Center for Basque Studies Newsletter ISSN: 1537-2464 Center for Basque Studies N E W S L E T T E R Writers in between languages SPRING Minority Literatures in the Global Scene 2008 by Estibalitz Ezkerra; translated by Lisa Corcostegui The Center for Basque Studies hosted the the conference as a catalyst for voices within conference “Writers In Between Languages: the academic community that in recent years NUMBER 76 Minority Literatures in the Global Scene” have been calling for a revision of the canon May 15 through 17, which was attended by of Iberian literature. The current orientation many well-known scholars of the Iberian of the discipline has hindered an accurate re- Peninsula. flection of the multiple cultural and linguistic realities that coexist in the Iberian Peninsula. In this issue: Two days after the Center for Basque Stud- ies’ conference, Dr. Elena Delgado of the One of the most salient observations that Literature conference 1 University of Illinois sent a message to the resulted from the intense three-day confer- organizers and her fellow participants thank- ence was that minority literatures have not Advisory Board meeting 3 ing them for an experience that she referred been studied on an individual basis, but rather Atxaga wins awards 4 to as an “oasis in the desert.” This sentiment in relation to the dominant language, Spanish. was shared by all of the participants who saw (continued on page 2) Ph.D. students 5 Basque Symposium 6 Highlights 7 New publications 8 Udaleku 2008 10 Study Abroad in the Basque Country 11 Conference Papers 12 Literature conference participants, kneeling, l. to r.: Nerea Arruti, Luis Cifuentes, Estibalitz Ezkerra, Marijo Olaziregi; in center: Aurelia Arcocha, Iban Zaldua, Miren Meabe; back row: A semi-annual publication of the Teresa Vilarós-Soler, Bernardo Atxaga, Xabier Irujo, Marta Pascual Llorens, Xavier Pla, Center for Basque Studies Rikardo Arregi, Alfredo Sosa-Velasco, Mario Santana, Joseba Zulaika, Michael Ugarte, Joan University of Nevada, Reno R. Resina, Mariasun Landa, Igor Calzada. [Photo by Iñigo Aztiz] Reno, NV 89557-2322 1 Center for Basque Studies Newsletter (continued from page 1) Participants concluded that this situation can writers” to vindicate authors that were dis- only be rectified by reversing or deactivating criminated against because they did not write this mindset so that these literatures may be in the dominant language. There was a time evaluated on their own terms. when the term marrano was used derogato- rily to refer to Catalonian Jews in the same Conference organizer Dr. Mari Jose Olaziregi way we see the term “terrorist” used today to remarked that the papers presented throughout refer to those who challenge centralized au- the conference revealed that despite geograph- thority. Vilarós-Soler views the appropriation ic and cultural differences, these Iberian mi- of this derogatory term as empowering for nority literatures face many of the same chal- marginalized authors. lenges. Olaziregi considered the conference a success in that it provided a venue in which to Empowerment of voices from former Span- take stock of the current situation and reflect ish colonies in Africa, specifically Equato- As this newsletter goes to print, we upon the need to de- rial Guinea, was are in the process of moving into the velop joint strategies the point of “Exile, new Mathewson-IGT Knowledge to decentralize and The conference was a catalyst Dissemination, Center (above) and will report more “ re-theorize minority and Homogeniza- in the next issue. Please note that the for voices within the academic literature studies. tion: The Case of Center and Basque Library’s mailing community that are calling Equatorial Guinea addresses and phone numbers have not changed (use of the building name A Wide Range of for a revision of the canon of as the Space of a is not needed in the address). [photo: Topics Iberian literature.” Minority Language,” Theresa Danna-Douglas] The conference title, offered by Michael “Writers In Between Ugarte, professor in The Center for Basque Studies Languages: Minority the Department of Newsletter is a semi-annual Literatures in the Global Scene,” allowed for Romance Languages and Literatures at the publication sent free of charge infinite possibilities and interpretations and University of Missouri. In his paper, Ugarte to any interested readers. If this was reflected in the nineteen papers that examined racial and sexual stereotypes that you would like to receive the were delivered. Some of them focused on the affect Guinean literature written in Spanish. newsletter in paper format, present and future of the field of philology. Considered a minority on its own soil and please send your name and This was the case of Joan Ramon Resina’s overlooked in Spain, the Spanish-language postal address to: paper entitled “Post-Hispanism, or the Long literature of Equatorial Guinea finds itself Goodbye of National Philology.” Dr. Resina, in a situation that can only be resolved by Center for