Author Archives: Michael K. Bess

In 2012, writing for the New York Times, Kyle Jarrard reflected on the life and literary contributions of Carlos Fuentes shortly after the author’s death in May. The crux of this article considered how Fuentes wrote about the border and he described its significance for Mexico and the United States as a liminal space of personal interaction, violence, and escape. As Jarrard described it, Fuentes wrote about the “ghosts” of the region and the stories they carried about a place on the periphery of the nation-state:

But it is not a romantic sojourn: He hits hard at both Mexico and the United States for letting the borderland sink into hell, and gets grief for it, of course, from the North, where they somehow doubt his convictions. “When I satire Mexico I’m a great satirist. When I poke fun at the United States, I’m a mean, clichéd caricaturist. It is curious that one should always get pallid anemic WASPs as critics.”

Those aren’t the words of a man who doesn’t believe entirely in all he writes, of the power of the people on his pages, of their absolute reality: They are you and me, and there is no space between them and us.

This is the vicarious joy Carlos produced: A love for the tragic fact of life here and now, for the auténtico, and for the unending voyage through history to see again that so much never changes. Generals or their progeny will always occupy the president’s office; gringos will always come over the border, drink and then go off into the perilous night in search of finality.

For the full article, follow the link:

The Guardian reports on the heartbreaking reality of everyday life along the border. At Organ Pipe National Monument, there’s a tourist boom underway with visitor rates increasing by 30%. The landscape in this part of southwest Arizona is beautiful and certainly should be known by more people. Yet, it’s also a very dangerous area for migrants arriving via Mexico, and many risk their life to do so. As the article says, two very different pamphlets, one in English, the other in Spanish, underscore the sharp contrast between tourists and migrants at this park:

“Immerse yourself in a photographer’s paradise!” advises a glossy tourist brochure. “Explore the abundance of plants and wildlife unique to the Sonoran desert. Guided walks through the park, as well as hiking trails, camping and picnic facilities, are available. Drive the scenic 21-mile Ajo Mountain loop … star-studded night skies wash away the modern world.”

An identical-sized pamphlet on cheap paper, which you find in Mexican towns bordering the park, offers starker tips in Spanish.

“Use the north star and the movement of the moon to guide you towards the north during the night. Carry one gallon of water in each hand and six litres in the backpack. You can drink cactus fruit but the skin has nearly invisible spines. Peel carefully. If you have no water, drinking urine can sustain you for a while. Don’t do it repeatedly because it will become toxic.”

For the full story, follow the link:
http://gu.com/p/4d6qd?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_WordPress

If you’re going to be in the area, Dr. Michael Wolff will be speaking at Central New Mexico Community College, next Wednesday, October 21. The topic he’ll be presenting is his work on the “pacification campaigns” in Rio de Janeiro’s slums by state forces against local criminal organizations. It should be a great talk. Dr. Wolff, who teaches at the University of New Mexico, has also researched the politics of violence and organized crime in Mexico, particularly in Ciudad Juárez.

For more information, check out the flyer. The talk is part of the Latin American Speaker Series, hosted jointly by CNM and UNM.

Dear readers, we’ve learned from Augustana University that the Center for Western Studies is looking for contributors to a new collection edited by Jon K. Lauck. The subject matter is the American Midwest and the Great Plains; the project is titled, “In Search of the Interior Borderlands Where does the Midwest End and the Great Plains Begin?”

Dear readers, we wanted to let you know about an excellent new essay Ranbir Singh Sidhu has written for the Los Angeles Review of Books titled, “All Borderlands Are Ghost Lands.” He reflects on the refugee crisis in Europe informed by his own family’s history, when his mother and relatives were displaced by the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. Writing eloquently and powerfully about the plight of refugees and how this ordeal scars the historical memory of one’s family, readers may find parallels with the regional crisis occurring in Central America and along the U.S.-Mexico border. From the essay:

In the end, all borderlands are ghost lands, and every border is painted in blood. Many of those fleeing today, caught in their exhaustion and despair on our television screens, carry with them similar stories. Behind those faces, that far too many in Europe are demanding to be shut out or deported, are often epic and tragic tales. The vast majority of people do not leave their homes, their memories, and their hopes to face the prospect of death by drowning simply for the possibility of economic gain. Real desperation drives them, and the near certainty that their lives, should they stay and somehow survive, would be lived among ruins.

For the full read, follow the link:

https://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/all-borderlands-are-ghost-lands

FYI, for readers who will be in the area…

Good day, BHB readers! We just came across an interesting fellowship opportunity and wanted to share it with you. The School for Advanced Research, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is accepting applications for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship in Latino Studies. Qualified applicants will have completed their PhD in anthropology, history, sociology, religious studies, Latino/Chicano Studies or related fields by the application deadline, which is November 2, 2015. For more information, follow the link and good luck!

Details for the fellowship:

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How to apply:

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Within a few years, Mexico’s Constitution of 1917 will mark its 100th anniversary. In preparation, since 2013, the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas has organized a series of conferences, involving more than 100 scholars and up to 50 individual institutions. They form part of Dr. Catherine Andrew’s project on constitutionalism, exploring the social and political legacy of this topic in Mexican history. The goal has been to produce new and original academic works that examine the Constitution of 1917’s significance from local, regional, and national perspectives, examining Mexico’s history over the last century as well as encouraging reflection on the country’s future. Last week marked the close of the most recent conference hosted by the CIDE in Aguascalientes.

The conference examined the impact of constitutionalism on northwestern Mexico and opened with a session by Ignacio Marván from the División de Ciencias Políticas at CIDE. He spoke in depth about Venustiano Carranza and his legacy not only as a political and military leader nationally, but Dr. Marván also talked about his legislative work as a senator from Coahuila and how that experience informed his political philosophy in subsequent years. Later, the first morning panel led to a spirited discussion in the Q&A about Villa’s legacy.

Luis Barrón and Ignacio Marván

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In light of current events and heightened political rhetoric worldwide, the study of borderlands is becoming increasingly important. Our friends at H-Borderlands have good news to share: The Department of History at the University of Texas at El Paso has announced new doctoral fellowships to support graduate study in the field of Borderlands History. The deadline for applications is in January 2016. For more information, follow the link below:

https://networks.h-net.org/node/2720/discussions/84838/new-phd-fellowships-borderlands-history-wall-canada

Coordinators for the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies—Tejas Foco have sent along three calls for submissions for awards considerations ahead of the 2016 conference. We’ve attached the PDFs below:

2016 NACCS TEJAS POETRY BOOK AWARD

2016 NACCS TEJAS AWARD FOR FICTION

2016 NACCS TEJAS NON-FICTION BOOK AWARD