction.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Venezuela Cheers for National League Champions and Prepares for World Series

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:42:20 GMT

When the Giants took the National League Championship on Monday, October 22 in a Game 7 victory over the Cardinals, Venezuela and San Francisco cheered together. Five Venezuelan players are on the Giants' roster, including Most Valuable Player of the Championship Marco Scutaro. Tonight as the Giants head into Game 1 of the World Series against the Tigers, Venezuelans may find their loyalties divided: the Detroit team boasts four Venezuelan players.

While futbol/futebol (or soccer) reigns as the most-watched, most-talked about, most-loved sport in Latin America, baseball has long held a place of paramount importance, among many Caribbean and Central American nations and Mexico. The game was introduced to Cuba in the 1860s by US sailors and by Cubans who had studied in the US. A Cuban, Esteban Bellan, was the first Latin American to play in the US Major Leagues, and the Cuban League (1878-1961) was the longest running professional baseball league outside the US. Because the Cuban League integrated shortly after the turn of the 19th century, it attracted key players from US Negro leagues, providing black and white players an opportunity to play together decades before the same would be true in the US. Throughout the latter part of the 19th century, baseball teams and leagues spread across the region, popping up in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Panama, and Mexico. Today these countries are still home to thriving leagues. Four countries compete annually in the Caribbean World Series (Serie del Caribe), which began in 1949. With the establishment of the World Baseball Classic in 2006, Latin American teams began competing against national teams from Europe, Asia, the US, and elsewhere. Some players opt to play in the country where baseball began and today nearly 30 percent of US Major League players come from Latin America.

Interested in reading more about Latin America's fascination with baseball? Find citations for related publications in the Handbook of Latin America Studies (www.loc.gov/hlas/) and the Library of Congress catalog (catalog.loc.gov), for example, http://lccn.loc.gov/98020779/. And for even more about the Library's baseball collections, see www.loc.gov/topics/baseball/ and http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/BERA/issue3/baseball.html/.

Reuben Post Halleck Professor of Spanish and Portuguese Literature Rolena Adorno to Give Lecture on the Mexican Baroque

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 17:02:33 GMT

Join the Library of Congress for the lecture "Aztecs and Allegory: The Baroque in Colonial Mexico" by Professor Rolena Adorno (Yale University) today at 4:30 p.m. in the Mumford Room of the Library of Congress (Madison Building, 6th floor), 101 Independence Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C. The lecture is the keynote event of the three-day symposium "Colonial Intersections: Reconsidering the Historical, Literary, and Visual Archives." The program, organized by the Departments of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Maryland, brings together historians, literary critics, and art historians specializing in colonial Latin America to present their ongoing projects and to reflect on the extent to which colonial studies dealing with the larger Iberian-American world have been transformed in the last twenty years.

Today’s lecture will be co-sponsored by the Hispanic Division and the Poetry and Literature Center of the Library of Congress. Other co-sponsors of the symposium include the Latin American Studies Center, the Miller Center for Historical Studies, and the Center for Teaching Excellence, among others.

The event is free and open to the public. Contact: 202-707-6404.

Hispanic Heritage Month Film Features Afro-Colombian/Indigenous/Spanish Vallenato Music

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:55:23 GMT

The award-winning Colombian film "The Wind Journeys" focuses on a vallenato singer and accordion player who has lost his will to play. Determined to return the accordion to his former teacher, the singer sets out on a trek across Colombia. Moviegoers and critics have been dazzled by the beauty of Colombia's landscape and by the bittersweet tale of a man's literal and internal journey in search of renewed hope and happiness. The movie will be shown on Oct. 4 at noon in the Pickford Theater of the Library of Congress (Madison Building). Admission is free and open to the public.

The vallento is one of Colombia's most prominent and beloved musical genres. Vallenato translates as "born in the valley" or "of the valley and refers to the birthplace of the music in the northeast Caribbean region of Colombia. Originally, drawing on the tradition of Spanish minstrels (wandering musicians) and West-African griots (storytellers, poets, musicians), vallenato music relies on three basic instruments: the accordion, the caja vallenata (a small drum of African origins), and a guacharaca (a small percussion instrument used by indigenous peoples while hunting birds). Contemporary vallenato musicians mix traditional sounds with new rhythms, adding electric guitars, bass, saxophones, conga drums, tambourines and more, expanding into subgenres, including vallenato-pop.

For more information on vallenato recordings collected by the Library of Congress, contact the Performing Arts Reading Room staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/perform/). Those curious about the history of vallenato or interested in biographies of contemporary musicians should consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov) or contact the Hispanic Reading Room staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

The Library of Congress to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2012

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:22:50 GMT

Each year, from September 15 to October 15, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central or South America. Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 because this day marks the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries--Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico achieved independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18.

This year's theme for Hispanic Heritage Month, "Diversity United, Building America's Future Today," celebrates a diverse America, and the significant contributions made by Hispanics in the United States today and throughout the nation's history. The theme also expresses the desire for a strong national future built by all Americans as a united people, and for a society that honors the distinctive heritage of each of its citizens.

The Library of Congress will showcase a number of programs related to Hispanic culture and history during the 2012 Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. We'll kick off the celebration with our featured guest speaker, Jodie G. Roure, JD, PhD, who will discuss "Educational Attainment, the Hispanic Challenges and Opportunities in the United States" on Thursday, September 27 at 11 a.m. in the Whittall Pavilion, Jefferson Building. Other events include: two film screenings, "The Wind Journeys"(Colombia, 2010) and "A Better Life" (U.S., 2011); two lectures, one on the ancient Maya and one on Mexican-American Heritage; and a presentation of the 2012 Americas Awards for Children's and Young Adult Literature. See complete details at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/events.html. All HHM 2012 are free and open to the public. Contact: cgom@loc.gov.

2012 National Book Festival to Feature Timeless Hispanic Literature

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:15:45 GMT

On Saturday, September 22nd, and Sunday, September 23rd, 2012, the Library of Congress will host the 12th Annual National Book Festival on the grounds of the National Mall of Washington, DC. This year more than 100 authors will join the nation's readers in an event that has come to be known as one of the nation's greatest celebrations of the book and the written word. Through presentations, activities, and book signings, festival-goers will have opportunities to meet their favorite authors, hear book readings, and learn about new trends in contemporary literature. From biography to poetry, from children's stories to science fiction, from graphic novels to mysteries, there is something for everyone at the National Book Festival!

This year's NBF will be remarkable for the world of Hispanic literature. Nobel Prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa will attend, as will several other renowned authors and poets from Latin America and the US Latino community, including Junot Diaz, Sandra Cisneros, Gianina Braschi, and Sonia Manzano. Vargas Llosa, the Peruvian-Spanish novelist widely known for Conversacion en la catedral (Conversation in the Cathedral) (1969); La tia Julia y el escribidor (Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter), (1977); and La fiesta del chivo (The Feast of the Goat), (2002), is one of the precursors of the Latin American Literary Boom of the 1960s. In addition to the Nobel Prize, his numerous awards include the Miguel de Cervantes Prize, the most important award in Latin American literature, given to authors whose work "has contributed to enrich, in a notable way, the literary patrimony of the Spanish language."

To learn more about the National Book Festival, please take a look at the festival web pages on the Library of Congress site: http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/. Those curious about Hispanic literature and poetry may consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) database (http://hlasopac.loc.gov/) or ask the Library of Congress Hispanic Reading Room reference staff about the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm. For more information about the Hispanic Reading Room, see the web site at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/.

In Memorium: Betty Jane Meggers, Archeologist

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:56:05 GMT

Betty Jane Meggers, Research Associate at the Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, died on July 2, 2012 at the age of 90.

Meggers' 1952 PhD dissertation from Columbia University examined "The Archeological Sequence on Marajo Island, Brazil, with Special Reference to the Marajoara Culture" and her interest in Brazilian archeology never waned. While in graduate school, Meggers met her husband, fellow archeologist Clifford Evans (1920-1981). The two of them began a lifetime of field research, study, and examination of archeological sites throughout South America. In a 2003 article, the Associate Editor of the journal Archaeology referred to Meggers as the First Lady of Amazonia.

She contributed to the field of Archeology by penning many book reviews, scholarly journal articles, and monographs. She published an updated edition of one of her earlier books as recently as 2010. Meggers was one of the first archeologists to examine the impact of the environment on precolumbian civilizations. Never one to shy away from controversy, Meggers' early analysis of artifacts led her to conclude that contact between South America and the Asia-Pacific region occurred as early as 2000-3000 B.C.

Among her many accomplishments, Meggers was a long-time contributing editor for the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS). She also served on the HLAS Advisory Board where she offered suggestions and ideas based on her experience in the field and at the Smithsonian. Meggers and Evans began selecting and reviewing materials for the HLAS section on South American Archeology in 1957 and contributed together until Evans’ death in 1981. Thereafter Meggers continued to write the HLAS section, more recently focusing solely on her true passion: Archeology of Brazil and the Guyanas. Her last contribution to HLAS will appear in the forthcoming Volume 67 (2012). Meggers will be greatly missed, but she has left a lasting contribution to the field of Amazonian Archeology. Her legacy will continue through her many publications and through the Handbook to which she contributed thousands of reviews and where over 100 of her own publications are listed. To learn more about her work, consult the HLAS database (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/) and the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Kluge Fellow to Discuss the "Realm of Memory" of Muslim Spain

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:46:16 GMT

This Thursday, August 2nd, Kluge Fellow Peter Wien will give a lecture on Al-Andalus, or Muslim Spain, and its role as nationalist symbol for Arab-Muslim civilization throughout the 20th century. The talk "From the Glory of Conquest to Paradise Lost: Al-Andalus as an Arab Realm of Memory" is will be held at the Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Room LJ-119 at 12 noon. No reservations are required for this free lecture.

The John W. Kluge Center was established at the Library of Congress in 2000 to foster a mutually enriching relationship between the world of ideas and the world of action, between scholars and political leaders. The Center attracts outstanding scholarly figures to Washington DC, facilitates their access to the Library's remarkable collections, and helps them engage in conversation with members of the US Congress and other public figures. Read more about the Kluge Center and its activities here: http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/.

To learn more about Muslim Spain, please consult with the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html). The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room, located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg., LJ 240, offers free wi-fi, and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon.-Fri.