Basque Studies / 2322 Chair of the Spanish and Portuguese Depart- consciousness-raising efforts. University of Nevada, Reno ment at Stanford, called for ending Spanish- Reno, NV 89557-2322 language hegemony in Iberian philology. He Eztibalitz Ezkerra presented “Not Everybody also stressed the need to re-examine the meth- Sings from the Motherland. Diasporic Basque Or e-mail us at: [email protected] odology currently employed to analyze liter- Voices and Their Place in Basque Literature,” Or phone: 775.784.4854 ary texts as it focuses too heavily on linguistic in which she argued that the notion of Basque Or fax: 775.784.1355 aspects and too little on theory. identity, traditionally linked to a specific geographical area and language (Euskara), The newsletter is also available In her paper titled “The Astigmatic Eye and should be revised to include voices from the electronically, in a printable the Location of Minority Languages,” Elena diaspora, such as that of North American format. If you would like to Delgado, professor in the Spanish, Italian, and author Robert Laxalt. receive the newsletter in Portuguese Department at the University of electronic format, thus saving Illinois, proposed the decolonization of the The concept of “nation” was examined by printing and postage costs, current paradigm in order to establish points Harvard professor Luis Fernández Cifuentes please specify this option and let of convergence between literatures and avoid in his paper, “Charting National Territories: us know your e-mail address. hierarchies and centralization around the The Excursion Mode,” in which he analyzed dominant literature. In order to do this she travel literature and how it articulates with Please visit our web site: advocated envisioning the problem through an national identity. Xavier Pla, professor of astigmatic eye in which there is not one single Catalan Contemporary Literature and Liter- and exact point of vision, but rather multiple ary Theory in the Department of Philology basque.unr.edu points, just as there are multiple stories writ- and Philosophy of the Universitat de Girona, ten in a single language. spoke about the national relevance of Catalo- Produced by the Center for Basque nian literature in “Jospeh Pla: Localism, or a Teresa Vilarós-Soler, chair of the Hispanic Complete Way of Viewing the World.” Studies, University of Nevada, Studies Department at the University of Ab- Reno. Jill Berner, editor. erdeen in Scotland, presented “D’un temps, The Role of Language d’una llengua: Salvador Espiriú como escritor The status of invisibility to which some The University of Nevada, Reno is an Equal marrano.” In this paper she proposed a dif- languages are relegated once works are trans- Opportunity / Affirmative Action, ADA institu- ferent terminology, using the label “marrano lated was the subject of Mario Santana’s “On tion. 07/08 8,300. 2 Center for Basque Studies Newsletter Visible and Invisible Languages: Bernardo Advisory Board Meeting Atxaga’s Soinujolearen semea in Transla- tion.” The University of Chicago professor of February 2008 explained that it has become fairly common practice not to mention in a book whether or Our spring Advisory Board meeting was held and Diane Root, Sandra Ott (Advisory Board not it has been translated from another lan- on February 23 in the new Crowley Student administrator), and Carmelo Urza (director of guage. Thus, the language of the translation, Union building. Present were Board members USAC). which merely serves as a bridge between the Anita Anacabe Franzoia, Michonne Ascuaga, author’s work and the reader, is passed off as Mike Bidart, William Douglass (vice Words of welcome were given by University original. Inserting words in the original lan- chairman), Emilia Doyaga, John Echeverria President Milton Glick and Liberal Arts Dean guage (Basque) into the translations of works (chairman), Pete Ernaut, Eric Herzik (co- Heather Hardy. The president outlined his like Soinujolearen semea (The Accordionist’s director of the CBS), Justice Ron Parraguirre, strategies for creating a culture of completion Son) is one way of combating this phenom- Pello Salaburu, Koldo San Sebastián, on campus and for dealing with a three million enon that often renders minority languages Nikolas Skalomenos (on behalf of Antonio dollar shortfall, following cuts in the higher invisible. de Ynchausti), and Joseba Zulaika (co- education budget by Nevada’s Governor. Eric Herzik’s leadership during the University of Cincinnati professor Alfredo J. budget crisis played an essential Sosa-Velasco presented a paper titled “Mem- role in the Center’s ability to cope ory, Past, and Writing in the Global Scene: with the cuts. Bernardo Atxaga’s El hijo del acordeonista and Carme Riera’s La mitad del alma.” He The annual report on CBS considers both of these works as “places activities and accomplishments, of memory” and maintains that along with given by Eric Herzik, covered our memory, language should be preserved as publications agenda, our Ph.D.