CONTACT: Clara Mae Marcotte
512-593-4143 or cmarcott@tamuk.edu
'CIRCUIT RIDERS' TOUR STARTS JAN. 30
KINGSVILLE (January 6, 1999) -- Circuit riders will act as a link to the past again this spring beginning Jan. 30 as Texas A&M University-Kingsville faculty members travel to public libraries in Alice, Falfurrias, Kingsville, Raymondville and Zapata making presentations and lectures.
The "Circuit Riders" tour, now in its eighth year, is based on the early 20th century lecture circuit movement when speakers and ministers traveled from town to town offering enrichment. The tour is sponsored by the Texas Council for the Humanities.
Program founder and organizer Dr. Evelyn Jenson, language and literature lecturer, said this year's theme is the importance of stories and storytelling as a way of identifying myths directly related to the experience of South Texas Mexican-Americans.
"These stories, originating from historical, religious, cultural and social traditions, are steeped in the lore of folk saints, the Day of the Dead, saintly miracles and apparitions," Jenson said. "Some of the stories are mythological in nature, serving to make more acceptable the painful realities of existence by relating them to religious and sacred beliefs and by allowing for a strong use of imagination, which makes for good story telling."
Six Texas A&M-Kingsville faculty members are participating.
Dr. Miguel Leatham, assistant professor of anthropology, will discuss the historical
context of the folk saint myth and show how cases of major folk saints are well documented
for Mexico and the American Southwest. Leatham's program will be illustrated with slides and video segments.
Dr. Alejandro Cortazar, assistant Spanish professor, will first present historical background of the traditional stories of the Day of the Dead. Cortazar will conclude his program with a slide presentation of the Dia de Los Muertos commemoration in contemporary Oaxaca, Mexico, and will present his own family's way of celebrating the Day of the Dead.
Dr. Evelyn Jenson and Dr. Guadalupe Thompson, professor of bilingual education and tour co-sponsor, will place the practice of petitioning to the saints into a historical context. They will read from books containing examples of people's petitions and gifts, including a chapter from Woman Healing Creek by Sandra Cisneros, and will include slides taken at the church in San Juan, Texas. The presenters will request local stories of petitions from the audience.
Dr. John Jenson, associate professor of journalism, will read from the ghost stories found in Juan Sauvageau's book, Stories That Must Not Die, and will dwell on the local ones told by area ranch hands, farmers and women. Jenson also will show the film strip that goes with the book.
Elisa A. Garza, English lecturer, will discuss the importance of storytelling in the novel Y No Se Lo Trago La Tierra (And the Earth Shall Not Devour Him), by Tomás Rivera. Garza shows the relation between the life of the community and their stories. These stories are a way of maintaining hope and recount determination and endurance. Garza also will show segments from the movie version of the book.
Participation will be an important part of each program as each presenter requests stories
from the audience. The presentation schedules are as follows:
Kingsville R.J. Kleberg Public Library, 220 N. 4th St. 1 p.m.:
• Saturday, Jan. 30 -- Folk Saint Myth with Dr. Miguel Leatham
• Saturday, Feb. 6 -- And the Earth Shall Not Devour Him with Elisa Garza
• Saturday, Feb. 13 -- Petitions and Gifts with Dr. Evelyn Jenson and Dr. Guadalupe Thompson
• Saturday, Feb. 20 -- Short Stories with Dr. John Jenson
• Saturday, Feb. 27 -- Day of the Dead with Dr. Alejandro Cortazar
Falfurrias, Ed Rachal Memorial Lilbrary, 203 S. Henry St. 7 p.m.:
• Thursday, Feb. 4 -- Petitions and Gifts with Dr. Evelyn Jenson and Dr. Guadalupe Thompson
• Thursday, Feb. 11 -- Day of the Dead with Dr. Alejandro Cortazar
• Thursday, Feb. 18 -- And the Earth Shall Not Devour Him with Elisa Garza
• Thursday, Feb. 25 -- Short Stories with Dr. John Jenson
• Thursday, March 4 -- Folk Saint Myth with Dr. Miguel Leatham
Alice Public Library, 401 E. 3rd St. 5 p.m.:
• Wednesday, Feb. 3 -- Folk Saint Myth with Dr. Miguel Leatham
• Wednesday, Feb. 10 -- And the Earth Shall Not Devour Him with Elisa Garza
• Wednesday, Feb. 17 -- Short Stories with Dr. John Jenson
• Wednesday, Feb. 24 -- Day of the Dead with Dr. Alejandro Cortazar
• Wednesday, March 3 -- Petitions, Gifts with Dr. Evelyn Jenson and Dr. Guadalupe Thompson
Raymondville, Reber Memorial Library, 190 N. 4th St. 7 p.m.:
• Thursday, Feb. 4 -- And the Earth Shall Not Devour Him with Elisa Garza
• Thursday, Feb. 11 -- Petitions, Gifts with Dr. Evelyn Jenson and Dr. Guadalupe Thompson
• Thursday, Feb. 18 -- Day of the Dead with Dr. Alejandro Cortazar
• Thursday, Feb. 25 -- Folk Saint Myth with Dr. Miguel Leatham
• Thursday, March 4 -- Short Stories with Dr. John Jenson
Zapata County Public Library, 901 Kennedy St. 1 p.m.:
• Saturday, Jan. 30 -- And the Earth Shall Not Devour Him with Elisa Garza
• Saturday, Feb. 6 -- Petitions, Gifts with Dr. Evelyn Jenson and Dr. Guadalupe Thompson
• Saturday, Feb. 13 -- Folk Saint Myth with Dr. Miguel Leatham
• Saturday, Feb. 20 -- Day of the Dead with Dr. Alejandro Cortazar
• Saturday, Feb. 27 -- Short Stories with Dr. John Jenson
-TAMUK-