Need a Coffee Break? Understanding the Bean & the Boom in Brazil

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:45:50 GMT

It doesn't take much to see that Brazil is in the midst of an economic boom. Open any newspaper or magazine these days, and you will be able to find at least one article marveling at the rapidity of Brazilian development, assessing Rio de Janeiro's infrastructural expansion for the 2016 Olympics, or advising Americans to brush up on their Portuguese and invest in one of the country's lucrative industrial enterprises. There's no doubt about it: despite a global economic climate characterized by widespread recession and pervasive market instability, Brazil is flourishing.

Since the media often portrays Brazil's 21st century prosperity as an atypical and extraordinary development, it is important to remember that this latest boom isn't the first time the South American country has experienced a period of rapid economic growth. From the late 19th century until the Great Depression, the Brazilian economy was thriving with the help of its strong export sector. Among crops like sugar and rubber, coffee represented one of Brazil's largest and most lucrative industries. By the turn of the century, Brazil was responsible for producing and exporting nearly 80 percent of the world's coffee, which was mostly harvested in the province of Sao Paulo and subsequently distributed to Europe and the US.

Coffee production played a major role in transforming Sao Paulo into the powerful commercial nucleus that it is today. As wealthy planters, laborers, and immigrants rushed to cash in on the industry at the turn of the century, Sao Paulo quickly became one of Brazil's most prosperous regions. While coffee prices took a massive hit from the Great Depression, the rapid demographic and socio-economic shifts incited by the "coffee boom" ultimately laid the groundwork for future industrialization.

Images of Brazilian coffee advertisements and turn-of-the-century coffee plantations in the LC Prints & Photographs Online Catalog offer valuable insight into the history of coffee production. Find photographs by entering "Brazil" and "coffee" in the catalog search box: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/

US perspectives on early Brazilian development can be found by consulting the extensive collection of digitized historic newspapers available through the "Chronicling America" collection. Find articles related to Brazilian coffee by searching here:
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

To find out more about the scholarship and historiography of the Brazilian coffee industry, search the Library of Congress Online Catalog http://catalog.loc.gov and the Handbook for Latin American Studies at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape offers Unique Listening Experience

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:26:56 GMT

Within the Hispanic Reading Room, a remarkable collection of voice recordings, the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape or AHLOT, provides access to the rich literary traditions of Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and the Hispanic U.S. in a manner both immediate and personal.

The AHLOT is comprised of over 600 recorded authors reading selections of their original work. Among the writers are Nobel Prize recipients Gabriela Mistral, Miguel Angel Asturias, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Octavio Paz, and Mario Vargas Llosa. In addition to reading their work, the recorded authors often provide additional commentary that contextualizes their writing and adds valuable insight into their thoughts and lives as they wrote each piece. These first-hand accounts provide a unique resource to researchers studying the lives and writing of Latin American, Iberian, and Hispanic authors.

Registered readers who wish to consult AHLOT will find all the materials in the Hispanic Reading Room. More than 50 finding aids and transcriptions have been updated recently, providing improved access to this unique collection. Individual finding aids for each recorded author include an index listing all the works read by the author, biographical information, and details about the reading, such as the language spoken and the book in which the text of each reading can be found. Also included is a printed copy of each text read and, where applicable, a transcription of the author's commentary. The transcriptions include every word spoken so that readers listening to the recordings can easily follow along with the dialogue.

The AHLOT is available to registered readers by appointment. For more information, consult the AHLOT webpage (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html) or contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Former President of Brazil Awarded the 2012 Kluge Prize for Study of Humanity

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:05:14 GMT

On July 10, 2012 Librarian of Congress James H. Billington presented the 2012 Kluge Prize for lifetime achievement in the study of humanity to former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. During the ceremony, Cardoso was recognized as one of the world's leading scholars and practitioners of political economy and as an inspirational catalyst for change in the socioeconomic and political arenas of Latin America's largest country. During his distinguished career, Cardoso has written dozens of highly influential socioeconomic studies, and also held several high-ranking political offices before being elected president of Brazil. The honoree spoke about the dichotomy of reason and emotion and the great value of each during critical times throughout his life, and also noted the importance of the humanities in the sociopolitical sphere. Cardoso was honored to be the first Latin American recipient of the Kluge Prize. The Hispanic Division congratulates Fernando Henrique Cardoso on winning this award and on his many achievements and accomplishments over a lifetime devoted to public service.

The Kluge Prize is awarded for lifetime achievement in fields of humanistic and social-science studies that are not included in the Nobel Prizes, most notably history, philosophy, politics, psychology, anthropology, sociology, religious studies, linguistics, and criticism in the arts and humanities. The John W. Kluge Center was established in 2000 to foster a mutually enriching relationship between the world of ideas and the world of action, between scholars and political leaders. The Center attracts outstanding scholarly figures to Washington and facilitates their access to the Library’s remarkable collection, engaging them in conversation with members of the U.S. Congress and other public figures. Read more about the Kluge Center and its activities here at http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/.

To learn more about the life and work of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) database (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/) and the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room, located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg., LJ 240, offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon.-Fri.

Stolen 12th-century Manuscript Restored to Spanish Cathedral

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:15:46 GMT

On July 8, 2012, just over one year from the date that the Codex Calixtinus was stolen, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy officially restored the manuscript to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a city in the northwestern province of Galicia. The cathedral marks the shrine of St. James the Apostle and has been a popular destination for pilgrims since the discovery of the Apostle's tomb in the 9th century. In addition to recording the sermons, miracles, liturgy, and music of the shrine, the Codex Calixtinus includes the first official guidebook for pilgrims journeying to the shrine on the route popularly called the Camino ("Way of St. James").

Investigators discovered the manuscript on July 4, 2012 in the garage of an electrician who had previously worked in the cathedral. He is now in custody.

Yesterday's official ceremony celebrated the return of the Codex Calixtinus to the cathedral, where it will continue to be housed. Its successful recovery is momentous because of the manuscript's priceless historical, artistic, and literary documentation of the Camino and St. James' shrine.

During the last thirty years, the Camino has experienced a revival; each year greater numbers of pilgrims travel to the shrine on foot, bicycle, horseback, and wheelchair. In 2010 the cathedral celebrated a holy year and reported that 272,703 pilgrims received the Compostela, an official document issued by the cathedral certifying successful completion of the Camino. As a journey of great spiritual and personal significance, the Camino has also inspired many written works, a number of which can be found in the Library of Congress collections. Click on the headline above and follow the highlighted search terms to books about Santiago de Compostela, the Camino, and more.

For more information, please consult with Hispanic Reading Room reference staff in the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html) or via Ask-a-Librarian (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

PRI's Pena Nieto wins Mexico's Presidential Election

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 20:22:50 GMT

Enrique Pena Nieto, 45, a former governor of the state of Mexico, won Mexico's presidential election, held on Sunday, July 1, defeating Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the left-leaning Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and conservative Josefina Vazquez Mota, candidate of the incumbent National Action Party (PAN). The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) came to power in Mexico after the country's 1910-1920 Revolution and ruled for 70 years through a succession of different presidents. In 2000, PAN candidate Vicente Fox won the presidential election, breaking the PRI stronghold. The return of the PRI after a 12-year absence signals the Mexican public's desire for change and new solutions to ongoing problems, such as the increasing brutality and violence of the drug cartels. Because Mexican presidents may not run for re-election, Pena Nieto will have a single 6-year term to make his mark on the country.

To learn more about the PRI and Mexican politics, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) database (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/) and the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room, located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg., LJ 240, offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri.

Mexican Novelist Carlos Fuentes Dies at Age 83

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:35:24 GMT

The world of letters is mourning the death of a giant of Latin American literature, Carlos Fuentes (November 11, 1928 - May 15, 2012). One of the authors of "El Boom" of the 60s and 70s, Fuentes produced an extensive body of work that, along with the work of his fellow Latin American writers Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Julio Cortazar, revolutionized the art of the novel. Major works by Fuentes include "La muerte de Artemio Cruz" (The Death of Artemio Cruz) (1962), "Gringo Viejo" (The Old Gringo) (1985), "Los anos con Laura Diaz" (The Years with Laura Diaz) (1999), among many other novels, short stories, essays, and newspaper editorials.

Fuentes was recorded for the Library of Congress Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT) in 1974. The AHLOT has recordings of nearly 700 writers from Spain, Latin America, and the US, and is available to the public in the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html). For more information on Carlos Fuentes and analyses of his works, search the Library's online catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov), the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff, (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Happy Birthday Ortega y Gasset!

Wed, 09 May 2012 18:56:01 GMT

Jose Ortega y Gasset, one of Spain's greatest philosophers, was born 129 years ago today in Madrid. He became widely known for his "Meditations on Quixote," in which he penned his all-time famous quote "yo soy yo y mi circumstancia" (I am myself and my circumstances). Ortega's essential philosophy was that, as human beings, we shouldn’t think of ourselves as separate from the world, but rather as immersed in particular circumstances which can sometimes be limiting. Greatly influenced by the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, Ortega earned a living as a philosopher at the Universidad de Madrid and as a journalist and essayist. Other renowned works by Ortega y Gasset include "The Revolt of the Masses" (1930), "The Deshumanization of Art and Ideas about the Novel" (1925), and "What is Philosophy" (1928-1929). He was actively engaged in Spanish politics in the 1920s and 1930s, but his involvement ended with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. During the war, Ortega went into exile in Argentina and Portugal. He later returned to Madrid, where he founded the Institute of the Humanities.

To learn more about José Ortega y Gasset please search the Library's online catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov), using the subject heading --Ortega y Gasset, Jose, 1883-1955--, or contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Fri, 04 May 2012 21:11:41 GMT

Occasionally mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo is one part of a larger story of imperial ambitions, national debts, and international rivalries. More properly referred to in Mexico as the Dia de la Batalla de Puebla (in English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla), the holiday commemorates the remarkable defeat of French forces by the Mexican army in the city of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

What led to this dramatic, though ultimately short-lived victory? Mexican debts. After three wars in fifteen years, Mexico had lost half its former territory and the Mexican National Treasury was in a desperate state. When Mexican President Benito Juarez suspended payment on all international debts, the navies of Britain, Spain, and France set sail, the three powers threatening to intervene until payments resumed. Britain and Spain backed down after reaching an agreement with Mexico, but France did not. French forces invaded at the port city of Veracruz, fighting northward into Puebla on their way to Mexico City. From the forts near Puebla, badly outnumbered and poorly equipped, 4,000 Mexican soldiers attacked and soundly defeated the French forces. After another year of fighting, the French were eventually victorious and Napoleon III installed his reluctant cousin, Maximilian, and Maximilian's wife, Carlota, as emperor and empress of Mexico. They ruled for three years before Maximilian was deposed and executed. While the French did take power briefly, the Mexican victory in Puebla gave a much needed boost to Mexico's battered sense of national pride and helped unify the country after years of strife. Today, the Dia de la Batalla de Puebla continues to serve as a symbol of national sovereignty and national unity.

