Renowned Mexican journalist and novelist Elena Poniatowska will read from her works and discuss her career in journalism at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15 in Darwin 103.
Now 75 years old, this remarkable writer and political activist - a diminutive woman of French-Polish and Mexican heritage - is recognized by all Mexicans as their "voice."
Already the recipient of numerous literary and journalistic awards, this year, Poniatowska is credited with inventing the interview genre in Mexico and is known for her portrayal of the common people, those who often live without resources or protection by their government.
This year, she received the prestigious Romulo Gallegos literary award for best novel of the year throughout Latin America. Her most famous work is Massacre in Mexico, a journalistic text that incorporates eye-witness accounts of the government murder of students and other demonstrators in 1968, in the Tlatelolco Plaza in Mexico City.
She is also recognized for her thoughtful testimony of the disastrous impact of the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, published in English translation as Nothing, Nobody. She will read excerpts from various works, including a novella, Lilus Kikus, published when she was 20 years old, which satirizes the traditional role for girls as they grow up in Mexican, or western, society.
Critics mistook it for a children's book. Recently published in English translation, this narrative reveals the subversive and subtle writing style that would mark Poniatowska's career.
For further information, contact Dr. Elizabeth C. Martinez, (707) 664-3161, elizabeth.martinez@sonoma.edu.
