Anonymous Anonymous

Coinciding with the Library’s Words of war: conflict in Welsh literature exhibition, Dr David Moore will be talking about one of the most interesting periods in both the literature and the military history of Wales, namely the eleventh and early twelfth centuries.

This was a time of renaissance in the literature of Wales – the Mabinogi, Geoffrey of Monmouth, the Gogynfeirdd, and much more. It was also a time of bitter warfare involving not only the Welsh themselves but also Normans, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and others, all of whom had their own perspectives on events.

What can we learn from the literature about warfare in Wales at the time? Gerald of Wales was responsible for many of the ideas now common in the popular imagination, but how do his observations compare with what we know from other literary sources? Was Gerald right to portray the Welsh as militarily unsophisticated, relative to the Normans? Was their method of fighting really that different, and if so, why? And was warfare in Wales really as brutal as he claimed? Both sides learned from each other, and also from the often ignored Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. Free admission by ticket. (Cynfelyn)… (more)

Monday, October 6, 7:00 p.m. - Note New Date

Lazarillo De Tormes by Anónimo

La vida del Lazarillo De Tormes, y de sus fortunas y adversidades, se pública por primera vez en 1554 cuando España era un imperio bajo la monarquía de Carlos V. El humorismo, la ironía, el chiste, la burla y la parodia constituyen en su conjunto la clave de esta historia. Considerada una de las joyas de la literatura española, esta obra nos cuenta la vida y las aventuras de un pícaro: El Lazarillo De Tormes. La moraleja en la vida, fortunas y adversidades del Lazarillo es que no hay que tomarse en serio el poder político independientemente de su origen profano o sagrado.

Location: Street: 1010 El Camino Real City: Menlo Park, Province: California Postal Code: 94025-4349 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

Published in 20 languages, internationally best-selling author David Vann has written essays, stories, features, novels and a memoir. His books have won 15 prizes and appeared on 70 Best Books of the Year lists in a dozen countries. Currently working on a translation of Beowulf, today Vann reflects on his body of work, and the usefulness, and importance, of literary tradition. Where would this neo-classical author, writing out of an American landscape tradition, be without Greek tragedy, Old English meter, and Chaucer’s hagiography? (rodneyvc)… (more)

Joe Klein is the leading political columnist for Time magazine and writes a weekly column, In the Arena. Klein’s recent Time cover stories include: “How the Guns Won”; “Why Don’t They Like Me?,” a profile of Mitt Romney; and “How to Die,” about his parents' deaths. In 1996, Klein anonymously wrote the critically acclaimed roman à clef novel Primary Colors, based upon the 1992 Presidential race. The novel spent twenty-five weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, spending nine weeks at number one. His most recent book, published in 2006, is Politics Lost: How American Democracy Was Trivialized by People Who Think You’re Stupid, which takes a critical look at the manufactured and focus-group-tested nature of today’s politics. (rhbouchard)… (more)