Search the Library of Congress catalog for items related to the Battle of Puebla and Cinco de Mayo by using the following subject headings:
Cinco de Mayo, Battle of, Puebla, Mexico, 1862.
Cinco de Mayo (Mexican holiday)
Mexico—History--European intervention, 1861-1867.

Read more about the French Intervention in Mexico in this digitized version of "Maximilian in Mexico: The Story of the French Intervention (1861-1867)" available through HathiTrust:
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002040278823

Additional resources may be found in the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) database (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/) or by consulting with the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room, located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg., LJ 240, offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri.

New Hispanic Division Webcasts Online!

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:42:43 GMT

Check out the newly released webcasts of past Hispanic Division lectures, conferences and symposia here at the Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/webcasts.html). Among recently added videos, we have included the conference on Machu Picchu (June 29,2011) http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5273, as well as the recording done of the "Creating Freedom in the Americas, 1776-1826" Symposium (November 19, 2010). The symposium, a day-long program presented in collaboration with the U. S. Department of State and Georgetown University, featured three panels that discussed recent research on the age of independence in North America and South America (each panel can be viewed separately):

1. The Americas on the Eve of Independence Movements
http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberl/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5121
2. Comparing Independence Movements in the Americas
http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5122
3. Constitution-Making in the West
http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5123

To find out about future Hispanic Division events, please visit our events page at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/events.html.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Multifaceted Latino Identity Through Poetry: Reading and Discussion

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:19:09 GMT

The Hispanic Division, the Poetry and Literature Center, and the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress cordially invite you to two programs featuring Latino poets on Thursday, April 26, 2012. At noon, as part of the Books and Beyond series, Letras Latinas Director Francisco Aragon will moderate a panel discussion on the contemporary state of Latino literature, featuring poet Blas Falconer and writer Lorraine Lopez, co-editors of the recent anthology "The Other Latin@: Writing Against a Singular Identity" (See the LOC record for the book at http://lccn.loc.gov/2011034940). This session will be held in the Mary Pickford Theater, James Madison Building (third floor), 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, DC.

Later that evening, at 6:30 pm, Falconer and Lopez will read selections from their works in the Mumford Room, James Madison Building (sixth floor). Book sales and signings will follow both events, which will be free and open to the public. This program is presented in collaboration with Letras Latinas and the University of Arizona Press. For more information, contact (202) 707-5394.

Those interested in discovering more works by Latino/a writers may consult the reference librarians in the Hispanic Reading Room of the Library of Congress. The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Creative Inspiration: Miguel de Saavedra Cervantes and Don Quixote

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:11:33 GMT

Carved in stone, high on the walls of the Hispanic Reading Room, are the names of ten eminent writers and intellectuals from the Iberian Peninsula and various countries of Latin America. Readers who turn their gazes upward as they consult with the librarian at the Hispanic Reference Desk will see the name Cervantes. Miguel de Saavedra Cervantes (1547-1616) wrote his novel "El ingenioso hidalgo don Quixote de la Mancha" in two volumes, published in 1605 and 1615. Known as the most influential work of the Spanish Golden Age, the novel is also frequently named as one of the greatest works of fiction ever published. The novel has inspired a ballet, an opera buffa, classical orchestral works by Strauss and Telemann, a modern musical and movie, hundreds of literary allusions to "chasing windmills," and even led to the use of the adjective "quixotic," meaning, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, "characteristic of or appropriate to Don Quixote; naively idealistic, unpredictable, whimsical."

So while some may whistle tunes from the musical "Man of La Mancha," when considering the name Cervantes, others might think of Picasso's spare black and white sketch of a gaunt Don Quixote looking down at his trusty friend Sancho Panza, both astride their patient steeds. Here in the Hispanic Division, the name is a proud reminder of the immense collection of "cervantina" held by the Library of Congress. From rare copies of the novel dating from its 1605 publication year to 19th- and 20th-century translations into English, French, German, Italian, and Chinese, among other languages; from photographs of prima ballerina Suzanne Farrell and George Balanchine dancing as Dulcinea and Don Quixote to scores for Quixote-inspired polkas; from cartoons lampooning politicians for foolishly tilting at windmills to a webcast commemorating the 400th anniversary of the publication of Don Quixote (http://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/mar06/windmills.html), the Library is replete with examples of the lasting influence of Cervantes and his tale of an idealistic, but determined, dreamer and his ever loyal friend.

To learn more about Cervantes and the many renditions of the tale of Don Quixote, please search the Library's online catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov) or contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff Visits White House

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:27:11 GMT

Today, Dilma Rousseff, the first woman president of Brazil, meets with President Barack Obama during her official visit to the United States. The relationship between Brazil and the US is a long one. The US was the first country to recognize Brazil's independence from Portugal in 1824. The countries are strikingly similar in continental land mass; both have diverse, multi-ethnic, multi-racial populations; and both enjoy richly varied landscapes and abundant natural resources. Today Brazil is among the top ten trading partners of the US and is the sixth-largest economy in the world. According to an official statement by the White House Press Secretary, the visit will allow the two leaders "to continue efforts to grow commercial, economic, education, and innovation ties."

To learn more about the history of Brazil, US-Brazil relations, or contemporary Brazilian politics, among other subjects, please search the Library's online catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov), the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff, (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Happy Birthday, Gabriela Mistral!

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:17:51 GMT

Today the Hispanic Division honors the memory of one of Latin America's most beloved poets. Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, better known as Gabiela Mistral, was born April 7 of 1889 in Vicuna, Chile. One of this nation's most celebrated figures, Mistral will forever be remembered for her legacy in poetry, education, feminism, diplomacy, but most of all, for being the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1945.

Mistral was recorded for the Library of Congress Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT) in 1950. The AHLOT has recordings of nearly 700 writers from Spain, Latin America, and the US, and is available to the public in the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html). For more information on Gabriela Mistral and analyses of her life and works, search the Library's online catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov), the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff, (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Explore the Hispanic Reading Room!

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:53:17 GMT

The Hispanic Reading Room owes its unique design to the French-American architect and industrial designer Paul Philippe Cret. Already a well-established architect when he was hired by the Library of Congress, Cret's portfolio included designs for the Pan-American Union Building (now the OAS) and the Folger Shakespeare Library, both in Washington DC, as well as the master architectural plan for the University of Texas at Austin, among many other projects.

Drawing inspiration from Spanish Renaissance architecture, the reading room features high vaulted ceilings of white plaster and large windows extending nearly floor to ceiling. The room is lit by dual wrought iron chandeliers decorated with graceful scrollwork. Running high along the east and west walls of the room are the names of Luso-Hispanic literary greats, including Cervantes, Sarmiento, Camoes, and Dario. Shining blue and white tiles, known as talavera, from Puebla, Mexico add a bright touch of color to the lower half of the west walls. The reading room opened in 1939 and today's readers are welcomed by four brilliantly colored murals painted on the entryway walls in 1941 by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari. While seated at one of the room's solid wood tables, researchers can gaze at a shimmering mural depicting the coat of arms of Columbus before turning back their laptops or to one of the computers made available for readers.

Take a look at one of Cret's original sketches and a 1940 photograph of the completed reading room, available through the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/93503534/resource/ and http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/93503644/resource/. Or better yet, visit the Hispanic
Reading Room for a quiet space to read, write, or do research. The reading room offers free wifi and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm. Find us on the second floor of the Jefferson Building (LJ-240), Library of Congress.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists.

Chola woman in Bolivia

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:47:50 GMT

The full-length portrait of the Bolivian woman, available through the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c11676), provides a glimpse of traditional mestizo fashion of the early 20th century. Max T. Vargas, a noted Peruvian photographer and postcard publisher who worked in La Paz, Bolivia, took the photograph. Find more of his photographs in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/

The term chola was commonly used in the early 20th century to describe a woman of indigenous ancestry from the Andean Highlands. The term could be derogatory, but was often used as an expression of ethnic pride or a term of endearment. Today the indigenous women of the Highlands continue to dress in a similar fashion, wearing petticoats, colorful embroidered blouses, and bowler hats. To learn more about chola women in Bolivia, see the following books annotated in the Handbook of Latin American Studies catalog, http://hlasopac.loc.gov/. Readers may consult the books at the Library of Congress.

La chola boliviana -- Antonio Paredes Candia
Ser mujer indígena, chola o birlocha en la Bolivia postcolonial de los años 90 -- Compilación de Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Award-Winning Poets Share their Work: Latino/a Poetry Now

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:00:17 GMT

Part of a national tour celebrating emerging Latina/o poets, this event will feature the first and second place winners of the 2010 International Latino Book Awards, William Archila and Ruth Irupe Sanabria. Archila, a native of El Salvador, and Sanabria, born in Argentina, use the English language to explore themes of exile, political repression, and the ultimate freedom found in writing and poetry. Join the two young poets for a reading and discussion on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 8pm, Copley Formal Lounge, Georgetown University, 37th and O Sts, NW. The free event is co-sponsored by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress and presented in partnership with Letras Latinas, Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice at Georgetown University, and the Poetry Society of America.

An interview with the two poets is available online from the Poetry Society of America: http://www.poetrysociety.org/psa/poetry/crossroads/interviews/page_5/
And their award-winning books, "The Art of Exile" by Archila (http://lccn.loc.gov/2008024784) and "The Strange House Testifies: Poems" by Sanabria (http://lccn.loc.gov/2007036795) are available for consultation at the Library of Congress.

Those interested in discovering more works by Latino/a writers may consult the reference librarians in the Hispanic Reading Room of the Library of Congress. The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Happy Birthday "Gabo"!

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:18:29 GMT

Eighty-five years ago today, Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born in Aracataca, Colombia. Little did he know, growing up in this small picturesque Caribbean town, that he would one day become one of the world's most prominent literary figures and craft such masterpieces as "One Hundred Years of Solitude," "Chronicle of a Death Foretold," and "Love In the Time of Cholera." Even though he began his career as a journalist, it has been his contributions to the world of fiction that have made him one of the greatest writers of our time. Today, Garcia Marquez is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, not only heavily influencing Latin American literature, but also having a lasting impact on the world of letters around the globe.

