Talk with Nasario García
Folklorist, writer, Spanish teacher and one of New Mexico's foremost experts on oral tradition Nasario García will inaugurate the first edition of the Oralidad festival, organized by the Instituto Cervantes of Albuquerque. Garcia will give a talk on My New Mexican cultural and linguistic roots rooted in the spoken word and will discuss the importance of storytelling with the director of the Instituto Cervantes of Albuquerque and El Paso, Silvia Grijalba. About Nasario García. He is professor emeritus of Spanish and Hispanic literatures. He is a folklorist, a writer of short stories and poetry, and an expert on the language of New Mexico. He received a B.A. in Spanish and an M.A. in Portuguese from the University of New Mexico. He took PhD. classes for a year at the University of Granada where he studied with the distinguished linguist, Dr. Manuel Alvar. PhD. in 19th century Hispanic literature from the University of Pittsburgh. He has published more than thirty books with the purpose of educating both adults and children about the great richness of New Mexican Spanish and culture. Among his works on oral tradition and folklore are: Memorias de los viejos: Tales of the Rio Puerco; Abuelitos: Stories of the Rio Puerco Valley; Comadres: Hispanic Women of the Rio Puerco Valley; and Más antes: Hispanic Folklore of the Rio Puerco Valley. In addition to the numerous awards he has received for both his books and his dedication to teaching, Dr. Garcia has worked over the years to preserve the Hispanic language and culture of northern New Mexico, particularly his beloved Rio Puerco Valley.