Book Club: Explore American Culture Through Literature – Virtual Session 1

Spanish Reading Club
February 2021

From the International Institute we continue with the reading club so that you can continue enjoying American literature from home.

Our first virtual meeting of 2021 will be dedicated to the analysis of two short works: “Niña” (“Girl”) by Jamaica Kincaid (1949-) and a passage from the book Between the world and me (Between the world and me) by Ta-Nehisi Coates (1975-).

First published in 1987 in The New Yorker, “Girl” is based on the writer's own relationship with her mother growing up. Between the world and me, published in 2015 and winner of the National Book Award, is written as a letter to the author's teenage son.

You can get the works through the Internet both en español like in English. Participants can ask the event organizers for help in finding the works if necessary. For those of you who prefer to read works on paper, the Kincaid collection at the bottom of the river and Coates's book, Between the world and me, are available in The book house.

After an individualized reading, the works will be discussed in groups using the zoom tool. We have Lauren Giera as moderator who will give a brief introduction, throw questions and encourage the conversation. We will also offer a reading guide to deepen the understanding of the texts and encourage conversation during the session. Participants must keep their cameras on during the discussion.

Those registered for this activity will receive an email before the session to confirm participation in the virtual session.