variedad de temas

Lo que me impresiono mucho de las presentaciones algo muy sencillo y obvio pero importante. cuando yo decia a personas de que se trataba esta clase, se burlaban de mi por decir que eso es lo mas especifico curso que hay. pero al escuchar a las lecturas y las presentaciones, se da cuenta que hay un monton de informacion que cubrir. en todo que ha aprendido de los libros y peliculas, todavia hay mucho que me falta a entender.

Cenizas de Izalco y la historia de dos amantes.

Las circunstancias históricas entre los países de los principales protagonistas de la novela son muy distintas. El Salvador del 1931 esta pasando por una etapa represiva , pues los campesinos descontentos se manifiestan rodeando el fuerte de la Guardia Nacional, y muchos hombres de clase social influyente apoyan la intervencion del general Martinez. Hay intereses economicos por parte del gobierno, y los campesinos viven en pobreza.

Frank acaba de librar tambien otro tipo de guerra, contra el alcoholismo, y se propone realizar su sueño de visitar Méjico y las ruínas de los templos mayas; y muy oportunamente su amigo Vigil, quien esta viviendo en El Salvador como misionero, invita a Frank, quien pasara varios meses con Vigil y tendra la opotunidad de conocer a Farabundo Marti. Frank se enamora de Elena y quiere hacerla feliz, llevarla consigo fuera de su pais, ofrecer una vida mejor a sus hijos, pero Isabel rechaza la oferta, pues no cree que es  Esta ha decidido dejar un diario a su hermana Eugenia, quien se lo entrega a Carmen. El diario de Isabel es un testimonio confidencial que Isabel quiere entregar a su hija para que esta entienda los notivos que tuvo su madre al decidir que no debia dejar a su esposo para seguir a Frank.

El volcan de Izalco es superior a las fuerzas humanas. Frank esta muy deprimido y recurre al alcohol para sofocar su desilusion y dolor, pero dio la razon a Elena al reconocer que 'la gente de Santa Ana se han alimentado de los temores y los prejuicios de sus conquistadores.", Una posible referencia a las convenciones patriarcales de la sociedad en que Elena vivio. 

 

Devin Larsen
Profesora Finzer
Blog Extra crédito
Bueno creo que hay muchas maneras en que los textos literarios y también culturales son buenos para estudiar la historia de un país. Algunos de los ideas en que puedo pensar son: el punto de vista, sea de un paisano o de extranjero. Por medio de los videos y textos, podemos ver realmente estas tiempos en la historia, especialmente por los textos porque son como testimonios de la gente o hechos de un país.
Primer creo que el punto de vista es la mas importante en la historia de otros países. Me imagino que las personas que estuvieron allí cuando pasaban guerras, bodas, muertes, adelantamientos tecnológicas o científicas, y otras cosas así, que estas personas saben mejor que nosotros lo que realmente paso y quien estuvo o lo hizo. Si soy extranjero de un país, aun si hablo el idioma, no voy a recordar todo lo que aprendo acerca de esta país y cambiaria sin pensar en hacerlo la historia hasta un punto. Pasara con cual quier persona, porque cada uno recuerda en su propio manera y ajuste la realidad de las cosas en su propio mente. Por eso es importante a estudiar lo que escribieron la gente y hicieron visualmente para el próxima generación. La gente van a escribir sobre lo que paso y que esta pasando hoy DIA. En esta manera logramos, vemos, y leemos los sentimientos, pasiones, dolores, sueños, y esperanzas de los paisanos en aquel tiempo cuando pasaron por tantas problemas o cumplimientos. De vez en cuando va hacer un poco difícil a entender algunas de las historias porque la manera de hablar siempre esta cambiando con los dialectos y el “Slang.” Entonces los textos y películas son buenos para estudiar porque nos dan una visual, sea por la imaginación o algo que podemos ver realmente. Creo que la única cosa de lo que uno tiene que cuidar es el punto de vista. Como dije antes que depende en el punto de vista, especialmente con guerras, la historia cambia mucho por los ojos de un niño, una mujer, y un hombre.

