Autobiography is Another Story: “Lives” in Hindi
Abstract: Hindi has a rich tradition of writing about the self – both in formal autobiography (atmakatha, ap-biti) and in more casual contexts and genres. This talk discusses a dozen works, ranging from self-consciously literary texts to the transcribed memoirs of a provincial station-master. Themes such as family life and childhood memories illuminate these narratives, while darker moments include jail writings by the sometime prime minister Chandrashekhar (imprisoned and released by Indira Gandhi during the Emergency of the 1970s) and by Ramprasad Bismil (imprisoned and executed by the British a half-century earlier). My spotlight is on the stylistics of the narratives: how do the various authors crystalize their sweet and bitter experiences into words and bring them to the printed page?
Articles tagged with "events"
This new consciousness among vernacular publics highlights corruption at all levels of government and the corporate world, while still resisting the hegemonic discourse of economic growth. The talk looks at the recent populist social mobilization (jan andolans) against corruption and its possible grievance mechanism (Jan Lokpal Movement). It analyzes how an urban democratization movement features a competitive struggle among vernacular publics, and how the state and news media struggle over the legitimacy of alternate politics and vernacular public space, as it moves beyond electoral politics but still calls for democratization and transparency in governance.
We’ve had the melting pot and the tossed salad; now we have the stir-fry. The Stir-Fry Project will happen over the next few weeks at the Senior Center of Iowa City. The project is “a collaborative community art project that explores the stories of people who have resettled to Iowa from different countries through collective works of art.” There are workshops in stop-motion animation, mixed media, and printmaking. Community members may participate. The workshops and materials are free, but pre-registration is required. There will be an opening exhibition of the collaborative work on April 27, and the art will remain on display through May.
This event is free and open to the public. The papers presented will be edited in a book to share with those who could not make it to Iowa City.
This event is sponsored by UI International Programs, the African Studies Program, University of Iowa Libraries, the Newman Center, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the African Student Association, and the African Trade Law Expert.
Abstract: Over the past several decades vernacular music industries in many parts of South Asia have utilized artistic traditions originating in Dalit communities to create marketable commodities of “folk culture.” Why do music industries that celebrate and seek to raise the profile of “folk arts” (lok sangeet) also routinely neglect and exploit regional “folk artists” (lok kalakar)? By attending to the experiences of musicians from three hereditary caste communities in the Garhwal Himalayas—Baddi, Bajgi, and Jagariya—and by interrogating the body politics of a number of mass-mediated representations, this talk will interrogate the idea that new media and vernacular markets have had a democratizing influence on musical practice. Instead, I demonstrate that entrenched and widely-shared conceptions about caste-based status, function, musical style, and mobility continue to influence who is allowed to participate in regional studio recordings, and how they are ultimately represented on video and cassette albums.
The European Studies Group continues its spring 2012 lecture series with a film screening of “The Forgetting Game” followed by a conversation with director Russell Sheaffer at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, in 1117 University Capitol Centre.
This event is free and open to the public.
The 13th annual Crossing Borders Convocation will explore “Transcultural Communication and Migrations in the Indian Ocean Rim and the Caribbean” March 23-24 in W401 Pappajohn Business Building. The event is free and open to the public.
The forum will feature the following speakers and presentations:
George Ayittey: Indigenous and Modern African Institutions: Explaining the Real Causes of Poverty in Africa
Muna B. Ndulo: Is Foreign Aid Working in Africa?
Lyombe Eko: Explaining the Real Causes of Communication Problems in Africa
Denford Madenyika: ICT Infrastructure in Africa: What do We Need in African Schools?
Bell F. Ouelega: Insurance Industry and Africa’s Development
Etse Sikanku: Press Freedom in Africa
Sunday Goshit: African perspectives on environmental issues
Gbenga Ajiboye: The Impact of Corruption on African Youth Development – Case Study- Nigeria
Henri J. Nkuepo: The Real Causes of Food Insecurity in Africa
Haitian-born painter and sculptor Edouard Duval Carrié will discuss his activities in the general relief efforts made after Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010 during a lecture, titled “Art in Times of Quake and Cholera,” Thursday, March 1, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 2520D University Capitol Centre. This event is free and open to the public.
“Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible.” -Rod Serling
In today’s world of social media and text messaging, two University of Iowa students have found a way to bring the community together by combining storytelling and art. The collaborative art project Stir Fry is a mix of people of various cultures and ages that are brought together in a series of structured workshops to tell and transform their stories into art.
Trudy Huskamp Peterson, one of the leading archivists in the world and the 2011 International Impact Award recipient at the University of Iowa, will present two workshops on the UI campus. Both events are free and open to the public.
Two visiting faculty members will give presentations as part of a Latin American Studies Program (LASP) panel discussion, titled “The Americas Transformed: The Legacies of the 1960s.” This event will take place Thursday, March 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in 1117 University Capitol Centre. It is free and open to the public.
The African Studies Program in International Programs will hold a spring 2012 meet-and-greet event Monday, Feb. 27, at 5 p.m. in 2520D University Capitol Centre. The event is free and open to the public.
The aim of the meeting is for faculty and staff of the African Studies Program to gather, introduce new faculty and students, and discuss programing for the rest of the academic year.
Japan’s fascinating history, traditions, religious and spiritual expressions, economic achievements, and present-day challenges will be the topic of our next WorldCanvass. Join us at 5 p.m. on March 2 in the Senate Chamber of the Old Capitol Museum in Iowa City for this free event.
