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Columbia University Teaching Fellow Abdi Latif Ega to Discuss His New Novel, Guban, at Bard College on Wednesday, November 30

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. — On Wednesday, November 30, the Difference and Media Project at Bard College presents Abdi Latif Ega, a doctoral candidate and teaching fellow at Columbia University’s Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies. The event, part of the Difference@Bard series, takes place at 7:30 p.m. in Weis Cinema in the Bertelsmann Campus Center and is free and open to the public.

Abdi Latif Ega’s dissertation at Columbia compares the work of intellectuals in the New World with those in the Horn and East Africa and how they shaped the 20^th-century mythos of liberty. His new novel, Guban, was released this fall. A volcanic mountain range in the northeastern part of Somalia, Guban is also a name given to the surrounding habitat by Somali nomads. Translating to “burnt” in English, Ega uses the word as a metaphor for the entire nation and its people. Set against the backdrop of East Africa, the novel explores the clash of modernity and urban civilization with the traditional, more egalitarian life of pastorialists who still populate the region. The novel is a truly kaleidoscopic tale of the Somali revolution that deftly interlocks stories of all strata of society: interlopers, interlocutors, diplomats, camel herders, revolutionaries, military personnel, and clan leaders, among others.

Difference@Bard is an ongoing visitor series with visual artists, performers, lawyers, writers, academics, and others who work on “difference.” Difference@Bard guests have included DJ/Rupture, architect Mitch McEwen, international labor rights lawyer Ashwini Sukthankar, and many others. The series allows close-up, interactive conversations about real-life careers and networking. Events focus on conversations about how to enter various career paths, with an emphasis on personal narrative and insider tips. For more information, visit dmp.bard.edu.

(11/14/11)

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This event was last updated on 12-02-2011