LAII Lecture Series: Our Roles in the Conceptualization and Writing of Popol Wuj: Nueva Traducción y Comentarios
Dr. James Mondloch, Latin American and Iberian Institute
Tuesday, April 02, 2019 | 12:00 pm - 01:00 pm
Latin American and Iberian Institute
801 Yale Blvd NE (campus building #165)
About:
Join us for a presentation in the Spring 2019 LAII Lecture Series as Dr. James Mondloch presents on conceptualizing and writing his most recent publication, Popol Wuj: Nueva Traducción y Comentarios.
The book, released in October 2018 by the Universidad Mesoamerica in Guatemala, represents a monumental redefinition of the Popol Wuj, the sacred book of the K'iche' Maya people. Its publication was made possible due to a collaboration betwen Mondloch, a linguistic anthropology and faculty affiliate of the LAII, and his colleague, ethnohistorian Robert (Bob) Carmack, Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York at Albany. It was edited by noted Nicaraguan historian Horacio Cabezas Carcache.
In this talk, Mondloch will elaborate on the process that led to the book's publication, from the initial impetus to the evolution of ideas that guided him and Carmack as they undertook the project. Mondloch will also explore the differences between earlier versions of the Popol Wuj and this publication, highlighting how the new edition corrects the discrepancies and errors in Ximénez's original formatting, transcription, and translation. Finally, he will draw attention to how Carmack's annotations have provided readers with new possible interpretations and meanings.
Mondloch earned his PhD in Linguistics and Anthropology from the State University of New York at Albany. He is one of the country's foremost scholars on the K'iche' Maya language and has written and published a number of books and articles on the subject, including the only K'iche' grammar book found in English, Basic K'ichee' Grammar. At UNM, he has long taught courses in the K'iche' Maya language and has a strong following of dedicated students. Recently, he also oversaw the K'iche' Maya Oral History Project, working with the LAII to digitize over one hundred oral histories recorded in Guatemala during the 1960s and '70s.
Notes:
This event is free and open to the public.
Sponsors:
Latin American and Iberian Institute
