By Meredith O'Donnell
Commemorating 400 years since Miguel de Cervantes gave birth to his famous hero, the University celebrated the tale of Don Quixote through a series of conferences from Nov. 4 through Nov. 6. Throughout the three days, artists, professors and intellectuals remembered, dissected and shared insights about the novel.
The events included titles such as "On a Philosophical Bent," "From a Critical Vantage" and "Insights Into the Cervantes Scheme."
The conferences discussed the expectations and delusions of grandeur that motivated Don Quixote de la Mancha, along with his partner, Sancho, to embark on their journey. Spanish professor, Zenia Sacks DaSilva and Nora de Marval-McNair, co-directors of the conference, described Quixote as "bizarre, yet oddly admirable."
Among the presentations was the film, "Don Quixote, Movie Star," shown in the Cultural Center Theater on Nov. 6. Dr. Barbara Simerka, assistant professor of Spanish at Queens College, and Dr. Christopher Weimer, associate professor of foreign languages and literature at Oklahoma State University, led the discussion entitled, "Ever Want to Be Someone Else?: Self-Fashioning in Don Quixote and Being John Malkovich."
Weimer compared Spike Jonze's 1999 film, starring John Cusack and Cameron Diaz, which focused on "the deliberate, self-conscious identity formation." This occurred in both the historic novel and the modern movie.
"Despite the fact that the book takes place in Europe four centuries ago, it is not far away. It reflects contemporary culture," Simerka said.
The discussion was interrupted by clips from the movie that highlighted these similarities. Weimer directed the audience's attention to the "relevant insights about subjectivity and identity," displayed in the two mediums.
Adrian Perez Melgosa, assistant professor of Hispanic languages and literature at Stony Brook University, concluded the discussion by addressing "Cervantes and the Limits of Cinema: Enchantment and Spectacle."
Melgosa compared Don Quixote to Plato's The Allegory of the Cave, which captures the struggle of man to discover the truth.
On Nov. 6, the series continued on the 10th floor of Axinn Library with an intimate roundtable discussion about an art exhibit featuring works inspired by Don Quixote.
The event, "Modern Artists Contemplate Quixote" was moderated by David C. Christman, director of the University's Museum. Among those in attendance were local artist, Martin Somers and Izhar Patkin, a native of Israel who moved to New York approximately 20 years ago.
Patkin's sculpture, which depicted Quixote perched on his horse while inspecting his reflection in a handheld mirror and surrounded by many books, was chosen for the program's cover.
"What unifies my work is narrative and storytelling," Patkin said.
Somers' exhibits included a piece that showed two vastly different, enthralling eyes, which show Quixote's inner-self.
"The eyes signify who he really is up close, not his exterior; not his torment or his shriveled, contained body," Somers said. "They are two vortexes, absorbing everything."
Somers admitted he never read the book, but learned about the story from his elders and watching Mr. Magoo, an absent-minded, legally blind character based on Quixote.
"I was afraid that if I read the book, my image of him from childhood would be distorted and disappear," Somers said.