And Bernardo de Gálvez Entered Washington by Paco Reyero
The talk is about the book And Bernardo de Gálvez Entered Washington by Spanish writer Francisco "Paco" Reyero. This essay tells how Bernardo de Gálvez, the “little known” Spanish hero of the American Revolution, has finally been recognized by the United States after more than two centuries of oblivion. An achievement due to the initiative of researchers and committed citizens on both sides of the Atlantic. George Washington himself acknowledged that the exploits of the then governor of Spanish Louisiana, a domain that extended from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, were a decisive factor for the success of the ill[1]armed British colonist in their war for independence.
Bernardo de Gálvez is the most recent Honorary Citizen of the United States. A privilege enjoyed by only eight individuals, including Sir Winston Churchill and the Marquis de Lafayette. As Nancy Fetterman explains in the prologue, "because of Mr. Reyero's detective work, this book shares the dedication of the numerous individuals who made this dynamic man more than a footnote in American history”.
Francisco "Paco" Reyero (Seville, 1971) is a Spanish writer with a long and fruitful career linked to radio, press and television. Lately, he has worked in the American West as a correspondent for Radio Nacional de España (RNE). Before this research on Bernardo de Gálvez, Paco published several successful works on American legends who had a pivotal relationship with Spain such as Sinatra: Nunca volveré a ese maldito país (Sinatra: I will Never Go Back to that Cursed Country, Lara Foundation / Planet, 2015), about the crooner's trips to Spain in pursuit of Ava Gardner during Franco's dictatorship and Clint Eastwood: Made in wood: Desde que mi nombre me defiende (Lara Foundation / Planeta, 2017), on how the Californian actor found success filming Spanish spaghetti westerns. Reyero admires oldfashioned journalists, those willing to mingle with life. He believes in jotting down handwritten notes on a pad and values those interviews made at hotel receptions or airport waiting rooms. He doubts that computers will ever substitute a friend’s heart.
Dr. Héctor García Chávez holds a joint appointment in Women's/Gender Studies Program and the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Loyola University Chicago. He also serves as the Director of Graduate Programs in Gender Studies and teaches interdisciplinary courses on Queer/Cuir Theory, Masculinity Studies, and Migration & Gender. In addition to serving proudly as a Board Member for MAKE Literary Productions, he is also on the Board of Taller de José, an NGO located in La Villita, Chicago.
