2015 Latin American Studies Association Conference
2015 Latin American Studies Association Conference
Academic Year:
2014 - 2015 (June 1, 2014 through May 31, 2015)
Funding Requested:
$1,700.00
Project Dates:
-
Applicant(s):
Overview of the Project:
I seek funding for attending the 2015 LASA meeting in San Juan, PR, where I plan to present a paper on "Cuban Science Fiction as a Mirror of Cuban Society and Culture," as part of a panel on "Cuban Utopias: Jewish and Other Quests for Home." This will accomplish three goals. First, interacting with international scholars of Latin America will directly benefit my teaching; I offer two courses on Latin America generally and use examples from the region in my other cultural anthropology courses. I will update lectures, class discussion notes, and AV materials based on new data and stories gleaned from panels and personal interactions at LASA (and on the streets of San Juan), as I have done in the past. Second, exchanging ideas with my fellow panelists and audience members will help sharpen my ideas for two works that I currently am preparing for publication. Third, my latest research project is translating a novel by a San Juan-based writer, Eduardo Lalo—interpreting his work in English while respecting and representing his culture—and I soon may begin translating a second novel by him. I expect to take advantage of the serendipity of the conference location to meet with the writer and to visit the neighborhoods and landmarks that feature prominently in his work, giving me valuable grounding that will improve my translations and help me convey the cultural meanings of his work more effectively to an English-speaking audience.