At the end of the 15th century, peoples from the Americas, Africa, and Iberia collided in the most dramatic encounter in human history. This collision would create the New World. In this seminar, participants will survey 4½ centuries, from before the initial encounter, though the conquests of the Americas, up to the birth of culturally and racially mixed, independent nations. The focus will be on the patterns of conquest and cultural encounter, the processes of colonial rule, the nature of interaction between social groups, and the cultural impact of the colonial experience upon all colonial Latin America's peoples.
Students will study the institutions, cultures, attitudes, and fortunes of Spaniards, African slaves and free blacks, Nahuas and Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas and will discover the roles played in colonial society by a wide variety of peoples. The people who lived in colonial Latin America were given a chance to speak for themselves as much as possible. This course will move thematically more than chronologically. Ultimately what is found is that the Spanish American colonies were governed by more than simply the will of the colonizers. The colonial world was the product of actions and responses by Spaniards, Natives, and Africans. The colonies were anything but a reproduction of Spain in the New World, but were rather an active environment in which the political and cultural will of all parties combined to create an environment that was new to all groups involved.
Jake Frederick earned aPh.D. in colonial Latin American history from Penn State University. He lived in Mexico City for a year conducting research at the National Archive as a Fulbright scholar. Frederick’s research has focused on native uprisings in 18th century Mexico, race in colonial Mexico, and resource management in colonial Mexico City. His most recent publications include “A Fractured Pochgui: Local Factionalism in Eighteenth-Century Papantla” Ethnohistory 54:8 (Fall, 2011) and “Without Impediment: Crossing Racial Boundaries in Colonial Mexico” The Americas 67:4 (April, 2011). He is completing a book on native uprisings in Papantla, Mexico. Frederick’s current research project considers water rights and fire protection in Mexico under the Bourbon Crown.
At Lawrence University, Frederick teaches courses covering the breadth of Latin American history, including courses on Revolt and Revolution in Latin America, and Latin American Race and Ethnicity. His classes highlight the complexity of Latin American cultural and political history. Prior to attending graduate school he worked for the National Park Service and the United States Forest Service, and is currently working on a memoir about his time as a forest firefighter. When not working on other projects, Frederick enjoys horror movies and requires that every student he teaches understands that Jaws is the best film ever made.
Required text: “Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest” by Matthew Restall. Oxford University Press, USA; First Edition (October 28, 2004). ISBN-10: 0195176111.
Available at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Spanish-Conquest-Matthew-Restall/dp/0195176111/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384298303&sr=8-1&keywords=0195176111
If you have ever loved baseball, this seminar is for you! Come spend five fascinating mornings exploring captivating aspects of the American game that for 150-plus years has defined summers and forged precious lifelong memories for children, women, and men alike.
Each session will find participants exploring diverse dimensions of baseball that shed light on author Bernard Malamud’s observation: “The whole history of baseball has the quality of mythology” . . . and . . . why journalist Stanley Cohen wrote: “The history of other sports seems to begin anew with each generation, but baseball, that wondrous myth of 20th-century America gets passed on like an inheritance”.
Informative resources will enrich daily activities and discussions. Among others, they will include evocative articles, vintage photographs, classic radio & television broadcasts, spellbinding films and documentaries, interesting statistics and trivia, sidesplitting humor (Yogi included), and some of the greatest baseball music of all time.
All will help participants examine baseball's most persistent myths; discuss the allure of its most intriguing heroes and villains; share factors which test the character of fans as well as players; review how baseball reflects an evolving American society; and speculate on how a variety of factors may affect the future of the sport (e.g., technology, changing demographics, performance enhancing drugs, the growing popularity of soccer, and gender equity).
Insider perspectives will be gleaned from conversations with individuals with very different perspectives on baseball. Among those who have already committed to phone or Skype calls are:
• Jon Soiney—player in the Minnesota Twins minor farm system in the 1960s
• Brad Woodall—pitching teammate of Atlanta Braves hurlers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Jon Smoltz
• Joyce Westerman Hill—a seven year veteran of the All-American Professional Girls Baseball League
• John Kovach—current board member of Baseball for All (the leading advocacy group for girls baseball)
Excerpts from two award-winning video documentaries will be shown during the week: Ken Burns’ famous PBS series “Baseball” and “A Braves New World” (a fascinating documentary about the arrival and departure of the Milwaukee Braves). In addition, classic baseball films will be shown to those interested during the free time that is part of every afternoon and evening at Björklunden (see film options below).