Garcia Marquez was recorded for the Library of Congress Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT) in 1977. The AHLOT has recordings of nearly 700 writers from Spain, Latin America, and the US, and is available to the public in the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html). For more information on Garcia Marquez and analyses of his works, search the Library's online catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov), the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff, (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Historian Beezley to Discuss Mexican History and Culture

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:39:04 GMT

The Hispanic Division and the Hispanic Cultural Society invite you to a book talk by Professor William H. Beezley, University of Arizona, Thursday, March 8, from noon to 1 PM at the Mary Pickford Theater of the Library of Congress (James Madison Building, 3rd floor), 101 Independence Ave., S.E., Washington, DC. Beezley has written or edited dozens of books and articles on Mexican history and culture, ranging from studies of the Mexican Revolution to works on political humor and the rise of baseball in Mexico. The historian will discuss his two most recent books, 'Mexico in World History' (Oxford University Press, 2011) and 'A Companion to Mexican History and Culture' (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011). Link to the Library of Congress catalog records for the books: http://lccn.loc.gov/2011007315 and http://lccn.loc.gov/2010049293. Event is free and open to the public. RSVP: 202-707-6404, or cgom@loc.gov.

To learn more about Mexican history, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS), or visit the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/). The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

The Dominican Republic Celebrates 168 Years of Independence

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:23:12 GMT

This week, the Dominican Republic commemorates the country's independence from Haiti on February 27, 1844. Although the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola, their histories have followed notably different paths. At times unified by similar interests, the two countries have also experienced periods of violent discord. After years of colonial rule, the Dominican Republic threw off Spanish domination and declared itself the independent state of Spanish Haiti on November 30, 1821. The new nation was short lived however as the French Haitian president almost immediately invaded, reuniting the island as one Haiti. After 22 years of Haitian occupation, rebels of La Trinitaria, a separatist movement founded by Dominican nationalists Juan Pablo Duarte, Ramon Matias Mella, and Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, stormed the Ozama fortress, a Haitian garrison in Santo Domingo, declaring their independence from Haiti. The Haitians were taken by surprise and retreated. Within days, all Haitian officials fled Santo Domingo. A constitution was drafted on November 6, 1844.

To learn more about the Dominican Republic, see the Dominican Republic Country Study, prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress and available online at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/dotoc.html, browse the Handbook of Latin American Studies at http://hlasopac.loc.gov/, or contact a reference librarian in the Hispanic Division via Ask a Librarian: http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-hispanic-eng.html.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Kluge Fellow to Discuss Jewish Argentine Identity

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:28:18 GMT

Much like the United States, Argentina is often referred to as a nation of immigrants. Italians, Spaniards, Jews, Poles, Germans, English, and other migrant groups transformed the social and cultural landscape of the Argentine nation, and were, in turn, transformed by their new country. On Thursday, March 1, Dr. Adriana Brodsky will discuss her research on Jewish Argentines in a talk on the Sephardim, marriage choice, and the construction of a Jewish Argentine identity (1920-1960). Please come to this free lecture to find out more about Sephardic Jews in a South American nation: Noon-1pm, Room 119, Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress.

To learn more about immigrants in Argentina, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov/) or talk to one of the reference librarians in the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/). The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room, on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg in LJ-240, offers free wi-fi and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Experiencing the Collections: Early Writing on Latin America from a Western Perspective

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:57:03 GMT

Considered by many to be the world's first anthropologist, Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagun arrived in New Spain in 1529. In addition to his mission to convert Amerindians to the Christian faith, during his years in the New World, in the territory which today is Mexico, the Spanish friar dedicated his time to producing a massive written, illustrated, and carefully crafted account of the customs, practices, and lives of the Mexica (often known as Aztec) peoples. This important document, which bears the title "Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España," also known as the "Florentine Codex," was written in both Spanish and in Nahuatl by Sahagun and his four Nahua collaborators. Despite having been produced mostly from an outsider's perspective, this document is one of the few surviving works which now offer us a window on precolumbian reality.

While the original work is held in the Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana in Florence, Italy, a facsimile copy of the Florentine Codex can be found in the Hispanic Reading Room of the Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/). Readers may also view a microform copy in the Manuscript Division of the Library (http://www.loc.gov/rr/mss/).

To learn more about Fray Bernardino de Sahagun and his works, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/); contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html); or visit the Hispanic Reading Room, located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ 240. The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri.

Professor R. Andrew Chesnut to Discuss the Mexican Folk Figure of "Saint Death"

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:38:24 GMT

The Hispanic Division and the Hispanic Cultural Society of the Library of Congress invite you to the upcoming event “Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint,” a book talk by R. Andrew Chesnut, Professor of Religious Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, on Wednesday, February 22, from noon to 1 PM, in the Mary Pickford Theater, James Madison Building, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, DC. Chesnut will discuss his new book on "Santa Muerte" (Saint Death), published this year by Oxford University Press. Event is free and open to the public.

Although her image dates back to the 19th century, in the last decade "Santa Muerte" has become one of the most popular figures of Mexico’s folk culture. Many believe the "Bony Lady," (as she is affectionately called) has supernatural powers, and her statuettes and paraphernalia now outsell those of the patron saint of Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe. For those who revere her, she’s also come to play the role of supernatural healer, love doctor, money-maker, lawyer, and Angel of Death.

To learn more about Mexican folklore, please consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov), or visit the Hispanic Reading Room (LJ 240) on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, open from 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

See the World Through the Eyes and Ears of Alan Lomax

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:14:21 GMT

Born in 1915, Alan Lomax began collecting traditional folklore at age 18 with his father, musicologist John Lomax. Throughout his life he compiled one of the most important collections of ethnographic material in the world. In March 2004, the Library acquired his collection. The Alan Lomax Collection includes field recordings of traditional folk music that Lomax made during his many travels throughout the world. Examples from the collection include photographs and recordings from his travels to Spain and the Caribbean available online here:
http://www.loc.gov/folklife/lomax/spain/spain.html
http://www.loc.gov/folklife/lomax/caribbean/caribbean.html

Visit the American Folklife Center to find out more about the Alan Lomax Collection at the Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/folklife/lomax/lomax.html.

And for more information about the history and cultures of Spain and the Caribbean, visit the Hispanic Reading Room:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri.

Famed Spanish Abstract Artist, Tapies, Dies at 88

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:27:21 GMT

Antoni Tapies Puig (1923-2012)

On Monday, February 5th, Spanish painter and sculptor, Antoni Tapies, died at age 88. Born in Barcelona in 1923, Tapies was one of Spain's most prolific abstract artists. He is widely credited with introducing contemporary abstract painting to Spain. Tapies was heavily influenced by the tumultuous political events of his youth, including the Spanish Civil War and the Catalan nationalist movement. Notable works include "Gray Relief on Black," "Pants and Woven Wire," and "Sock." In 1984, Tapies established the Tapies Foundation to promote the study of modern art in Spain. In 1990, the foundation opened a museum in Barcelona, which today holds almost 2,000 pieces of his work.

Search for books by and about the artist by entering Antoni Tapies in the Quick Search box on the Library of Congress catalog homepage: http://catalog.loc.gov.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri.

Romantic Greek Poetry and Hispanic Literature: Finding the Connections

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:14:34 GMT

The Hispanic Division, the European Division, and the Poetry and Literature Center of the Library of Congress, together with the Embassy of Greece, invite you to a discussion about Greek poet and Nobel Prize winner, Odysseas Elytis, and Hispanic literature. The event will be held this Friday, January 27, 2012, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, in the West Dining Room, James Madison Building (6th floor), Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave., S.E., Washington, DC. Free and open to the public.

Elytis influenced Hispanic literature in the late 1930s and 1940s with his exuberant style, adding a further level of passion to the established poetic romanticism of the day. In this presentation, which commemorates the centennial of Elytis' birth, poets Pedro Serrano and Rei Berroa will discuss the Nobel Laureate’s importance within the Hispanic world of letters.

To learn more about the Luso-Hispanic collections and European collections of the Library of Congress, please visit the Hispanic Reading Room (LJ 240) and the European Reading Room (LJ 249) on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, open from 8:30am to 5:00 pm. Find the reading rooms on the web at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/ and http://www.loc.gov/rr/european/. For more information about the Poetry and Literature Center and its upcoming events, please see http://www.loc.gov/poetry/. Follow the Center's blog at http://blogs.loc.gov/catbird/.

Donations Enrich the Library's Collections!

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:21:54 GMT

The Hispanic Division recently received an exciting donation entitled "El Viaje a Compostela de Cosme III de Medicis." The book was published in conjunction with an exhibit held at the Museo Diocesano in Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain). Both the book and exhibit commemorate the 1669 journey that Cosme III de Medicis made along the Way of St. James, a very important Christian pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The publication includes a beautifully bound iconographic catalog of Pier Maria Baldi’s watercolor images of the journey. Baldi, a Florentine painter and architect, accompanied Cosme de Medicis on his 17th century travels through Portugal and Spain. The publication is truly a gem. The Hispanic Division is very grateful to the donor, and to all the generous donors who enrich the Library’s collections.

The Hispanic Division is pleased to receive unique donations of materials related to the Luso-Hispanic world. Items within scope for the Library are cataloged and incorporated into the collections for the ongoing use of current and future generations of researchers and scholars.

To learn more about the Library’s vast Luso-Hispanic collections, visit the Hispanic Division's website (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/), contact the Hispanic Reading Room reference staff, (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/refasst.html), or visit the Hispanic Reading Room, located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ 240. The reading room is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room offers free wi-fi and is open to the public from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Mon-Fri.

Mexican Politics Deciphered: Book Launch and Discussion

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:13:01 GMT

The Hispanic Division, Library of Congress and The Woodrow Wilson Center's Mexican Institute invite you to the launch of two new books, "Mexico: What Everyone Needs to Know" and "Mexican Political Biographies, 1935-2009," by Roderic Camp on Friday, January 20, 2012, 10am-12pm, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Free and open to the public.

Roderic Camp is Philip M. McKenna Professor of Pacific Rim at Claremont McKenna College and HLAS Contributing Editor for Government and Politics of Mexico. The author of numerous books and articles, a three time Fulbright Fellowship scholar, and frequent media consultant, Camp is a leading expert on Mexican politics.

Camp's new books are now available at the Library of Congress. See http://lccn.loc.gov/2011001655 and http://lccn.loc.gov/2011015728.