Central America called free of antipersonnel mines

This is an interesting, short read, Nicaragua says it's done removing any remaining antipersonnel mines and that this means Central America is now free of them to the best of their knowledge.

Here is a link to the story

El uso de Textos Culturales para el Estudio de la Historia

Los textos culturales sirven como una buena herramienta para el estudio de la historia. Especialmente cuando queremos conector bien con los sentimientos de la gente. Eso digo por que nos dejan lograr un sentido de las emociones crudas de los personajes involucrados en la situación y podemos recibir sus testimonios sin haberlos sido diluidos por el gobierno o la censura. Yo separo el gobierno y la censura por que aprendimos de Roque Dalton que no es solamente el gobierno que puede censurar. Como dice en su poema Lógica Revi “…Una autocrítica equivale al suicidio.”

Pero, también hay que examinar cada obra por sus meritos por que, como hablábamos en clase, la literatura comprometida existe y es importante hacernos concientes cuando estamos trabajando con aquella. Aun, no es que la literatura comprometida no nos enseña, sino que es importante estudiar el otro punto de vista también. Especialmente si tenemos la meta de presentar nuestro conocimiento sin parcialidad.

Sin Nombre

One part that I found very interesting in Sin Nombre is where Smiley is talking to the other young kids. He shows them him gun, and tells them he is going to kill Casper. What impresses me about the scene is the look on the other kids faces. They all want to be like him and are very envious that he is in the Salvatrucha and that he has a gun.

It must be very interesting in real life when all the 10-12 year old kids start to see the older teenagers start to get involved in la mara. It is sad to see how much the young kids look up to the members of the la mara, because they dont have much hope for a better life.

History in Literature

How much of history is reflected in our literature? Literature acts a social sponge or net, absorbing and reflecting important events. By studying history through literature we take a slice of our culture and examine our foundation, often times from a different perspective than what enters our history books. I would argue that literature incorporates more the application what happens than the dates it occurred. Hand in hand with the historical facts and dates we get a clear understanding of historical events.
Insenszatez was a book that perfectly describes the use of literature in a historical context. I enjoyed this book not only for the testimonies in the text but also because it showed the changes that history reflected in the literature can have on the individual.
It is easy to look at testimonies and see their historical significance. They are eyewitness accounts of historical events that define us. The movies that showed these testimonies impacted me more than the books or poems we read. Seeing and not just reading gives a very different effect. I enjoy reading because I, as the reader, get to give the characters and events my own view and opinion, but hearing those same words from the voice and with feeling of the person that wrote them makes such a strong difference. Instead of using my eyes and interpretation I get to see it through them.
In the personal accounts and testimonies it is easy to see the historical significance, but in novels and poems me are forced to look a little deeper. It is a great way to indirectly educate the people and maintain a level of understanding. History will always be incorporated in literature. It is something I was excited to discover during this class and hope to continue discovering.

Mojado

I thought this song/video from Ricardo Arjona (guatemalteco) is relevant to our topic in Central American issues.

Check it out…. There are others but this is one of the most recent that I know.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ztl5_ricardo-arjona-mojado_music

