LITERAL 28

Fiction

Poetry

Reviews

Interview

LITERAL 28
Intellectuals: The Swan Song
/ Intelectuales: el canto del cisne

The Humanities Research Center of Houston and the Department of Hispanic Studies of Rice University, with the support of Literal. Latin American Voices, have undertaken the organization of a series of conferences under the title Latin American Intellectuals in the 21st Century. In the pages that follow, we offer you a brief interview with Enrique Krauze, plus contributions from Jesús Silva Herzog Márquez and Ignacio Sánchez Prado raised within this same context. To these, we have added the observations of Yvon Grenier, who is unquestionably an expert on the subject. Conceived of and coordinated by Ph.D. Manuel Guitérrez, this series of conferences will take place over a two-year period in an attempt to explore the role of Latin American intellectuals in the 21st century. Is it true that the swan song of the intellectual has already been sung, or are we merely experiencing a transformation of this public figure more in keeping with the new global, media-driven reality?

We complement this issue with a debate on violence held by two eminent contemporary thinkers: Steven Pinker and John Gray. Likewise, George Soros analyzes the current economic and social crisis in the European Union, with particular emphasis on the delicate situation in Greece. Finally, our edition also highlights the work of Mari Carmen Ramírez, director of the digital archive of 20th Century Latin American and Latino Art at the ICAA (MFAH), as well as the decisive role of Wendy Watriss as founder of Houston’s FotoFest.