For more information on Mexico and analyses of Mexican politics, search the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov) and visit the Hispanic Reading Room at the Library of Congress.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Portinari Murals Turn 70 Years Old This Month

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:03:57 GMT

This month the Hispanic Division commemorates 70 years since Brazilian painter Candido Portinari completed the murals that adorn the vestibule walls of the Hispanic Reading Room.

Portinari began painting his four murals in the reading room in late October 1941 at the invitation of then Librarian of Congress Archibald MacLeish. The murals were completed on January 12, 1942. They are painted on dry plaster in tempera and are titled "Discovery of Land, " "Entry into the Forest, " "Teaching of the Indians," and "Discovery of Gold." For more information, and images of the murals, see the Portinari page on the Hispanic Division web site: http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/portinari.html.

View some of the preliminary drawings of the Portinari murals by doing a search for "Candido Portinari" in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog: http://www.loc.gov/pictures or visit the Prints and Photographs Reading Room in person. The reading room is located on the third floor of the Madison Bldg, LM-337 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00pm.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Check out the Hispanic Division's Webcasts!

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:18:13 GMT

Check out the Hispanic Division webcasts (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/webcasts.html), and enjoy programs sponsored by the Hispanic Division and our co-sponsors, including state of the art lectures featuring the latest research on the Luso-Hispanic world. Our filmed events include the launching ceremony of the Hispanic Division's Mexican Revolution website (May 23, 2011), and our recent symposium on Machu Picchu (June 29, 2011).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Ladino Songs for Hanukkah

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:49:26 GMT

"Ocho Kandelikas" is a song in Ladino written by the Jewish-American composer Flory Jagoda in 1983 for the celebration of Hanukkah. The song is a modern composition usually performed in an Argentine tango-rhythm, and the lyrics speak of a child's joy of lighting the candles on the menorah.

Ladino, otherwise known as Judeo-Spanish, is the spoken and the written language of Jews of Spanish origin. To learn more about Ladino and the Judeo-Spanish traditions you can consult the compiled bibliography of Ladino books in the Library of Congress (http://lccn.loc.gov/63062107); the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/) by searching for Jews or Judaism as subject headings; or you can talk to one of the reference librarians in the Hispanic Reading Room. You can also learn about Judaism in Latin America through resources made available by organizations such as the Latin American Jewish Studies Association (http://www.utexas.edu/cola/orgs/lajsa/).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Villancicos at the Library of Congress

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:45:18 GMT

Celebrate the season and check out the Library's holdings of villancicos, otherwise known as Spanish Christmas carols!

Did you know that the term "villancico" comes from the world "vilano" meaning a peasant from a small village in medieval Spain? The villancico was a common musical form popular from the late 15th to 18th centuries. It first developed as a secular genre commenting on daily peasant life until religious villancicos, commemorating important holidays of the Catholic calendar, became increasingly popular in the 17th century. The villancico declined in popularity in the 19th century and today the term strictly refers to the Spanish Christmas carol.

Search the Library of Congress's Online Catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov) using the following subject headings to find sound recordings, sheet music, and books:
Villancicos (Music)--
Christmas Music--

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Colombian Bambuco and other Early Hispanic Sound Recordings Avaliable on the National Jukebox!

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:16:13 GMT

Check out the Library of Congress National Jukebox (http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/) and listen to a 1923 recording of the Colombian Bambuco: "El Palomo," by Vicente Moreno (http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/9201), and other historic recordings from the Americas. Through this online platform, the Library of Congress makes available to the public early recordings produced by the Victor Talking Machine between 1901 and 1925. The recordings are part of the extraordinary collections of the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation and other contributing libraries and archives.

To learn more about Colombian Bambuco or about other types of music from Latin America consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) (http://hlasopac.loc.gov/), or talk to one of the reference librarians in the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/). The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Happy Birthday, Diego Rivera!

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:55:03 GMT

Today the Hispanic Division commemorates the 125th birthday of one of Mexico's most renowned painters. Mostly known for the large-scale murals he produced in Mexico and in the United States between the early 1920s through the early 1950s, Rivera also produced an extraordinary number of easel paintings, drawings, watercolors and illustrations for books. He constantly sought to express his own views on politics, his respect for indigenous peoples; and the importance of representing the pre-Columbian past of Mexico through his timeless images. He was married to Frida Kahlo, another giant of Mexican art, best known for her bright and dramatic self-portraits.

To learn more about Diego Rivera consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov/) or talk to one of the reference librarians in the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/). The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Puerto Rico in Pictures

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:51:02 GMT

In December 1941, 70 years ago, American photographer Jack Delano travelled to Puerto Rico on assignment for the Farm Security Administration. Born in Ukraine in 1914, Delano and his family emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1923. His photographs offer an extraordinary glimpse into the living and working conditions of Puerto Ricans following the Great Depression. Delano later returned to Puerto Rico in 1946 after serving in World War II and lived there until his death in 1997.

Browse Delano's photographs through the Library's Flickr page here: http://tinyurl.com/3qx6dzj or visit the Prints and Photographs Reading Room in the Madison Building, LM-337, to view the photographs in person. Also, take a look at the Library's catalog record for Delano's book of photographs, Puerto Rico mio: four decades of change=cuatro decados de cambio, here: http://lccn.loc.gov/89600274

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Chilean Poet Nicanor Parra Wins 2011 Cervantes Prize

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:55:25 GMT

One of the authors recorded by the Hispanic Division for their Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT), Nicanor Parra, was awarded the Miguel de Cervantes Prize in Spain. The Cervantes Prize is the world's most prestigious Spanish-language literary honor. Known for his "anti-poetry" in which he uses everyday words coupled with traditional rhythms, the 97-year old Parra is one of the most influential Latin American poets of our era.

The AHLOT has recordings of nearly 700 writers from Spain, Latin America, and the US, and is available to the public in the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html). For more information on Parra and analyses of his works, search the Library's online catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov), and the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Jay I. Kislak Fellow to Discuss the Guale Uprising in 16th Century Spanish Florida

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:12:26 GMT

The Jay I. Kislak Fellow at the Kluge Center of the Library of Congress, Dr. J. Michael Francis, will discuss his book "Murder and Martyrdom in Spanish Florida: Don Juan and the Guale Uprising of 1597" on Tuesday, November 29th, at 2 PM at the Whittall Pavillion, Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, DC.

Professor Francis has taught at the University of North Florida since 1997, where he is also Chair of the Department of History. He has published numerous articles on the history of early-colonial New Granada (modern day Colombia). He is currently working on another book project: The Martyrs of Florida.

To learn more about Spanish Florida, consult the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov/) or talk to one of the reference librarians in the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/). The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Richard E. Greenleaf (1930-2011)

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:46:50 GMT

We are saddened to report that eminent Latin American historian, Tulane University professor, and former Handbook of Latin American Studies contributing editor Richard E. Greenleaf passed away on November 8 in Albuquerque, N.M. A prolific and prize-winning writer and energetic advocate for the field of Latin American history, Greenleaf wrote eleven major scholarly works, contributed to seventeen others, and authored dozens of articles, while also teaching and mentoring countless students. His teaching career began at the University of Albuquerque, where he earned his Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees. Greenleaf then taught at the University of the Americas in Mexico City for several years before moving to Tulane University where he served as director of the Roger Thayer Stone Center for Latin American Studies and chair of the History Department.

As a contributor to the Mexican history section of the Handbook for fourteen years, Greenleaf reviewed hundreds of books and articles between 1972-1986, leaving a bibliographic legacy to inspire future generations of students and scholars. (See http://www.loc.gov/hlas.)

The Hispanic Division remembers him with fondness and deep admiration.

Calling All Hispanic Veterans! The Library of Congress Wants Your Stories!

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:03:00 GMT

The Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress is in its second decade of collecting, preserving, and sharing remembrances of U.S. war veterans. The project has digitized 10,000 of its 75,000 collections, making them available to anyone with access to the Internet: http://www.loc.gov/vets/. In addition to oral histories, the project is collecting diaries, postcards, letters, scrapbooks, and other materials that convey the hardships, accomplishments, and dedication of all veterans. Experiences of more than 680 Hispanic veterans are highlighted on the web site, and VHP staff encourages Hispanic and all veterans of the World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, and the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan to contribute to the project. Ven! Participen!

Details about how to participate are available on the Veterans History Project web site:
http://www.loc.gov/vets/kit.html. For a Spanish translation of the field kit, contact the VHP staff. Those interested in learning more about Hispanics in the US are encouraged to visit the Hispanic Reading Room in person or via the web at
http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Best wishes for a peaceful Veterans Day!

The Hispanic Division Launches Guide to Panama Materials in the Library of Congress

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:43:01 GMT

The Hispanic Division has launched a new guide entitled: Reference Guide to Panama Materials at the Library of Congress. Available at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/panama/Panama%20Guide.pdf , the guide provides the researcher with a glimpse of the rich variety of Panamanian materials available at the Library.

The Division also commemorated the independence of Panama from the Republic of Colombia last week. After Colombia's independence from Spain in 1821, Panama, which was then part of Gran Colombia, attempted separation on several occasions during the federalist era. It was during these times that a political struggle between the federalists and the centralists arose, and Panama was established as a department under centralism, and as a sovereign state under federalism. Panama achieved independence on November 3, 1903.

To learn more about Panama access the Reference Guide, and the Handbook of Latin American Studies http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/. You can also visit the Hispanic Reading Room which is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240.
The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos, Nov. 1-2

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:15:56 GMT

Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday celebrated Nov. 1-2. Traditionally, family members and friends gather to celebrate those who have died, often building private altars and adorning them with sugar skulls, marigolds, the deceased's favorite foods and drinks, and other physical tokens. In 2003, UNESCO declared Dia de los Muertos an "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" because it is one of the oldest representations of living heritage in Mexico and the world.

To find more information about Mexico's Dia de los Muertos celebration, search the Library's Online Catalog, using the following subject headings:
All Souls' Day -- Mexico
All Saints' Day -- Mexico

Also, check out the "calaveras" of Jose Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican lithographer, whose illustrations have become synonymous with the holiday.
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsc.03455
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsc.04468

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Happy Birthday, Picasso!

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:47:45 GMT

Today the Hispanic Division honors the legacy of one of the boldest and most influential artists in the history of western art. Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, in Malaga in the Andalusian region of Spain. Widely known for being the co-founder of the Cubist movement, Picasso revolutionized 20th century art and forever changed artistic notions of form, abstraction, and imagination.