aqui esta la letra

Empaco un par de camisas un sombrero su vocación de aventurero seis consejos 7 fotos mil recuerdos empaco sus ganas de quedarse su condición de trasformarse en el hombre que soñó y no a logrado dijo adiós con una mueca disfrazada de sonrisa y le suplico a su Dios crucificado en la repisa resguardo de los suyos y perforo la frontera. si la luna suave se desliza por cualquier cornisa sin permiso alguno por que el mojado precisa comprobar con visas que no este neptuno, el mojado tiene ganas de secarse el mojado esta mojado por las lagrimas que bota la nostalgia el mojado el indocumentado carga el bulto que legal no cargaria ni obligado el suplicio de un papel lo ha convertido en fugitivo y no es de aqui por que su nombre no aparece en los archivos y es de alla por que se fue si la luna suave se desliza por cualquier cornisa sin permiso alguno por que el mojado precisa comprobar con visas que no este neptuno mojado sabe a mentira tu verdad sabe a tristeza la ansiedad de ver un primo y soñar con la vereda que conduce hasta tu casa. Mojado mojado de tanto llorar sabiendo que algún lugar te espera un beso haciendo pausa desde el dia que te marchaste. si la luna suave se desliza por cualquier cornisa sin permiso alguno por que el mojado precisa comprobar con visas que no este neptuno. si la visa universal se extiende el día que nacemos y caduca en la muerte por que te persiguen mojado si el consul de los cielos ya te dio permiso.

Dr. Finzer, perhaps you can add this element to your future presentations/classes if time allows.

Guernica Magazine - Moyas Interview

I just stumbled across this article from Guernica Magazine in which they interview Castellanos Moya after the election of Funes in El Salvador. Thought I'd pass it along to the class, very interesting to hear about how his writing correlates to his political views.

http://www.guernicamag.com/interviews/959/our_reality_has_not_been_magic/

Andrew

School of the Americas

So I have been doing my final paper about Torture in Central America.  Erin pointed me towards the School of the Americas.  Basically, it was (and is but under a different name) a military school ran by the US that has been accused of teaching methods leading to human rights violations.  According to Wikipedia page, there are some pretty high profile people that can be called products of the school.  I found a great site at http://www.soaw.org/ which publicizes a lot of the allegations surrounding the school.  Pretty interesting stuff.

Jake

Experiencing the gangs

When I was in Costa Rica on my mission my companion and I were robbed at gun point. It was dark so it was difficult to see clearly but the guns they used appeared to be homemade, similar to what was shown in Sin Nombre. All four of the men that robbed us were covered in tattoos. They took our stuff and everything turned out fine in the end but it was interesting watching the movie and reading the book today. It really starts to hit how real it all is. Sometimes I think we find ourselves living in a bubble oblivious to the real world. Either because we live distracted lives or simply because we dont want to the dust we try to sweep under the rug.

ksl.com - Gang members burn bus in El Salvador, killing 14

ksl.com - Gang members burn bus in El Salvador, killing 14

Another senseless killing in Central America. This one caught my attention because of the gangs we talked about in class today. The gang involved in this attack was 18, the rivals of the Salvatrucha.

The Tatooed Soldier

I thought this book was very interesting. I brought up the contrast of Jose Juan and Antonio in the family situation. I found this intriguing because Jose Juan has everything to make him happy in the family department but chooses to run into the arms of another woman. His wife was worried that he would find a "gabacha" and instead he just found another Mexicana. It actually made me sad because I have met families where the father has two families one in his home country to who he sends money every month and a family in the United States. More often however, the father just cuts ties to his first family and keeps his US family. It's sad.

Antonio on the other hand had a family and although his relationship was a wreck he sees now that he had everything he had ever wanted and now lost it all. He tends to see Elena as a sort of patron Saint. I think it is interesting that he has no family ties that force him to stay away from other women but chooses to avoid starting another relationship.

On an unrealated note, I also personally think that Longoria would have gone crazy if he had a family and his son was shot in the same manner that Lopez lost his son. I think that all the maldades que hicieron los jaguares subieron al fondo e hizo que Lopez se volviera loco. Longoria was way to brainwashed to realize that he is crazy for other reasons.

Politics in the Tatooed Soldier

Some thoughts on the Tattoed Soldier. Tobar, the author, wrote for the LA Times and even won a shared prize for the coverage of the LA Riots, which brings extreme authority to his details provided in the novel. I liked the book. The detail was great and the plot, as simple as it may be, was intriguing. To see the baggage that both Antonio and Longoria brought with them from Guatemala to a crazed LA was interesting and showed the truth that not all is done once you've cross "La Frontera", the conditions of living in the war ravaged and politically strewn countries of Centroamerica leave people and families scarred for generations.

