Reading 2012 Together
About the Author Luis Alberto Urrea ritically acclaimed and best-selling author of 13 books, Luis Alberto Urrea has published extensively in all major genres and won numerous awards for his poetry, fiction, and essays. The Devil s Highway, his 2004 non-fiction account of a group of Mexican immigrants lost in the Arizona desert, won the Lannan Literary Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The Hummingbird s Daughter, an historical novel about Teresa Urrea, sometimes known as the Mexican Joan of Arc, won the Kiriyama Prize in fiction. Urrea just released a sequel, Queen of America. Urrea was inducted into the Latino Literature Hall of Fame in 2000. Born in Tijuana, Mexico, to a Mexican father and an American mother, Urrea uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore themes of love, loss, and triumph. Urrea attended the University of alifornia at San Diego, earning an undergraduate degree in writing, and did his graduate studies at the University of olorado-boulder. A professor at University of Illinois-hicago, he teaches creative writing. He lives with his family in Naperville, Illinois. Meet the Author onversación con Luis Urrea martes, 6 de marzo, a las 2:30 de la tarde El Sol Elementary School, 604 W Vine St Una conversación en español con el autor Luis Urrea sobre sus pensamientos acerca de la diversidad dentro de las culturas latinas en los Estados Unidos. ross ultural Experiences in Literature & Life Tuesday, March 6, 7:00 Kalamazoo entral High School Auditorium, 2432 N Drake Road Hear Urrea reflect on his experience as a dual culture writer. Event includes music by Los Bandits de Michigan. Open seating, no ticket required. Books for sale and signing at event. A Writer s Perspective Wednesday, March 7, 12 noon Kalamazoo ollege, Light Fine Arts Building Join students to experience Luis Urrea as a teacher of creative writing as he discusses national identity and borders. Bring a notebook or journal. One Book, One ommunity What if the entire comunity read the same book? Find out! Join Reading Together, a county-wide book club led by Kalamazoo Public Library. Since 2003, thousands of people from all walks of life have read and discussed the selected books and attended hundreds of events. Please join us. 2 3
About Into the Beautiful North Nineteen-year-old Nayeli works at a taco shop in Tres amarones, a tiny Mexican village in Sinaloa, and dreams about her father, who left home along with most of the village s other able-bodied men, to find work in the U.S. While watching The Magnificent Seven, Nayeli decides to go north herself, find her father, and recruit seven men her own Siete Magnificos to repopulate her hometown and protect it from the bandidos who plan on taking it over. Filled with unforgettable characters and prose as radiant as the Sinaloan sun, Into the Beautiful North is the story of an irresistible young woman s quest to find herself on both sides of the fence. REVIEWS...deliciously composed...[urrea writes] in a sweet but serious style...you find it in the dialogue...you find it in the description of the countryside...the plot gathers as much strength as the prose... Alan heuse, hicago Tribune Awash in a subtle kind of satire...a funny and poignant impossible journey...into the Beautiful North is a refresh-ing antidote to all the negativity currently surrounding Mexico. Roberto Ontiveros, Dallas Morning News No great adventure is told without great characters, and Urrea certainly knows how to create them...that Urrea has turned a usually disturbing subject into a book that keeps a smile on your face is a tribute to his storytelling. Miami Herald [A] wondrous yarn in the hands of a terrific storyteller... Urrea s meticulous detail makes the story come to life... Not to trivialize, but these characters cry out for a sequel maybe a telenovela? They are too good for just a single outing. Valerie Ryan, Seattle Times 4 5
