It's work. It's teamwork.

Debartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC)

 

Decio Mainstage Theater (SOLD OUT for Junot Diaz's reading)

 (on the eve of a Letras Latinas event)


Good evening, and welcome. My name is Francisco Aragón and I direct Letras Latinas, the literary program of the Institute for Latino Studies (ILS) here at Notre Dame. It’s especially gratifying to be co-sponsoring Junot Diaz’s presentation as we celebrate not only Hispanic Heritage Month but also the Institute’s ten year anniversary.

Having said that, his visit would not have been possible without our lead sponsors: the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts (ISLA), which provided a Henkels Lectures grant, and World View, an initiative out of the Office of the President, which aims to promote constructive dialogue on issues of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and religion, through the arts. As the themes explored by World View have grown in number over the past two years, it has broadened its mediums, and tonight’s presentation is the first World View literary arts event.

We are also grateful to this evening’s other co-sponsors:

the Creative Writing Program in the English Department;

the Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies;

the Graduate School;

the José E. Fernández, Hispanic Studies Caribbean Initiative;

the Department of Romance Languages and Literature;

and the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC).


A special thanks, as well, to Mirella Riley, Harriet Baldwin, and Coleen Hoover, for their assistance.

Finally, muchas gracias to Professor Marisel Moreno-Anderson, who has been instrumental in bringing to fruition an event that has been in the planning stage for over a year. Professor Moreno-Anderson will be introducing our special guest. Please join me in welcoming her.

***

The next World View event will take place in the Browning Cinema this Friday, October 9, 2009.  Goodbye Solo is a film that deftly explores the passing of a generation as well as the rapidly changing face of America. The film’s director, Ramin Bahrani will discuss his film and take questions from the audience following the film’s screening.