Designed for people of all ages, the seminar will encourage participants to share personal experiences and/or favorite memorabilia that have made baseball so endearing to them. Landfried will do likewise with samples from his extensive memorabilia collection and his photo books featuring Fenway Park, Milwaukee’s County Stadium and Miller Park, Wrigley Field, and Yankee Stadium.
There is also a possibility of having a lunch during the week that features samples of classic baseball stadium food from across the nation. On top of that, the class may even play a little catch some afternoon if enough people bring baseball gloves to Björklunden!
Tentative Daily Themes
Monday: The Mythology and Evolution of America’s Game
Tuesday: The Allure of Baseball for Players and Fans Alike
Wednesday: Baseball Anecdotes—Tales from the Game
Thursday: Iconic Voices of Baseball: Making Great Baseball Moments Unforgettable
Friday: Baseball: Where Do Things Go From Here?
Seminar Resources
Wonderful baseball songs will be heard throughout the week. They will include “Joltin’ Joe Dimaggio (Les Brown); “Say Hey” (The Treniers); “Centerfield” (John Fogerty); “Talkin’ Baseball” (Terry Cashman); “The Greatest” (Kenny Rogers); “All the Way” (Eddie Vetter); “Go Cubs Go” and “A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request” (Steve Goodman); “Cheap Seats” (Alabama); “Glory Days” (Bruce Springsteen); and distinctive versions of “Take Me out to the Ballgame”.
As mentioned earlier, great baseball films will be shown during afternoon and evening free time. Among choices available during the optional viewings are:
• “The Pride of the Yankees”—Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright and Walter Brennan (1942)
• “The Winning Team”—Ronald Reagan and Doris Day (1952)
• “The Natural”—Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close and Kim Basinger (1984)
• “A League of Their Own”—Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty and Madonna (1987)
• “Eight Men Out”—John Cusack, Clifton James and Michael Lerner (1988)
• “Field of Dreams”—Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta and Amy Madigan (1989)
• “Major League”—Charles Sheen, Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen, and Bob Uecker (1989)
• “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg”—Reeve Brenner and Walter Matthau (1998)
• “For Love of the Game”—Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, John C. Reilly and Brian Cox (2000)
• “61”—Chris Bauer, Anthony Michael Hall and Barry Pepper (2001)
• “The Rookie”—Dennis Quaid and Rachel Griffiths (2002)
• “A Talent for the Game”—Edward James Olmos (2003)
• “Fever Pitch”—Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore (2004)
• “Moneyball”—Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill (2011)
• “Trouble with the Curve”—Clint Eastwood (2012)
• “42: The Jackie Robinson Story”—Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford and Nicole Beharie (2013)
• “Pride and Perseverance: The History of the Negro Leagues”—Narrator, Dave Winfield (2014)
Dr. Steven E. Landfried ‘66 (pictured above) has been a fan of baseball since the early 1950s when he first watched his uncle play in the home-spun Door County League. He has played baseball at various levels, most recently at two Milwaukee Brewers fantasy camps and the 2012 Men's Senior Baseball World Series.
Baseball has afforded Landfried some truly special experiences. Press passes to Wrigley Field and Milwaukee County Stadium in 1982 provided direct access to Cubs general manager Dallas Green, front office staff, players, grounds crew, and beloved announcer Harry Caray . . . and the World Series bound Milwaukee Brewers. Three published articles and several photo shows ensued.
Later years lead to adventures taking extensive architectural photos during final days of these historic baseball parks: Detroit Tiger Stadium, Comiskey Park, County Stadium, the Humphrey Dome in Minneapolis, and Yankee Stadium. A partial season ticket holder of the Milwaukee Brewers for nearly ten years, Landfried is also a current member of Red Sox and Cardinal fan clubs.
Highly Reccommended Text:
“Baseball as America: Seeing Ourselves Through Our National Game” by the National Baseball Hall of Fame. National Geographic (April 1, 2005). ISBN-10: 0792238982.
Available at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-As-America-Ourselves-National/dp/0792238982/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384358553&sr=1-1&keywords=0792238982
Other Reading Suggestions:
1. “The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It” by Lawrence S. Ritter. Harper Perennial Modern Classics (April 6, 2010). ISBN-10: 0061994715.