If you get the chance watch the film "De Nadie" or "Wetback", both documentaries about the boarder crossing situations and all that people from Centroamerica are trying to escape only to find that the Steel Beast of 'El Tren' and the viciousness of 'Las Maras' often cannot be escaped. Indeed the idea that the US boarder is difficult to cross is pale in comparison to what the people of Central America have to go through just to enter into Mexico. Having watched both of these films and reading Tattooed Soldier I've learned a lot about Centroamerica and what the results of political mayhem can be...or better yet, I've become aware, with a lot yet to learn.

How do you think Hector Tobar feels about the current Immigration issues taking place in Arizona and Texas?

Life in Honduras and Perhaps most of Central America

http://lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com/

The above link is for the blog of a gringa living in Honduras. You may find her insight into the poor country very fascinating. She is currently documenting the mistreatment of a poor young woman and her baby. Its a devastating story, and is a reality for most citizens in Central America.

Tattooed Soldier

I have really enjoyed reading this novel. One thing that stands out to me if the use of Chess. Antonio first seems Longoria playing chess in the park. However, what is interesting is how the author jumps back and between narrating Antonio and Longorias point of view, much like chess pieces move back and forth. The novel is very masterfully worded and was a very interesting read. It also goes into a lot of detail and explains a lot about the Guatemalan civil war and has helped my understanding of events that happened there.

Police Violence

I saw this video and it made me think about the difference between the protections we enjoy in the US vs. Guatemala, Honduras Etc. I am not saying the officer was right or wrong, but the fact that we are protected by checks and balances for even a punch to the face during an altercation we may have been responsible for is a huge blessing vs. the atrocities that can be committed in Centroamerica with no repercussions. My stomach turns when I see the young lady get punched. I can't even begin to imagine how I would feel seeing my neighbors beaten or killed, knowing nothing is there to prevent me and my children from being next. Here is the link http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/20360943#video=20360943

"La Prueba"

I actually like where this story was going quite a bit and enjoyed its writing style. I wish there was more to read on it. I finished this reading wanting to learn more about the young boy and more of his imaginative perceptions on the nature of God and life...

Graphic Narrative Version of Honduran Coup

http://www.alternet.org/images/slideshows/houduras_coup/illustration.php

Important stuff

I am a teller at a credit union here in the valley and do a lot of work with latinos because everyone needs a bank account, right?  Anyway, though most of the people I help are from Mexico, I do know several who are from Central America.  It's very interesting to me now to speak to these people because of the stories and facts I have learned in this course.  I view their lives differently than I did before learning about the turmoil many of them lived in.  It's important stuff to know and really has broadened my world view.

Jake

Incensatez

I lament missing class yesterday because I really wanted a chance to discuss Incensatez with the class and hear your thoughts. For me the book was somewhat peculiar, if that's the word I am looking for. It came and went kind of like one of those little dust devils that come up out of summer's breeze, spinning and controlling it's tiny space, then settling back down having seemingly come from nowhere. At first I was annoyed by our subjects apparent lack of sincerity, and disconnect from the feelings and emotions of those living in the world around him, but for some reason caring for those he was reading about. I soon realized however that most of the time we are in his mind, and our actions don't always match out thought's(though he seemed a bit more brazen than most). I think this disconnect and conceit, which he expresses through the way he treats the women as meat, and rarely refers to people he encounters by their names, preferring to give them nicknames like, "the man with the mustache" etc., is probably the only thing that allows him to get through the work that was put before him. While the ending certainly certainly causes you to believe that all his paranoia was justified, I am still deciding if the email was real or part of a delusion. What do you think?