THEMED EVENTS All events are free and open to the public. The Reading Together committee developed a variety of events that focus on three themes: the culture of Mexico, immigration, and the book as literature. In the list below, event themes are indicated by the following color codes: BL I BL Book as Literature Mexican ulture Immigration Appreciating Urrea Wednesday, February 29, 7 pm Karen Vocke, WMU English instructor and migrant educator from northern Michigan to South Texas, brings parts of Urrea s novel to life as she weaves together the literary elements of Nayeli s story with the realities of immigrant life and the need to belong. + BL Latino Literature and ulture Thursday, March 1 10:30 am, Oshtemo Branch Library, 7265 W Main St 6:30 pm, Portage District Library, 300 Library Lane Examine the origins and development of the main Hispanic groups in the U.S. with WMU Spanish professor Patricia Montilla. Focus on recurring themes in U.S.-Latino poetry, short stories, and novels. Art Hop Friday, March 2, 6-8 pm Enjoy Mexican folk dancing and artwork by students from Kalamazoo Public School s El Sol Elementary, a bilingual magnet school serving students in K-5 that offers instruction in both English and Spanish. + BL Multimedia Showcase Monday, March 5, 7 pm See animation, graphic design, photography, and video inspired by Into the Beautiful North created by KRESA Education for the Arts digital media and advanced multimedia students. + I Modern Mexican Reality Tuesday, March 13, 6:30 pm Oshtemo Branch Library, 7265 W Main St WMU anthropology and environmental studies professor Sarah Hill talks about the challenges of life in modern Mexico, revealing the extent of violence and corruption fueled by the drug trade, and examining the political and social impact of garbage. BL The Magnificent Seven Friday, March 16, 7 pm Kalamazoo Valley Museum, 230 N Rose St Watch the 1960 movie classic that inspired Nayeli to head north in search of men who will return to protect her village, Tres amarones. Stars Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, harles Bronson, and Robert Vaughn. I The Immigrant Experience Monday, March 19, 7 pm Listen to members of the Michigan Organizing Project s Immigration Task Force share their experiences as new immigrants to southwest Michigan. Sierra Negra in oncert Wednesday, March 21, 7 pm Enjoy Sierra Negra s extensive repertoire, crossing boundaries and blending Latin styles. They ve earned a loyal following making music for the Hispanic community across the U.S. Recent recordings include Nunca Me Dijiste Adios and No Puedo Olvidar tus Besos. 6 7
BL Movie Discussion Thursday, March 22, 7 pm Discuss how the movie The Magnificent Seven ties in with the themes of Into the Beautiful North. Led by Miranda Howard of the Kalamazoo Film Society. BL Seven Great haracters Tuesday, March 27, 6:30 pm Eastwood Branch Library, 1112 Gayle Ave Hear award-winning author Bonnie Jo ampbell and local literature expert Susan Ramsey compare and contrast Urrea s characters from Into the Beautiful North with those of two great movies, Seven Samurai, hailed as the greatest film in the history of Japanese cinema, and The Magnificent Seven, the film that inspired Nayeli s quest. Taste of Mexican Hospitality Wednesday, March 28, 6-8 pm First Baptist hurch, 315 W Michigan Ave Step into the culture of Mexico through food. Savor traditional Mexican dishes created by area cooks. Drop by any time during the event; bring the family! I Kankakee to Kalamazoo Tuesday, April 3, 7 pm Meet residents of Kankakee, Illinois, the community that features prominently in the culmination of Nayeli s journey. Hear about their community s successes and challenges in serving the needs of immigrants. Learn about services offered to immigrants in Kalamazoo and find out how you can help. BOOK DISUSSIONS Reading Together encourages as many people as possible to read and discuss the same book. We expect that many local library, church and private book groups plan to read and discuss Into the Beautiful North. If you are part of one of those efforts, we want to know! There are several ways you can inform us: Facebook: Reading Together Email: ReadingTogether@kpl.gov Phone: 269-553-7895 So that we can keep track of discussions and make the community aware of those that are open to the public, we will maintain an up-to-date list on the Reading Together website. In addition, the following local businesses have agreed to host book discussions that are in need of a place to meet: Biggby offee, 6800 S. Westnedge Biggby offee, 3216 Stadium Drive Biggby offee, 5132 S. Westnedge affee asa, 128 S. Kalamazoo Mall hocolatea, 7642 S. Westnedge Panera, 5119 West Main Panera, 5627 Gull Road Panera, 5970 S. Westnedge Something s Brewing, 120 W. South St. The Strutt, 773 W. Michigan Water Street offee Joint, 315 E. Water St. Water Street offee Joint, 3037 Oakland Dr. 9
DISUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Into the Beautiful North tells the exceptional story of a small group s successful mission to save their village in its bleakest hour. What are some of the other themes that Luis Alberto Urrea unpacks along the way? 2. Language and dialect play an integral role in the novel s style. Spanish words and phonetic spellings are laced throughout, and Spanglish and slang are used on both sides of the border. What does Urrea achieve by mixing language in this way? What does it say about the ability of language to bridge or not to bridge cultural gaps? 3. Into the Beautiful North is divided into two parts Sur and Norte. References to American pop culture abound in the first half as Nayeli and her friends speak of life across the border with unwavering certainty. Where do their ideas of America come from? How does the reality of their time in the U.S. compare to their initial ideas of it? Are they surprised or disappointed? 4. Nayeli tells García-García, Perhaps it is time for a new kind of femininity? What does she mean? Given the homage to The Magnificent Seven and Seven Samurai in the novel, how has Urrea played with gender stereotypes? 5. Into the Beautiful North examines physical and psychological borders. Urrea repeatedly shows that while the physical borders can be crossed, some that are culturally defined appear unbridgeable. What are those culturally defined differences, and do you think it s possible to eradicate such invisible borders? 6. After traveling thousands of miles in search of her father, Nayeli is unable to confront him. In your opinion, does she make the right decision to heed his words at this time all things must pass or should she have approached him? 7. What do you make of the overwhelming turnout produced by Aunt Irma s interviews? Why do so many men want to return to Mexico? Does this strike you as ironic? 8. Nayeli and her friends are inspired by the movie The Magnificent Seven, a remake of the Japanese film Seven Samurai. Both films climax with the showdown between good guys and bad guys, but Urrea ends his novel before such a clash. Why do you think he did so? 9. Were you surprised to find the Mexican characters so knowledgeable about American pop culture? If you were surprised, did it change how you think about Mexico? 10. Where did your family emigrate from? Did you recognize any parallels between your family stories and this one? For a 10-page discussion guide that includes these questions, go to: hachettebookgroup.com/books_ 9780316025270_Description.htm or scan this QR code. 10 11
PARTNERSHIP Kalamazoo Public Library leads Reading Together with the help of many visionary partners. We draw on a diverse cross-section of individuals and organizations to create a season of programs that highlight important and relevant themes of the selected book. Our partners craft opportunities to connect with the book and its themes. A variety of talented experts freely share personal history, skills, and other resources so that friends, families, and other community members may share the experience and benefits of reading and discussing the same book. SPONSORS Arcus enter for Social Justice Leadership Irving S. Gilmore Foundation Friends of Kalamazoo Public Library Educational Institutions Davenport University Kalamazoo ollege Kalamazoo Public Schools KRESA Education for the Arts Kalamazoo Valley ommunity ollege Western Michigan University Department of English Department of Spanish Division of Multicultural Affairs Department of Anthropology ommunity Organizations atholic Diocese of Kalamazoo Immigration Assistance Program First Baptist hurch First United Methodist hurch Hispanic American ouncil Kalamazoo ommunity Foundation Kalamazoo Valley Museum Michigan Organizing Project Libraries Davenport University Kalamazoo ollege Upjohn Library Kalamazoo Public Library Kalamazoo Valley ommunity ollege Portage District Library Western Michigan University Waldo Library Businesses Barnes and Noble Booksellers Biggby offee affee asa hocolatea Kalamazoo Gazette La Mexicana Michigan News Agency Panera Something s Brewing The Strutt Water Street offee Joint