Available at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Glory-Their-Times-Baseball-Perennial/dp/0061994715/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384358905&sr=1-1&keywords=0061994715
2. “We Played the Game: Memories of Baseball's Greatest Era” edited by Danny Peary. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers; First Edition (August 19, 2002). ISBN-10: 1579122590.
Available at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/We-Played-Game-Memories-Baseballs/dp/1579122590/ref=la_B000APQC0W_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384359234&sr=1-5
3. “50 Biggest Baseball Myths” by Brandon Toropov. Citadel Press (May 1997). ISBN-10: 0806518758.
Available at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Baseball-Myths-Brandon-Toropov/dp/0806518758/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384359322&sr=1-1&keywords=0806518758
4. “The Complete Armchair Book of Baseball: An All-Star Lineup Celebrates America's National Pastime” edited by John Thorn. Galahad (September 1, 2004). ISBN-10: 1578660041.
Available at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Armchair-Book-Baseball-Celebrates/dp/1578660041/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384359396&sr=1-1&keywords=1578660041
Suggested Audio CDs - Hall of Fame Broadcasters:
"Baseball Voices: Hall of Fame Series" - Twelve commemorative audio tributes to baseball’s greatest radio announcers narrated by the WGN radio voice of the Chicago Cubs, Pat Hughes. Available at www.baseballvoices.com
Film scholar Vicente Benet writes that today the image of Spain that exists abroad is primarily derived from its audiovisual productions. But, the scarce contemporary cultural or artistic work from Spain that makes its way to the United States and the screens of American cinemas can only offer an extremely limited view. As the most popular form of cultural production, film in particular is widely recognized for its potential to mirror shared hopes and fears, icons, and the worldview of the society in which it is produced.
Given the capacity of cinema to represent reality, the goal of this seminar is to use film to provide a more comprehensive understanding of Spanish society today as seen in issues such as: Madrid vs. Barcelona, the changing role of women, the economic crisis, and globalization. Through a selection of contemporary Spanish films that have not been widely seen in the United States (including melodrama, drama, silent film, and comedy, among others), this class will explore ways cinema serves as both a showcase and self-examination of existing dynamics and conditions in society.
The seminar will begin with a brief overview of the history of Spanish cinema, and of Spain since the dawn of this art form at the end of the 19th century. Throughout the week, lectures and readings on Spanish culture and history of approximately the last 25 years will accompany the films. Discussions of the material will also address how we watch movies and the ways we, as viewers, are influenced by them.
The movies seen in the seminar will be in Spanish with English subtitles. Some of the films will be viewed during the seminar hours, while others will be available for viewing at participants’ convenience. All texts provided for the class will be in English. A complete list of movie titles and readings will be available on this web page by early March, 2014.
Paula Sprague received M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in contemporary Hispanic studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.A. from Knox College. While on an undergraduate study-abroad program in Spain, she developed an enduring interest in the country and its cultures. Before beginning graduate school, she returned to Spain where she lived for a number of years working and deepening her understanding of the place. Her areas of specialization are the 19th–21st centuries in Spain, Hispanic poetry and film, and Catalan studies. To date, her scholarly publications and conference presentations focus on contemporary Spanish poetry, Hispanic film, and 19th-century periodicals from Barcelona. Sprague has taught all levels of undergraduate Spanish language and literature, first at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, later at Dartmouth and Trinity Colleges, and presently at the University of Virginia where she is a lecturer in the department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. She has family in Door County and has spent time there every year for as long as she can remember.
Sprague looks forward to offering this seminar for a number of reasons. First, in addition to teaching Spanish language and literature, she enjoys providing people who have an interest in Spain with information and resources that potentially override traditional stereotypes and myths, and allow a realistic understanding of the country, its diverse cultures, and present conditions. Second, since 2008, it is common knowledge that Spain is in the depths of a devastating economic crisis—a fact that dominates news about Spain that appears in the United States press. In the meantime, however, the industriousness, creativity and perseverance of Spain’s citizens, including artists, writers and filmmakers, have not slackened. Sprague hopes that this seminar will provide a glimpse of contemporary Spanish society that is not apparent in news stories.
