Acclaimed Mexican writer Mónica Lavín co-presents The City College of New York’s fifth Cátedra Vargas Llosa, Oct. 24 -27, an international academic project honoring Spanish-language literary giant and Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa.
Lavín and Raquel Chang-Rodríguez, Distinguished Professor in City College’s Division of Humanities and the Arts, lead a one-credit seminar for both graduate and undergraduate students entitled “Mario Vargas Llosa’s “La fiesta del Chivo” : History, Reality and Literature.” The discourse focuses on Vargas Llosa’s historical novel “La fiesta del Chivo” (2000), about Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo.
Lavín will lead an examination of the novelistic form —point of view and counterpoint—as keys to the fictionalization of history, narrative persuasive power, and an understanding of the human condition.
Launched at CCNY in 2013 as the first of its kind in the United States, the Cátedra Vargas Llosa is offered through CCNY’s Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures, chaired by Carlos Riobó, with the cooperation of the Instituto Cervantes of New York. Click here for dates and registration information.
Lavín features in two other Cátedra events, both free and open to the public. On Oct. 24, she engages in a conversation in Spanish with author J.J. Armas Marcelo, winner of the International Prize Ciudad de Torrevieja for “Casi todas las mujeres;” and Ángel Estévez, director of CCNY’s Spanish MA Program. They will discuss “La fiesta del Chivo and beyond,” from 6:30 p.m. in The Rifkind Room (6/316) located in CCNY’s NAC building. For more information, please call 212.650.6731.
On Oct. 27, Lavín presents the lecture “Vargas Llosa y la lección de Flaubert,” 7 p.m. at Instituto Cervantes, 211 East 49th St., Manhattan. Reception will follow. Send an email to bec3cultny@cervantes.es for more information.
About Mónica Lavín
Born in Mexico City, Mónica Lavín is the award-winning author of numerous books, short stories and essays. Notable among her books are “Ruby Tuesday no ha muerto,” recipient of the Gilberto Owen National Literary Prize; “Uno no sabe,” a 2003, finalist for the Antonin Artaud award; “Café cortado,” a 2001 Premio Narrativa de Colima winner, and “Yo, la peor,” for which she received the Elena Poniatowska Ibero-american Novel Prize. She is also the author of “La corredora de Cuemanco y el aficionado a Schubert.” Lavín’s short stories have been translated into many languages, including English, French, Italian and Persian. They are also included in national and international anthologies. Lavín has also worked as a journalist, TV presenter and as a professor of creative writing at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de la Ciudad de México.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided low-cost, high-quality education for New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. Today more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight professional schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. Now celebrating its 170th anniversary, CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.