Talking with residents during my ponytail-“barbudo” days while working in the Havana bureau for the Chicago Tribune in 2001.
Just a short note to say that I’ve been asked to talk about Cuba on Wednesday (that’s tomorrow) for a chat at the Cultural Center of Chicago on Cuba. It’ll be more of a conversation than a lecture, although I will be showing pictures and scanning some negatives as much as I can to show. It’s free and will only take an hour. Come by at 1pm. Here are some more details:
When
Wednesday – 1/21/2015 – 1-2pm
Where
Chicago Cultural Center
Garland Room Fl 1
78 E Washington St Chicago, IL, 60602-4801
Fee:
Free. Open to the public.
If possible, it’d be great to stick around afterward and chat about all things Cuba. One hour isn’t enough time!
Interesting tidbit – one of the reasons why I majored in political science at Northwestern and made Cuba the focus of a thesis was because of a class where a professor dissected the Bay of Pigs invasion fiasco. It was mesmerizing. I remember thinking, and this idiocy is why I can’t visit family? I became fascinated by how politics can affect our world and shape experiences for generations.
Some of the questions we’ll get into are: How can the two countries work together to create a positive future? How has the embargo affected life on the island? What kinds of stories about Cuba are missing from our media?
Heady stuff. Whether we can answer all those questions will be up for debate, but if you are planning on visiting Cuba or are fascinated as I am with the country, this will be a great primer for your trip.
Durn. A bit far from Rochester. We do have a guestroom if you ever get out this way.