NEW YORK: the global city as seen through Herodotus' muses

Scholars refer to New York as a “global city”. In order to explore it – briefly but with the aim of revealing some of its ontological characteristics – this lecture is based on the muses who are, according to Herodotus, the goddesses, the daughters of Mnemosyne, who protect and stimulate the creative powers of human beings. And so, the lecture will present New York from different angles than the ones generally used to describe it. Thus, using the poetry collection Retaule de Nova York (“Altarpiece of New York”, to which Valentí Gómez dedicated almost 20 years of his life) the speaker will focus on – using the aforementioned example of the muses – different aspects and ambiences in the city, ranging from history (New Amsterdam in the 17^th century, Memorial Day) to dance, as well as creation, the epic, comedy, tragedy and music, in the form of New York’s streets, clubs, stores, Harlem etc.

Cycle: THE STATE OF THE WORLD - III THE UNITED STATES AT THE CULTURAL LEVEL

Organized by: Residence for Researchers