As I was reading the Blogs I noticed one that talked about how much of what we are reading is fact, not fiction. I thought it was so interesting that many times as i read these eye witness accounts or personal stories it is so easy to discard them as just that, a story. By remembering that they are actual events it makes what we are studying just that much more important and the massive amounts of reading almost tolerable! (almost)

ksl.com - Honduran journalist shot dead, 9th slain this year

ksl.com - Honduran journalist shot dead, 9th slain this year

I read the news today about another reporter being killed in Honduras. So far, there have been 9 reporters murdered since the coup in June of last year. Its sad to think that in many places you can lose your life for writing about what you think. Violence seems to rule the minds of many Central American countries still. Intolerance for different ideas led to problems in the past, in the present, and I imagine it will do the same in the future.

Insensatez

Honestly I think I enjoyed this book more after I realized that it was based on real events (That was most definitely an "ah ha" moment for me).

A few things that stuck out to me in the book was when the narrator talked about how he was going to write a book. He goes into some detail about how he was going to base the book off of a man who was responsible for recording the names of the dead. Later the military would find out about the book and the man and search after him. The keeper of the book would die after hiding the book and the rest of the story would involve the spirit of the book keeper leading someone to the book so that his name could be recorded and he could rest in peace. I thought it was interesting because the narrator said that he would write a best selling realismo magica and show up all the other authors. It was funny to me because I thought that he was totally stuck on himself and cynically sneering at that genre of writing. However, I think at that point I could see how his work on the editing was actually impacting him. He was reading enough testimonies to have an understanding enough to actually write about a native hiding something from the army and how the army would react.

JC

Noticias de Guatemala

Yesterday also, four decapitated heads where discovered in prominent places of the city. Messages where attached to the heads directed at the Ministry of the Interior and the prison system. The real intent of this gruesome display of violence can also be interpreted as a very clear statement of the dark forces that promote impunity in Guatemala, who felt empowered after Dr. Castresana resigned. The groups wanted to send an unequivocal message to the population, to the justice system and to the President of Guatemala.

Castresana said: "The problem is that in Guatemala, criminal organizations had never been confronted. CICIG is doing it, but so is the Prosecutor General's Office and the Judiciary. Let's say it: we are looking the monster in the face, we are holding its gaze, and it is reacting. The question is: Where were Guatemalans at the most critical moments of this Commission? We are not making the effort in the interest of the United Nations or the people that make up CICIG. We are working for Guatemalans, but if you [do not support our efforts] and do not take charge of your destiny, after a while nothing will be left."

See complete link if you want the rest of the story....

http://www.guatemala-times.com/news/guatemala/1670-shake-up-in-guatemala-after-un-commissioner-castresana-resigns.html

Asociaciones latinas piden Nobel para Micheletti

 Esto es una buena noticia para Honduras y Micheletti
 Felisa
http://www.elheraldo.hn/Hondure%C3%B1os%20en%20el%20extranjero/Ediciones/2009/12/18/Noticias/Asociaciones-latinas-piden-Nobel-para-Micheletti

Email de la Profesora

Me sorprendí mucho de recibir las noticias de la profesora de lo que pasó recién en Guatemala en cuanto a las personas que fueron decapitadas. Es increíble que lo que estamos aprendiendo en clase todavía está pasando hoy en día. Me gusta que tenemos la oportunidad de aprender sobre las luchas y los desafíos de la gente de Centroamérica, a fin de que reconozcamos mejor las libertades que tenemos en nuestro paíz y que busquemos maneras para ayudar donde podamos. Los temas tocados me han ayudado "abrir mis ojos".

Senselessness

I am still not finished with this novel, but it is probably the most enjoyable read I have ever had in a school assigned book. The thing that impresses me most is how the book is written. The narrators emotions are very well conveyed. I can easily tell through the reading how he begins to feel paranoid, and how all his emotions start going crazy as he begins to sort of struggle to separate the two worlds he is in. After this class I will be very interested to check out other works by Moya.

