Welcome all to our blog! This means of communication will help us to be much more in contact and will also foster your language and technology skills.CU around!
The pleasure of reading
miércoles, 20 de abril de 2011
First debate
What relevance do you think The Battle of the Books might have today in the context of the controversy the opening of the Book Fair has generated?
I think that we are again dealing with the issue of "ink" and how powerful it can be. I do not know all the details, but what I do know is that there is a dispute between our president, and the people around her, and the people in charge of the Fair over the presence of Mario Vargas Llosa, a Peruvian writer who has been awarded the Nobel Prize last year. I think that despite the different opinions the government (all of it) should support these kinds of opportunities for the people. This fair is, in fact, a beacon of to show and to celebrate different ideologies and to show that they can all coexist in the same place without harm. If our governors get caught up in the political struggle we, the people, are the ones that suffer the consequences. I think that today this fair is being used as a political weapon, by being for or against it. I think that nowadays everyone is looking for a "book of controversy" to fight against, but we need to understand that this Fair represent us, we are what we read. And having diversity in what people read and write is a sign of development for, if we accept that diversity, we might get to a point in which everyone accepts (not necessarily complies with) other ideologies. Books are a powerful source of knowledge, but they can also be used for political purposes as well.
I want to add (if not correct) something that you´ve said Grego.The President herself hasn´t said anything like not wanting Vargas Llosa to open the Book Fair! Some polititians near her showed that they were not in favour of having a right-oriented writer opening this Fair;and the media (always mixing everything up) said that the President was the one who said that. Now that I made my point (at least I tried to) I must say that I totally agree on the point mentiond by Grego, of how powerfull a pen can be. And if I may add one extra comment, each of us is a "book of controversy"!Exchanging opinions, debating, we are all part of this "battle". Everyday we make history, with everything we say or do. We shouldn´t make the Acients come to the lowest part of the Hill, we are the ones who should go up!
I might be wrong about some of the things I said, and if so I apologise. What I do know, and what I do see, is that there is some dispute going on about this matter. I think that the President should have been present when the Fair opened. And I do believe that this kind of events can, and are in fact, used for political purposes. Politicians shouldn't focus so much on their political agendas. Having said that I think that even though this writer is right wing it shouldn't be an inconvenient. As I said we should celebrate diversity, and profit from what people who think differently can give us.
Completely unrelated, but still valid, is the fact that I found out that "Feuilleton" is the English word for Folletín. I accidentally came across the term on WIKIPEDIA while trying to translate the word NOVELA (The Latin-American TELENOVELA)for work. To see the full atricle, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novela. I just couldn't resist sharing the info.
About the actual discussion. I wholeheartedly agree with Greg on his view that an author's being left or right wing has absolutely nothing to do with his being admitted or denied admittance, or I should say with his being cordially invited or invited through gritted teeth just to make politicians "Look well" to the public. It is downright sickening to see how inconvenienced these people are by an extraordinary author the like of Mario Vargas Llosa, simply because he adheres to a political party or set of ideals that inconvenience the current government. If I have expressed my opinion in too strong and unabridged a manner, I deeply regret not having enough hedging vocabulary at this ungodly hour.
I think that we are again dealing with the issue of "ink" and how powerful it can be. I do not know all the details, but what I do know is that there is a dispute between our president, and the people around her, and the people in charge of the Fair over the presence of Mario Vargas Llosa, a Peruvian writer who has been awarded the Nobel Prize last year.
ResponderEliminarI think that despite the different opinions the government (all of it) should support these kinds of opportunities for the people. This fair is, in fact, a beacon of to show and to celebrate different ideologies and to show that they can all coexist in the same place without harm. If our governors get caught up in the political struggle we, the people, are the ones that suffer the consequences.
I think that today this fair is being used as a political weapon, by being for or against it. I think that nowadays everyone is looking for a "book of controversy" to fight against, but we need to understand that this Fair represent us, we are what we read. And having diversity in what people read and write is a sign of development for, if we accept that diversity, we might get to a point in which everyone accepts (not necessarily complies with) other ideologies.
Books are a powerful source of knowledge, but they can also be used for political purposes as well.
Source: http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1367021-cont-con-fuerte-tono-politico-arranca-la-fiesta-literaria
I want to add (if not correct) something that you´ve said Grego.The President herself hasn´t said anything like not wanting Vargas Llosa to open the Book Fair! Some polititians near her showed that they were not in favour of having a right-oriented writer opening this Fair;and the media (always mixing everything up) said that the President was the one who said that. Now that I made my point (at least I tried to) I must say that I totally agree on the point mentiond by Grego, of how powerfull a pen can be. And if I may add one extra comment, each of us is a "book of controversy"!Exchanging opinions, debating, we are all part of this "battle". Everyday we make history, with everything we say or do. We shouldn´t make the Acients come to the lowest part of the Hill, we are the ones who should go up!
ResponderEliminarI might be wrong about some of the things I said, and if so I apologise. What I do know, and what I do see, is that there is some dispute going on about this matter. I think that the President should have been present when the Fair opened. And I do believe that this kind of events can, and are in fact, used for political purposes. Politicians shouldn't focus so much on their political agendas.
ResponderEliminarHaving said that I think that even though this writer is right wing it shouldn't be an inconvenient. As I said we should celebrate diversity, and profit from what people who think differently can give us.
Completely unrelated, but still valid, is the fact that I found out that "Feuilleton" is the English word for Folletín. I accidentally came across the term on WIKIPEDIA while trying to translate the word NOVELA (The Latin-American TELENOVELA)for work. To see the full atricle, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novela. I just couldn't resist sharing the info.
ResponderEliminarAbout the actual discussion. I wholeheartedly agree with Greg on his view that an author's being left or right wing has absolutely nothing to do with his being admitted or denied admittance, or I should say with his being cordially invited or invited through gritted teeth just to make politicians "Look well" to the public. It is downright sickening to see how inconvenienced these people are by an extraordinary author the like of Mario Vargas Llosa, simply because he adheres to a political party or set of ideals that inconvenience the current government. If I have expressed my opinion in too strong and unabridged a manner, I deeply regret not having enough hedging vocabulary at this ungodly hour.
ResponderEliminar