To learn more about Pablo Picasso, Cubism, or about art history in general, access the Online Catalog of the Library of Congress (subject search --"Picasso, Pablo", "Cubism," or "Art History") and visit the Hispanic Reading Room of the Library of Congress, located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, Room LJ-240.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Award-winning Science Writer to Discuss the Expedition that Explored the Shape of the Earth

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:38:52 GMT

Ricardo V. Luna, distinguished John W. Kluge scholar and former ambassador of Peru will hold a discussion with Larrie D. Ferreiro, author of the book "Measure of the Earth: The Enlightenment Expedition That Reshaped Our World" which tells the story of the 10-year scientific expedition to the Equator in 1735 that resolved the mystery surrounding the true shape of the Earth. The discussion will take place at the Library of Congress at 4 pm on Tuesday, October 25, in Room 119 on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, DC. The event is sponsored by the Library’s Kluge Center and the Hispanic Division, and it’s free and open to the public.

To learn more about 18th-century expeditions in Latin America you can access the Handbook of Latin American Studies -- http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/, and you can also visit the Hispanic Reading Room at the Library of Congress on the 2nd floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, Room LJ-240. The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is open M-F, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Happy Birthday, Miguel Angel Asturias!

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:20:28 GMT

Today the Hispanic Division commemorates the 112th birthday of the Guatemalan poet, novelist, and diplomat Miguel Angel Asturias (1899-1974). Asturias made significant contributions to the dictator novel and surrealism genres, and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1967 for his works. The Hispanic Division recorded Asturias in 1958 for the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT). View the Library's catalog record for the recording here: http://lccn.loc.gov/93842815. The AHLOT has recordings of nearly 700 writers from Spain, Latin America, and the US, and is available to the public in the Hispanic Reading Room (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html). For more information on Asturias and analyses of his works, search the Library's online catalog (http://catalog.loc.gov), and the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://hlasopac.loc.gov).

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

A Trip to the Alhambra through Washington Irving's Words

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:36:38 GMT

Thousands of pre-1923 books from the Library of Congress collections are freely available in digital format through direct links from the Library's online catalog. Among the books are dozens of 19th-century travel narratives by North Americans describing their grand tours and family holidays to Spain and Portugal. Delighted by the castles, vineyards, and olive orchards, these travelers captured the sights and sounds of life on the Iberian Peninsula in their diaries and travelogues. They sprinkled their writings with descriptions of meals and conversations, museums and parks, city visits and countryside jaunts.

One of the visitors captivated by Spain's charms and beauty was the American writer Washington Irving, perhaps best known for his eerie short stories, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle." While in Granada, Spain, researching a history of the conquest, Irving had the remarkable good fortune to live within the then-abandoned 14th-century Moorish palace and fortress, the Alhambra, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While there, he wrote a series of essays and stories which he published in 1832 under the title, "Tales of the Alhambra: A Series of Tales and Sketches of the Moors and Spaniards." Several editions of Irving's work may be read online, including the author’s revised edition with illustrations, published in 1871 by the J.B. Lippincott Co. (Copy and paste this URL to link to the book’s Library of Congress catalog record: <http://lccn.loc.gov/03027793>.) For many in North America, "Tales of the Alhambra" was an enticing introduction to the customs, language, and history of Spain.

Reference librarians in the Hispanic Reading Room can help you find more information about Iberian history and contemporary Spain and Portugal. The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm. Find us online at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic.

Panel Discussion 'Frontera Sin Frontera' To Take Place Tonight at the Library of Congress

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:18:40 GMT

Come join the Literature and Poetry Center and the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress tonight, October 4, 2011, 7 pm, in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE, Washington, DC, for the panel discussion on Poetry Traditions of Mexico and the United States: 'Frontera Sin Frontera.' Panelists will include Jeannette Lozano Clariond, co-editor (with Harold Bloom) on a forthcoming anthology of American poets 'La escuela de Wallace Stevens'; Monica de la Torre, co-editor of 'Reversible Monuments: Contemporary Mexican Poetry'; Rafael Perez Torres, author of 'Movements in Chicano Poetry: Against Myths, Against Margins' and co-editor of the 'Chicano Studies Reader: An Anthology of Aztlan 1970-2000'; and Mexican Poet Pedro Serrano. The panel will be moderated by Luis Alberto Ambroggio, author of many essays, books of poems, and member of the Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Espanola (North American Academy of the Spanish Language).

To learn more about Chicano poetry visit the Hispanic Reading Room and access materials from our collections, as well as original recordings of some of the most prominent Chicano writers and poets such as Cecilio Garcia Camarillo, Rudolfo Anaya, Ana Castillo, and Luis Rafael Sanchez. Also, access the Handbook of Latin American Studies http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/ to learn more about the history of Mexicans-Americans in the United States.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

George Price, First Prime Minister of Belize, Has Died

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:53:40 GMT

On Monday, Sept. 19th, George Price, the first prime minister of Belize, died at the age of 92. Belize celebrated 30 years of independence just two days later, Sept. 21. Price was an instrumental figure in the struggle for Belizean independence from England, and is often considered the father of the country. In 2000, he received the Order of the National Hero, Belize's highest honor, for his role in the independence movement. Price served two terms as prime minister from 1981 to 1984 and 1989 to 1993.

To find out more information about Belize, view the Library's Belize country study http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/bztoc.html, browse the Handbok of Latin American Studies (HLAS) http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/, or consult a reference librarian in the Hispanic Division or via Ask A Librarian http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-hispanic-eng.html.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

The Library of Congress to Celebrate Hispanic and Latino Poetry!

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:24:52 GMT

The Hispanic Division and the Poetry and Literature Center of the Library of Congress present two programs that highlight the world of Hispanic and Latino poetry.

Friday, September 30 -- Poet Luis Alberto Ambroggio, and President of the Academy of the Spanish Language in the United States, Gerardo Pina Rosales, discuss the book 'Gabriela Mistral y Los Estados Unidos,' at the Mary Pickford Theater, James Madison Building (3rd floor), 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, DC 20540.

Tuesday, October 4 -- A panel of poets and scholars discuss the poetry traditions of the United States and Mexico, and the ways they interrelate and reflect upon each other, at the Mumford Room, Madison Building (6th floor).
The programs are free and open to the public.

To learn more about the poetry of the Luso-Hispanic regions you can browse the Handbook of Latin American Studies http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/ by subject heading: --Poetry. Researchers at the Hispanic Reading Room can also access the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT) http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html. The AHLOT is an audiovisual collection of original voice and video recordings that capture selections of the writings of contemporary poets and prose writers. The collection includes readings in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, French, Nahuatl, Zapotec, Aymara, English, and Dutch.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Belize Celebrates 30 Years of Independence Today

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:37:33 GMT

The Hispanic Division celebrates Belize's independence from England on this day 30 years ago, Sept. 21, 1981. After years of settling Belize, England formally declared it a British Crown Colony in 1862, and renamed it British Honduras. England granted Belize self-governing status in 1964, a constitution was drafted, and in 1973, British Honduras was officially renamed Belize. However, independence was not officially achieved until 1981. England continues to have a major influence on Belize. Today, Belize is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II serving as the official head of state, is one of 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, formerly known as the British Commonwealth, and CARICOM. The country's official language is English, although Spanish and Kriol are also widely spoken.

To find out more information about Belize's independence, browse the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/, or consult a reference librarian in the Hispanic Division or via Ask A Librarian http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-hispanic-eng.html.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

The Hispanic Division Commemorates the National Day of Chile, September 18, 1810.

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:10:50 GMT

The Hispanic Division joins Chile in the commemoration of its independence! 201 years ago, the Governing Junta of Chile proclaimed its autonomy within the Spanish Monarchy. The Junta was formed in 1810, two years after the Napoleonic invasion of Spain. Although the country didn't become completely independent until 1818, it is the formation of the 'junta nacional,' which marked the beginning of the emancipation movement and the end of the colonial period for Chile.

See the Library of Congress' digitized copy of the 'Cancion Nacional de Chile' (Chile's National Anthem) http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200186286/default.html.
To learn more about the independence movements in Latin America visit the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/, and visit the Hispanic Reading Room website http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Today Marks Mexico's Independence from Spain, Two Hundred and One Years Ago

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:35:04 GMT

The Hispanic Division commemorates Mexico's independence from Spain on this day, September 16, in 1810. While Mexico's independence was not officially achieved until 1821, this day marks the event in which Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Creole and Catholic priest living in the village of Dolores in Guanajuato, gathered the townspeople and issued a call to arms against the Spanish Crown, proclaiming what was later known as El Grito de Dolores.

Find more information about Mexico during its independence period and other topics in the Handbook of Latin American Studies, compiled and edited in the Hispanic Division: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/.
Search by subject headings:
Independence Movements --Mexico
Revolutions and Revolutionary Movements --Mexico

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador Celebrate Independence Day

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:24:08 GMT

The Hispanic Division commemorates today the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. One hundred and ninety years ago, on the 15th of September, 1821, the Captaincy-General of Guatemala (formed by these five nations, and Chiapas) declared its independence from Spanish rule, becoming part of the Mexican Empire. The empire was dissolved two years later while each of the Central American provinces (with the exception of Chiapas) established their own independent administration.

To learn more about the independence movements in Latin America visit the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/, or visit the Hispanic Reading Room http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/hisprr.html.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Washington, D.C. Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:21:12 GMT

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct 15.) celebrates the rich diversity of the Hispanic experience as summed up by this years theme: "Many Backgrounds, Many Stories...One American Spirit!" Across Washington, D.C., an array of institutions are hosting a variety of events sure to appeal to a wide audience. From a book talk by Mexican cooking authority Diana Kennedy to gallery lectures about new and old Hispanic master artists, from dance workshops to dinner-and-a-movie events, the month promises to deliver something for all tastes. For those unable to visit D.C., there are YouTube videos of Hispanic veterans recounting their stories of military participation, as well as lesson plans, research guides, and much more to explore from home.

Read about events and activities, and find participating institutions at the Hispanic Heritage Month site hosted by the Library of Congress: http://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/

Brazil celebrates 189 years of independence from Portugal today!

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 21:43:45 GMT

When the Portuguese Court fled Lisbon for Rio de Janeiro in 1820, Brazil became a kingdom and briefly enjoyed "equal status" with Portugal. In 1815, when Napoleon was defeated, Dom Joao VI returned to Lisbon with most of the Court, leaving behind his son, Pedro de Alcantara, to rule as Prince Regent of the Kingdom of Brazil. In September 1821, the Portuguese Cortes voted to abolish the Kingdom of Brazil, and make all the provinces of Brazil subordinate to Lisbon. On this day, Sept. 7, in 1822, Dom Pedro defied these attempts, and declared Brazil's independence from Portugal exclaiming, "By my blood, by my honor, and by God: I will make Brazil free." Dom Pedro became Emperor Pedro I of Brazil and ruled until 1831.

