Santillana Publishing Group Activities in the Final Days of the Book Fair

Santillana Publishing Group Activities in the Final Days of the Book Fair
Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, 05/19/2011

Both activities come with the Taurus publishing seal: a discussion on “Ill Fares the Land” by the late British historian Tony Judt on Wednesday May 25 at the Pedro Mir Forum and the launch of “Oxidente. Acerca de la extinción del espíritu en la era de la posmodernidad” (Occident. The Loss of Spirit in the Age of Post-modernism) by León David, to be held on Wednesday June 1st in the Corripio Foundation.  

Según los organizadores el contenido del texto de Judt tiene mucha pertinencia para la República Dominicana de hoy…

Resuscitating Collective Values and Political Commitment: Discussion on “Ill Fares the Land” by British Historian Tony Judt

 To discuss the “passionate call to resuscitate collective values and political commitment,” which describes the late Tony Judt’s book “Ill Fares the Land,” there will be a roundtable on Wednesday May 25th at 6:30 pm at the Pedro Mir Forum of the Cuesta Bookshop.

The activity is being organized by the Governability Network, a virtual debate group active since 2003, and the Taurus Publishing, part of the Santillana Group, which published the late British historian’s book. Taking part in the debate are Faride Raful, a young politician, lawyer and PRD congressional candidate in recent elections; Pedro Luis Castellanos, member of the Citizens Forum and public policy expert; Javier Cabreja, Executive Director of Citizen Participation and Ramón Tejada Holguín, political analyst and moderator of the Network. 

According to the organizers, there is a great deal in Judt’s book that resonates in the Dominican Republic today in particular for those who wish to add their grain of sand toward building a more democratic society.

¿Cuál es el rumbo real de nuestro tiempo: la caída en pendiente hacia el abismo o el ascenso a las cumbres por mediación del arte y la cultura? ¿Acaso el óxido es el signo de Occidente? Quizás somos testigos, simplemente, de la herrumbre y decadencia de la civilización occidental, o acaso los perfectos creadores de este drama.

 Launch of “Oxidente”, León David’s New Book about the State of the Human Spirit in Today’s World.
What is the real way forward in our time…the steep fall into the abyss or the rise to the top through art and culture?  Is rust the symbol of the West? Perhaps we are simply witnesses to the corrosion and decadence of western civilization or perhaps we are the perfect creators of this drama.  

These are the questions and reflections being mulled over these days, like a burning statement from León David’s new book published by Taurus, under the Santillana Group seal: Oxidente. Acerca de la extinción del espíritu en la era de la posmodernidad (Occident. The Loss of Spirit in the Age of Post-modernism). 

The book launch will take place on Wednesday June 1st in the Events Hall of the Corripio Foundation (Núñez de Cáceres St, near the corner with Kennedy), starting at 6:30 in the afternoon. The presentation will given by the poet César Zapata. David’s book is already available for purchase in bookshops at a price of $450 pesos.