I just gotta write in english because my laptop is being stupid and wont put the accents on right, see for yourselfs. por ejemplo: me gustar´´ia tener los acentos pero mi laptop no est´´a funcionando bien, entonces escribir´´e en ingles!
Lame I know. Anywho all these books and movies we read and watch are pretty depressing but at the same time kind of inspiring, but mostly sad. I think it is great and all how the pueblos come together and help each other but its horrible that the government is fighting agains their own people. Maybe they should have used communication a little better and used the "I feel" language. "I feel you are a communist". And maybe if they just comminicated a little better they could have avoided this whole conflict and lots of deaths.

Diarrea: la causa principal de muerte entre niños

http://www.contrapunto.com.sv/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3185%3Anoticias-de-el-salvador-contrapunto&catid=92%3Aultimas-noticias

Civil War

The films that we have been watching in class have deeply impacted my thought process about America and Central America. I wish I could change the world. The horrible mistreatment of man towards another, makes me so sad. The poor children who grow up in this atmosphere. As we have watched the children in the movies, I think they become jaded. They are so accustomed to abuse and mistreatment by the government and adults, that they only learn fear. I regret the participation of the United States that led to the further suffering of these people. I found it ironic in the movie of Alsino y el condor, the American was fighting for the people that we keeping education from the masses. But, if you remember he kept telling the boy to study. Where was he suppose to study of the army had closed all the schools. I think everyone was confused about what they were fighting for, which led to more and more tragedies.

New Show at Clark Planetarium

This is a new show in the dome theater at the planetarium. It's called "Tales of the Maya Skies"
Here is a link to the trailer http://www.clarkplanetarium.org/shows/view/id/60

Quick Doc

Al azar encontré un documental breve que se trata de las persecuciones de las mujeres en Guatemala. También muestra miles y miles de documentos del gobierno de Guatemala que recién encontraron y que fueron escondidos por muchos años para guardar en silencio la mala práctica del gobierno de Guatemala durante la Revolución... Se relaciona mucho con lo que estamos leyendo en Insensatez, es una situación muy parecida. Pretty interesting...

Copy this into your browser:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70sB6okXDzA

BTW, I think we should have class outside more often. :)

El Salvador Elections in 2004

I came across these articles while doing research. I thought it was interesting that one of the interviewed men said that it reminded him of the 80's and all the intervention from the US during the civil war.

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/elections/elsalvador/

http://us.oneworld.net/article/is-us-interfering-el-salvadors-election

Check out this film website

Movies featuring indigenous peoples of Central America:
http://www.nativeamericanfilms.org/central.html

China and CAFTA

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/may/31/china-cafta-central-americahttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/may/31/china-cafta-central-america

Los Movimientos Revolucionarios

I think that its really interesting that La Mujer Habitada makes a point of comparing Lavinia's struggle against modern despotism to Itza's struggle against the spanish conquistadores. Revolutions and struggles of the past are generally viewed in a different light than contemporary revolutions/struggles. For example the struggle of the indigenous americans against the spanish conquistadores is generally considered a heroic fight against oppression, whereas the more modern struggles in Central America against military dictatorships are judged more skeptically. Also the American revolutionaries are seen as heroes but most modern revolutionaries are seen as criminals or miscreants. That's not to say that all revolutions are just, and maybe the test of time is needed to be able to judge a revolution fairly, but I think that Belli was conscious of these perception when she made the comparison between the two struggles. Also, for wednesday we're only supposed to read the Rigoberta Menchu/David Stoll stuff, right?

Al Gore the Poet - Literatura comprometida?

hear it directly from him or read it..... judge for yourself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbBhMnlXBTE

One thin September soon
A floating continent disappears
In midnight sun

Vapors rise as
Fever settles on an acid sea

Snow glides from the mountain
Ice fathers floods for a season
A hard rain comes quickly
......

Then dirt is parched
Kindling is placed in the forest
For the lightning's celebration
.......

The shepherd cries
The hour of choosing has arrived
Here are your tools

Bananas!