Find answers to your questions on Brazilian Independence among other topics in the Handbook of Latin American Studies, compiled and edited in the Hispanic Division: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/. Search for the following books: "Dom Pedro: The Struggle for Liberty in Brazil and Portugal, 1798-1834" by Neil Macaulay and "Brazil: Five Centuries of Change" by Thomas E. Skidmore, or search for other works on Brazilian independence by using the following HLAS subject headings:
-Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil
-Independence Movements --Brazil.

The Hispanic Reading Room is a center for the study of cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. Researchers may visit the reading room to seek assistance with the vast Luso-Hispanic collections from reference librarians and area specialists. The reading room is located on the second floor of the Jefferson Bldg, LJ-240 and is open M-F, 8:30am to 5:00 pm.

Teach and Learn about National Hispanic Heritage Month Using Library of Congress Materials

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:59:52 GMT

Join us at the Library to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)! The Library of Congress collections contain maps, manuscripts, books, and photographs detailing the culture, contributions, and interactions of Hispanic peoples in the Americas. The Library of Congress will be hosting a variety of free events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, including a presentation of a children’s book award, discussions of poetry, as well as a number of lectures. Dr. Mark Hugo Lopez, Associate Director of the Pew Hispanic Center, will deliver the kick-off address on September 29 at 10 am (room location to be announced). Please see the Hispanic Division web site for more information about events: http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/events.html

National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the achievements of Hispanic Americans and recognizes their contributions to American society and culture. Originally established in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week, Congress approved the establishment of National Hispanic Heritage Month in 1988. To see official government documents and proclamations related to Hispanic Heritage Month and to read more about its legal history, see this site created and maintained by the Law Library of the Library of Congress:
http://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/hispanic-heritage.php

America's Award recipient Pam Munoz Ryan to discuss her book "The Dreamer," Sept. 16

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:05:11 GMT

Author and America's Award recipient Pam Munoz Ryan will discuss and sign her award-winning book "The Dreamer," illustrated by Peter Sis, on Friday, Sept. 16 at noon in the West Dining Room, located on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. The event is hosted by the Hispanic Division and the Center for the Book, and is free and open to the public. View the Library of Congress catalog record for "The Dreamer" here: http://lccn.loc.gov/2011288776.

The America's Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature will be awarded to Munoz Ryan and Sis for "The Dreamer," and Willie Perdomo and Bryan Collier for "Clemente!" in a presentation sponsored by the Hispanic Division and the Center for the Book, on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 9:30 to noon in the Mumford Room of the James Madison Building.

Hispanic Authors at the National Book Festival, Sept. 24-25

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:58:18 GMT

Renowned Hispanic writers, Esmeralda Santiago and Carmen Agra Deedy, will be among more than 80 writers speaking at the 11th annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10:00am to 5:30pm and Sunday, Sept. 25 from 1:00pm to 5:30pm.

Author Esmeralda Santiago emigrated from Puerto Rico to the US with her family when she was 13 years old. She has worked as a producer and director on educational and documentary films, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, House & Garden, and Sports Illustrated. She is the author of the award-winning books, "When I was Puerto Rican," "America's Dream" and "Almost a Woman." Her newest novel is "Conquistadora."

Award winning children's book author Carmen Agra Deedy was born in Havana, Cuba, and emigrated to the US with her family in 1963, following the Cuban Revolution. Her most recent books include, "The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale," and "The Library Dragon Book." She will be participating in a storytelling performance with her husband, musician John McCutcheon. This is her fifth appearance at the National Book Festival. Find webcasts of her previous Festival appearances here: www.loc.gov/bookfest/author/carmen_agra_deedy.

Joe Hayes, author of numerous bilingual Spanish-English books will also make an appearance. The Bloomsberry Review named his book, "The Day it Snowed Tortillas," one of their favorite 15 children's books in the past 15 years. His newest book is "Coyote Under the Table."

The event will be held, in rain or shine, on the National Mall between 9th and 14 streets. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the official National Book Festival website at: www.loc.gov/bookfest/

Happy Birthday, Borges!

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:55:25 GMT

Today the Hispanic Division commemorates the 112th birthday of the Argentinean writer, poet, and translator, Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986). Rooted in the metaphysical and the fantastic, Borges is considered one of the most brilliant and polemic writers of the twentieth century. The Hispanic Division recorded the author both on audio and video for the Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT) (http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/archive.html) first in 1958, and later in 1976 and 1984. The AHLOT is available to the public in the Hispanic Reading Room of the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, 101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, DC. For more information on the Argentine writer, search the LOC Catalog for over 1000 books by or about Borges (http://catalog.loc.gov), and the Handbook of Latin American Studies for hundreds of descriptions of his works (hlasopac.loc.gov).

Authors and Illustrators to be Honored at the Americas Award Ceremony on September 17

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:20:57 GMT

Authors Pam Munoz and Willie Perdomo, and illustrators Peter Sis and Bryan Collier will receive the Americas Awards for Children’s and Young Adult Literature during the 19th annual award presentation, which will be hosted by the Hispanic Division and the Center for the Book of Library of Congress, on Saturday, September 17, 2011, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, in the Mumford Room, James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE Washington, DC. Munoz and Sis will be awarded for their book “The Dreamer” (Scholastic, 2010), and Perdomo and Collier for “Clemente!” (Holt 2010). See the Library of Congress catalog records for descriptions of the books: http://lccn.loc.gov/2009010274 and http://lccn.loc.gov/2009017808. The award winners will speak about their lives and work, and will sign their books after the award ceremony. Continental breakfast will be served. The Americas Award is sponsored by the Consortium of the Latin American Studies Program (CLASP) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The event is free and open to the public.

Literatura de Cordel Symposium: Continuity and Change in Brazilian Street Literature, Sept. 26-27, 2011

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:13:19 GMT

The American Folklife Center together with the Hispanic Division and the Rio de Janeiro Office of the Library of Congress will present a symposium titled, "Literatura de Cordel: Continuity and Change in Brazilian Street Literature," September 26-27, in LJ 119, Jefferson Building, 10 First Street SE., Washington, D.C.

The American Folklife Center houses an extensive Cordel collection, totaling more than 8380 items, dating from 1930 to the present, established through acquisitions by the Rio Office of the Library of Congress. Literatura de Cordel, or "string literature," is most popular in the street markets of northeast Brazil, where local vendors hang their literary works from strings to display them to potential buyers. These works include legends, fables, songs, and poems, and are illustrated by woodcut prints and photographs. View the Library of Congress catalog record for the Cordel collection here: http://lccn.loc.gov/2006700204.

The symposium is free and open to the public. Registration is required. For registration details and more information, visit the American Folklife Center events page at: www.loc.gov/folklife/events/index.html

David Stuart to Present Fifth Kislak Lecture on September 16

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:42:15 GMT

Art historian and archeologist David Stuart, the foremost expert on Maya hieroglyphs and professor of Mesoamerican Art and Writing at the University of Texas, Austin, will deliver the fifth Jay I. Kislak Lecture titled “Deciphering the Art of the Ancient Maya and the Year 2012” at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 16, 2011, in the Coolidge Auditorium on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St., S.E. Washington, D.C. The fifth Kislak lecture is a component of the Kislak American Studies Program established at the Library of Congress in 2004 by the Jay I. Kislak Foundation. Previous lecturers were Jared Diamond, Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Michael Coe, and Jonathan D. Spence. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Hispanic Division events page at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/events.html.

It's here! Handbook of Latin American Studies, Volume 66!

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:14:00 GMT

Find the answers to all your Latin American research questions in the Handbook of Latin American Studies. Compiled and edited in the Hispanic Division and published by the University of Texas Press, HLAS reviews the most significant publications on Latin America and provides expert analyses of the current trends in scholarship. Alternating annually between the Humanities and the Social Sciences, the latest volume examines works of Art, History, Literature, Music, and Philosophy. Annotated citations are also available through two free, searchable databases, HLAS Online and HLAS Web.

Scholars Commemorate 100 Years of Exploration at Machu Picchu

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:32:52 GMT

In July 1911 Yale Professor Hiram Bingham announced his discovery of the "lost city" of Machu Picchu. Now a popular tourist destination, Machu Picchu has been a source of speculation and study as archaeologists have pieced together the history of this complex site high in the Andean mountains. Join Dr. Margaret MacLean and Dr. Anita Cook for a discussion of Machu Picchu chaired by Dr. Barbara Tenenbaum on June 29, 6-8 pm, Mumford Room, Madison Building, Library of Congress. Reception follows. Free and open to the public.

Haitian Cultural Advocate Jan Mapou Discusses His Celebrated Bookstore and Community Outreach

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:50:54 GMT

Haitian arts advocate, author, and playwright Jean-Marie Denis, also known as Jan Mapou, will discuss his Miami bookstore, Libreri Mapou, and his ongoing support and celebration of Haitian culture and Creole language. Join us on Monday, June 20 from 12-2 in the Pickford Theater, Madison Building, Library of Congress for a conversation about Haitian culture. Free and open to the public.

EducaVision Founder Discusses Haitian Publishing and Education

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:27:44 GMT

Fequiere Vilsaint (EducaVision Founder), Maude Heurtelou (Haitian novelist), and Carol R. Hollander (Editor, Caribbean Studies Press) will discuss Haitian publishing, writing, and education on Monday, June 13, 12-1, in the Pickford Theater, James Madison Building, LOC. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Catalina Gomez at 202-707-6404.

Hispanic Division and Mexican Embassy Unveil Mexican Revolution Website

Tue, 03 May 2011 21:16:46 GMT

Mexican Specialist Barbara Tenenbaum and eminent historians John Tutino, Roberto Brena, and Alfredo Avila Rueda will present the new website and discuss the impact of the tumultuous revolutionary years. The Mexican Embassy will also present the beautifully illustrated publication "20/10 Memorias de las Revoluciones en Mexico." Please join us for this very special event: Monday, May 23, 6-8 pm, Hispanic Division, LJ-240, Jefferson Bldg, Library of Congress. RSVP: Catalina Gomez, 202-707-6406.

