A Book Club For Those Who Enjoy Reading And Speaking En EspaÃ±ol

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Sep 15, 2006 12:00 am

Tertulia Literaria is a new club for those who enjoy reading and speaking in Spanish. The club is not a class. There is no teacher, registration is not needed to participate, and there is no admission charge.

About a dozen people met with Laura Humphries Ross, the clubâs founder, in August at the library, but the first discussion has yet to be held. That program will take place on September 21. Tertulia Literaria will meet in the board room on the lower level of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street, the third Thursday of the month at 7 pm.

The group will discuss one book per month. Titles selected for the first year include a cross section of 11 contemporary authors (1950s-present) from Spain, Mexico, South America, and Cuba. Members are responsible for obtaining their own books (in Spanish), which are readily available online and at some of the larger bookstores and libraries.

Delirio by Columbian author Laura Restrepo, a writer, instructor of literature, journalist, activist and editor, will be discussed at the September 21 meeting. Delirio was awarded the prestigious Premio Internacional Alfaguara de Novela in 2004.

The prize-winning La nieve del almirante by Alvaro Mutis, of Columbia and Mexico, will be discussed on October 19.

Ms Ross stresses that having an academic degree is not, in any way, necessary to participate. Only a strong interest and a comfortable proficiency in reading and speaking Spanish are needed. Language skills, which may have become rusty from lack of use, will probably return with the practice afforded in the comfortable atmosphere of the meetings.

Reading selections for the remainder of the 2006-07 session are as follows:

November 16: La colmena (1951) by Camilo JosÃ© Cela (Spain);

(Tertulia Literaria will not meet in December.)

January 18: ConversaciÃ³n en la catedral (1969) by Mario Vargas Llosa (PerÃº);

February 15: Yo el supremo (1974) by Augusto Roa Bastos (Paraguay);

March 15: Sobre hÃ©roes y tumbas (1961) by Ernesto SÃ¡bato (Argentina);

April 19: La vida breve (1950) by Juan Carlos Onetti (Uruguay);

May 17: Los pasos perdidos (1953) by Alejo Carpentier (Cuba);

June 21: La piel del cielo (2001) by Elena Poniatowska (MÃ©xico); and

July 19: Todas esas muertes (1970) by Carlos Droguett (Chile).

Contact Laura Humphries Ross at rosslaoshi@hotmail.com or 426-5223 for additional, updated information.

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The voters certainly spoke — and I respect the outcome — but let’s not forget that a “majority” doesn’t mean everyone agreed. Many of us are deeply concerned about the rising cost of living here. Supporting schools and services is important, but so is ensuring that residents can afford to stay in the town they love. We all want Newtown to be a great place to live, but lately, it’s starting to feel less like “Nicer in Newtown” and more like “More Expensive in Newtown.” That’s not sustainable, and it’s not a criticism of the town itself — it’s a call for responsible budgeting and long-term planning that doesn’t rely on tax increases year after year. I hope future decisions will reflect not just the desire to maintain services, but also the need to ease the financial burden on residents.

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A Book Club For Those Who Enjoy Reading And Speaking En EspaÃ±ol

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