I was reading the Wikipedia article about the United Fruit Company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Fruit_Company) and noticed that today the Company is formally known as Chiquita Brands International.  I don't know about you but bananas look a little different while shopping for groceries.  It's really interesting to me to see how connected I am to a piece of Central American history.  In other Spanish classes I have taken for my major I have found that things seem so distant.  Yes it is interesting to learn about Evo Morales or what not but this United Fruit Company contriversy has seem a little closer to home than other topics. 

Jake

Honduras coup still divides Latin America

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/world/americas/06honduras.html?hpw

The Inhabited Woman

I've been reading the book and so far it is pretty intense. After you get past the romantic stuff it got my attention. I can't imagine what I would do if I was put in a position to choose between a normal life and an underground secret life. It really humanizes the people you hear about in the newspapers and other media, which is something I find to be very worthwhile. Similar to the movie we watched in class, when the characters are shown as humans with feelings and goals we seem to have more empathy towards them. That is what this world lacks in my opinion.

Sobreviviendo....

I really enjoyed this film. It was very interesting to see how the people were portrayed. It is interesting to see the message of the film that is directed to the people of El Salvador and how they can progress in the future. I am not sure how it is in El Salvador, but I know in Guatemala there still remains conflict and problems for those who had family members who were guerrillas. Hopefully the message resonated with the people of El Salvador and they have been able to put the past behind them in order to make a stronger future. There needs to be unity in the country in order for that to happen.

Sobreviviendo Soyapango

Cuando vi la película me recordé de todo lo que me salve. El lenguaje es bastante fuerte y sin duda vulgar, pero puedo decir que es muy representativo del hablado de muchos de los salvadoreños. Noté como cuando se dirigían a los muertos no se les hablaba vulgarmente, de lo contrario, se les dirigía con mucho respeto. Cuando se expresaba enojo, frustraciones o burlas sí se llena de visiones de prostitutas y pendejos. Me pregunto si el lenguaje vulgar sirve como una manera de desahogarse de las muchas y largas opresiones.

I really enjoyed the movie that we watched in class last week. I am a history major, but since the U offers little to no classes on Central American history, I really lacked knowledge about all that had happened in Guatemala. I was impressed by the strength of the people, and their desire to stand up to the government. They fought for their rights. Not rights like you and I have, but basic human rights. Rights they had been denied by powerful men and government. They wanted to be treated fairly, and like the were a valuable part of Guatemala and the population of the world. I am grateful for men and women who take the time to bring these part of history to my attention.

Cristo campesino

The credits for the new image placed above belong to www.indigoarts.com, which features an archival gallery of the work of Nicaraguan artist, José Ignacio Fletes Cruz.  Fletes Cruz paints in the "pintura naíf" style.  During the Sandinista Revolution, he painted testimonial images for the Gospel of Solentiname, a liberation theology text that presents a socialist reading of the gospels, by Nicaraguan priest, poet and then Minister of Culture, Ernesto Cardenal.  Solentiname was an artists' commune in the early years of the Sandinista Revolution of visual artists and poets who worked collectively to promote popular art throughout the Nicaraguan countryside.  Much of the art and poetry that was produced in Solentiname was testimonial in nature.

Cenizas de Izalco

He leído en el pasado unos poemas de Claribel Alegría. Muchos de los mismos temas están en Cenizas de Izalco: el rol en la sociedad de la mujer y el hombr, la vilencia, la corrupción, la pobreza y la naturaleza. Me interesa la manera en que Alegría utiliza Frank y Carmen para dar dos puntos de vista. Sin embargo, en mi opinión, la novela no demuestra el mismo nivel de ira ni temor que surgen en sus poemas. No pude encontrar este libro en español y es posible que la traducción falta la emoción que he visto antes. Les recomiendo "Hacia la edad jurásica", "Eramos tres" o "Tamalitos de Cambray" para ver la diferencia.