Yale Bulletin and Calendar

September 27-October 4, 1999

Volume 28, Number 6

Fall lecture series commemorates
Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges

The department of Spanish and Portuguese is sponsoring a lunchtime lecture series this fall in commemoration of the centennial of the birth of Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986).

An acclaimed poet, essayist and short-story writer, Borges has been widely hailed as one of the most important writers of the 20th century. His works "had enormous impact on the following generations of Latin American writers," says Roberto González Echevarría, Sterling Professor of Hispanic and Comparative Literature, who will be the first speaker in the series.

"Borges' stories are often like metaphysical riddles but without sacrificing plot and suspense or becoming allegories," he adds. "They question not only reality but also all pieties about writing, never indulging in sentimentalism. Borges was particularly adept at the detective story, but his most original creation is the essay-like tale that pretends to solve an enigma."

"Borges at Yale: A Centennial Celebration" will be held on alternate Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 29, through the end of the semester. Speakers are primarily Yale faculty who have conducted important scholarship on Borges' work; there will also be a bilingual poetry reading by a renowned Borges translator.

Each presentation will begin at 12:30 p.m. and will take place in the Romance Languages Lounge, 82-90 Wall St., third floor.

The schedule for the series follows.

Sept. 29 -- Roberto González Echevarría; Oct. 6 -- Robert Mezey, translator of Borges' poetry; Oct. 20 -- Josefina Ludmer, professor of Spanish and Portugues; Nov. 3 -- Annick Louis, visiting assistant professor in the department of Spanish and Portuguese, and author of "Jorge Luis Borges: Oeuvres et manouevres"; Nov. 17 -- María Rosa Menocal, the R. Selden Rose Professor of Spanish and Portuguese and author of "Writing in Dante's Cult of Truth: From Borges to Boccacio"; Dec. 1 -- Susana Haydu, assistant professor of Spanish and Portuguese.

All the sessions are free and open to the public. A light lunch will be served at each. For further information, contact the department of Spanish and Portuguese at 432-1150.

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