On Friday, November 17, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese hosted the second lecture of the talk series “Smells, Sounds, and Textures of Iberian Modernity,” organized by Lucia Filipova (G-5) and Renee Congdon (G-4). With co-sponsorships from eleven departments and programs on campus, the series invites a reconsideration of Iberian modernity from an interdisciplinary lens focused on the senses. Joan Ramon Resina, Professor of Iberian and Latin American Studies and Professor of Comparative Literature at Stanford University, presented in his talk “The High Plateau and the Sea: Identity and Character in Spanish and Catalan Nationalism” the role of landscape in the cultural imaginary at the end of the 19^th and the beginning of the 20^th century. Professor Resina’s lecture explored the interstices of visuality, imagery, literature, and art, engaging in a sensorial analysis of literary representations of

landscape and it also traced crucial connections with other relevant areas of modern life, such as urban architecture and linguistic normalization. 

Our third talk in the series will take place on December 8, 2023. Eric Calderwood, Professor of Comparative and World Literature at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will address in “The Harmonious al-Andalus” both musical and interfaith harmony. Stay tuned for updates!