Hispanic Division Presents 19th Annual Poetry Marathon

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:09:09 GMT

Seven Latin American and Spanish poets will read and discuss their poetry on Friday, April 22 from 1:30-3:30 in the Pickford Theater, 3rd Floor, Madison Building, Library of Congress. Moderated by Rei Berroa of George Mason University, the readings and discussion will be in Spanish.

Hispanic Americans in Congress Web Site Updated to Include 112th Congress

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:28:45 GMT

The Hispanic Division has updated the Web site on Hispanic Americans in Congress to include five new members of the 112th Congress. The number of Hispanics serving in Congress today is at an all-time high, and all signs suggest the rate will continue to grow. For a historical list of all Hispanic members of Congress in chronological order, see <http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/congress/chron.html>. Two states have elected their first Hispanic members of Congress in history -- RaÃºl Labrador is representing the 1st district of Idaho and Jaime Herrera Beutler represents the 3rd district of Washington State. To date, twelve US states, along with Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, have elected Hispanics to serve in the US Congress. For a complete list of all Hispanic members of Congress by geographic location, see <http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/congress/geog.html>.

Please note that this Web site is the reflection of a book that was published by the Government Printing Office in 1995; therefore, links to members who were elected after that date will take you directly to their official Congressional Web sites.

Literature specialist to discuss La Malinche y las mujeres de la conquista/La Malinche and the women of Conquest.

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:10:28 GMT

Dr. Gladys Ilarregui will explore the myths and realities of La Malinche and the role of women at the time of the Spanish Conquest. La Malinche, a Nahua woman, was adviser, translator, and intermediary for Hernan Cortes, helping him to overthrow the Aztec leader, Moctezuma. Viewed as both a traitor and a founding figure, Malinche has been the inspiration for books, poems, and movies. Join us on Monday, March 28, from 12-1pm to learn more about this key figure of Mexican history. In the Pickford Theater (3rd Fl), Madison Bldg, Library of Congress. Free and open to the public. Lecture in Spanish.

Author Explores the Political Power of Fashion

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:17:17 GMT

Dr. Regina Root of William and Mary College will discuss how young patriots in post-Independence Argentina helped shape the country's identity and advance new political ideas through fashion writing and new styles of dress. Root's groundbreaking book, "Couture and Consensus: Fashion and Politics in Postcolonial Argentina," draws on 19th-century magazine articles, songs, novels, and images to present a fascinating examination of the power of fashion. Join us on Monday, March 7 at 12 noon in the Pickford Theater, 3rd Floor, Madison Building, Library of Congress. Book signing to follow lecture.

Georgetown Professor to Discuss Missionary Activities Among Indigenous Peoples on the Bolivian Frontier

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:51:46 GMT

Professor Erick Langer of the Georgetown History Department will discuss and sign his highly praised book, "Expecting Pears from an Elm Tree: Franciscan Missions on the Chiriguano Frontier in the Heart of South America, 1830-1949." The book explores the interplay among missionaries, indigenous peoples, and the national government from the 19th through the 20th century. The talk will be on Monday, Dec. 8, 1-2 pm, Pickford Theater, 3rd Fl., Madison Bldg., Library of Congress. Free and open to the public.

US Department of State and LOC Hispanic Division Sponsor "Creating Freedom in the Americas" Symposium

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:19:56 GMT

The Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela welcome three panels of distinguished scholars for a discussion of Latin American independence movements and state building on Friday, Nov. 19, 9:00am-4:30 pm, Mumford Rm, Madison Building, Library of Congress. RSVP to Catalina Gomez, 202-707-6404.

Authors Harris and Sadler to Discuss "The Secret War in El Paso"

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:34:32 GMT

Based on 80,000 pages of previously classified FBI documents and hundreds of Mexican secret agent reports, "The Secret War in El Paso: Mexican Revolutionary Intrigue, 1906-1920," reveals the key role played by US border towns during decades of armed conflict in Mexico. Join Professors Charles H. Harris, III and Louis R. Sadler on Monday, Nov. 8, from Noon-1pm at the Library of Congress, Madison Building, 6th Fl., West Dining Rm for a discussion of clandestine meetings, revolutionary intrigue, secret arms deals, and double agents. This free event is open to the public.

"Blackness in the White Nation" Author To Discuss His Work

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:40:35 GMT

Professor Reid Andrews will discuss his newly published book on the culture and political mobilization of the Afro-Uruguayan community from the 19th through the 21st century. The book is a follow up to his earlier works on Afro-Brazilians and Afro-Argentineans. The talk is free and open to the public.

Writers Julia Alvarez and Carmen Trafolla to Receive 2010 Americas Awards for Children's Literature

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:15:55 GMT

Please join staff of the Hispanic Division, the Center for the Book, and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee for continental breakfast with the 2010 Americas Awards Winners Julia Alvarez and Carmen Trafolla. Following presentation of the awards, the authors will speak about their writing careers and read briefly from their works. The free event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23rd, 9:30-Noon, Mumford Room, 6th Floor, James Madison Building, Library of Congress. Metro: Capitol South.

Hispanic Heritage Month Panel to Discuss "The Borinqueneers," the U. S. Army 65th Infantry Regiment

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:35:56 GMT

Puerto Rico's all-volunteer regiment, the 65th Infantry, has battled valiantly in every major American military conflict from the American Revolution to the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including both World Wars and the Korean War. Panelists Tom Wiener, Veteran's History Project; Juan Manuel Perez, Hispanic Division; and Hector Morey, Mexico, Central America, and Caribbean Section, ALAWE, will discuss the regiment's contributions. They will also talk about the Veteran's History Project. The free event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 12 pm in Room 119 of the Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave, SE. The event is open to the public. For more information contact the Veterans History Project at (202) 707-4916 or vohp@loc.gov.

Cuba Photos by Carol Highsmith Available Online at the Library of Congress

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:06:15 GMT

Hundreds of photographs of Havana and surrounding areas by renowned architectural photographer and author Carol Highsmith are now searchable through the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/). These public domain images are some of the over 100,000 photos of the US and other countries that Highsmith is generously donating, copyright free, to the Library of Congress.

Publisher Angela Zavala to deliver LOC Hispanic Heritage Month Keynote Speech

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:43:41 GMT

Angela Zavala, the founder and president of TIYM Publishing Inc., began publishing the Hispanic Yearbook/Anuario Hispano in 1986. The Yearbook assists Hispanics in locating language classes, scholarships, employment, and much more. Zavala, an immigrant from Argentina, saw the need for a guide that would connect Hispanics to available resources. She subsequently began publishing the African-American, Asian-American, and Arab-American Yearbooks. The event will be on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 11 am in the Whittall Pavilion on the ground floor of the Jefferson Building. The event is free and open to the public.

Cuban Cultural History: Playwright, Novelist, Diplomat Jose Antonio Ramos

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:00:32 GMT

Professor Judith Weiss will discuss the life and works of Jose Antonio Ramos and his impact during the First Cuban Republic following independence from Spain in 1902. Judith Weiss, professor of Hispanic Studies at Mount Alison University (New Brunswick, Canada), is author of many books and articles on Latin American culture and theater. She has also directed English-language productions of Hispanic plays. The free event is open to the public and will be held on Monday, Oct. 4, 12 to 1 pm, Mary Pickford Theater, Madison Building, 3rd Floor, Library of Congress. RSVP: Catalina Gomez, 202-707-6404.

Book Talk: Poetas Hispanos de Washington D.C./Hispanic Poets of Washington D.C.

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:55:53 GMT

Editors Luis Alberto Ambroggio and Carlos Parada Ayala will discuss and read from AL PIE DE LA CASA BLANCA [At The Foot of the White House], their recently published compilation of poetry by Hispanic writers living in the Washington D.C. area. More than 20 area writers contributed their verses to the publication. The free event is open to the public and will take place on Thursday, September 30, 4:30-6:30pm, Mumford Room, 6th Floor, Madison Building, Library of Congress. The discussion and reading will be in Spanish. RSVP: Dr. Georgette Dorn, (202) 707-2003

Haitian Earthquake Recovery Plan to be Discussed by Executive Director of Mouvman Peyizan Papay (MPP)

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:25:35 GMT

Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, Founder and Director of the Mouvman Peyizan Papay (MPP), will discuss the current situation in Haiti and the organization's plans for participating in the reconstruction of the country in the aftermath of the January 12th earthquake. The MPP is a non-profit, grassroots movement dedicated to social justice and a better quality of life in Haiti. The free event is open to the public and will be held on Monday, Sept. 27, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm, in the Pickford Theater, Room 302, Madison Building, Library of Congress. Inquiries to Dr. Joan Higbee, 202-707-2011.

Hot Off the Press! Handbook of Latin American Studies, Vol. 65

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:52:14 GMT

Find the answers to all your Latin American research questions in the Handbook of Latin American Studies. Compiled and edited in the Hispanic Division and published by the University of Texas Press, HLAS reviews the most significant publications on Latin America and provides expert analyses of the current trends in scholarship. Alternating annually between the Humanities and the Social Sciences, the latest volume examines works in Anthropology, Political Economy, Geography, Government and Politics, International Relations and Sociology. (Look for the next Humanities volume in August 2011!) Reviews are also available through two free, searchable databases, HLAS Online and HLAS Web.

Kislak Post-Doctoral Fellowship New Application Deadline, Oct. 15, 2010

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:45:56 GMT

Scholars are invited to apply for an in-residence fellowship of up to 8 months to work with the Kislak Collection's manuscripts, rare books, artifacts, maps, and historic documents of the Americas. The superb objects within the collection span three millenium, recording the discovery, contact, and colonial periods of the Americas, with an emphasis on Mesoamerica, the circum-Caribbean region, and Florida. A shorter-term fellowship of up to four months is also available to qualified candidates.

"In the Americas...the true study is the study of the best."

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:58:38 GMT

Archibald MacLeish, Librarian of Congress, at the dedication of the Hispanic Reading Room, October 12, 1939.

Welcome to the Hispanic Division RSS feed! For over seventy years, the staff of the Hispanic Division has guided patrons to Latin American, Caribbean, Iberian, and US Hispanic resources within the Library. Located in Room 240 of the domed Jefferson Building, the Hispanic Reading Room is open M-F, 8:30 am-5:00 pm. Visit us to see the original murals by Brazilian painter Portinari and to study in the elegant Spanish renaissance-style Hispanic Reading Room. Free wireless is available here and in all the Library Reading Rooms. Subscribe to our RSS feed to learn more about the Library's Latin American, Caribbean, Iberian, and US Hispanic and Latino resources and online collections, and to find out about Hispanic Division events.