FROM THE EDITORS...

For the first time the AIZEN held a conference in South America, and it was a great privilege to celebrate an international Zola in Brazil, the most important Latin American country, a symbol of the harmonious mixing of cultures and races. Zola’s involvement in the Dreyfus Affair had an important impact in that country and his naturalism, in particular, has had a tremendous influence on Lusophone writers. One of the major goals of the international conference was to enable participants to discover these authors. True to its mandate of blurring national borders and drying up oceans, the AIZEN used Portuguese, French, and English during this four-day international conference, and simultaneous translation was graciously provided by our hosts.

We were honored, in particular, to find ourselves in Rio de Janeiro, within the walls of the Casa de Rui Barbosa, where all conference activities took place. Here, the memory of the influential, late nineteenth-century Brazilian lawyer Rui Barbosa lives on, in this complex that includes the original manor house, an extensive library, a coach house, servants’ quarters, a beautiful garden, all of which are open to the public. Newer administrative public buildings complete the present-day complex. Like Zola, Rui Barbosa fought against injustice and in the name of truth through his defense of Captain Alfred Dreyfus. Furthermore, he led a campaign against slavery and joined the struggle for religious freedom and educational reforms at all levels in Brazil.

Nearly one hundred participants came to this conference from ten countries and three continents. We thank them for their contribution to the intellectual content and international character of the event. Significantly, specialists from all the major Brazilian universities were present at the conference, bringing their expertise to this exchange of research and ideas relating to Émile Zola and Naturalist Studies. We were favored by the presence of six guest speakers. Four honored guests came across the Atlantic Ocean, from Europe, to be with us; our two special guests were renowned scholars of Zola and naturalism in Brazil. We came to meet them in their own country.

Jean-Louis Cabanès, our honored guest from the Université de Paris X-Nanterre, France, has broken new ground in the areas of realism and naturalism, particularly in the area of science and literature. Professor Cabanès presented two papers. The first, “L’écriture duelle dans Le Journal des Goncourt,” examined the unique situation of the Goncourt brothers’collaboration. This presentation took place at the Théâtre de la Maison de France, where a pre-conference session was held and during which Anna Gural-Migdal, from the University of Alberta, President of the AIZEN and Editor-in-Chief of Excavatio, also gave a paper, entitled “Le Germinal de Claude Berri, figures du souvenir et de la mort,” as an introduction to the screening of the film that followed. During the first day of the conference, honored guest Jean-Louis Cabanès presented his second paper at a plenary session held in the Auditorium of the Casa de Rui Barbosa. His paper, entitled “Le Docteur Pascal: roman éloquent, roman lyrique,” enunciates this novel’s fundamentally poetic discourse and shows how it works against its own goal of presenting scientific truths.

Honored guest Carlos Reis, Professor of Portuguese Literature and Literary Theory at the Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal, is a specialist in Portuguese naturalism. He has written extensively on the works of Eça de Queirós, other Portuguese writers, and literary theory. He presented a paper entitled “Eça de Queirós et le naturalisme: L’idée nouvelle et la cathédrale romantique,” in which he cites a famous novel by Eça de Queirós, the Maias, in which naturalism is referred to as “new idea” that will demolish the “romantic cathedral.” This latter expression, referring to the entire culture of the romantic period now in peril, along with its conservative and religious foundations, is the point of departure for a consideration of the fortune of Zolian naturalism in Portugal.

Joseph Jurt, honored guest from the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany, is a sociologist of literature who has worked closely with Pierre Bourdieu. Joseph Jurt’s paper, entitled “Zola entre le champ littéraire et le champ artistique,” not only reveals Zola’s debt to Taine in the formation of his critical views of art and literature, but also where he clearly departs from his mentor in his emphasis on the importance of the role of genius in the creation of a masterpiece.

Honored guest Kelly Basilio, is a Professor of French Literature and Culture and Comparative Literature in the Faculdade de Letras at the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal, and a specialist in the areas of Zola and naturalism. Kelly Basilio’s paper, entitled “Balzac vu par Zola ou le naturaliste malgré lui,” makes the point that, although Zola claims to have admired Balzac’s genius in applying a “scientific method” to his novelistic practice, well before his own naturalist movement, an important aspect of this connection to his predecessor involves Balzac’s use of language, his constant struggle to move beyond the romantic formulas of his time, albeit with variable success.

Special guest João Roberto Faria, from the Universidade do São Paulo, Brazil, shared his expertise in Brazilian naturalist theater in his paper entitled “Zola et le naturalisme théâtral au Brésil.” He traced the naturalist current in Brazilian theater, noting that dramatic adaptations of novels by Zola and Daudet, as well as certain plays by Ibsen, were performed on the stage in Brazil, but that the naturalist interlude was short-lived, since Brazilian dramatists mostly adhered to romantic and popular theatrical conventions imported from France, such as the comedy and the musical.

Marcelo Bulhões, special guest from the Universidade Estadual Paulista-Bauru, Brazil, enlightened participants on a selection of Brazilian naturalist novels, delineating the major characteristics of their erotic themes and noting that this representation reveals frustration with the naturalist project of a new sexual ethics. A simultaneous translation into French was provided for this paper, entitled “O Erotismo no romance naturalista brasileiro.”

Another specialist in Zola and Naturalist Studies, Gilbert Darbouze, Professor of Languages and Cultures at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania (USA), gave a special presentation based on his breaking research undertaken at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. This paper revealed details of a correspondence between Brazilian writer João Marquès de Carvalho and Émile Zola.

Approximately thirty conference sessions appeared on the program for this conference and included special sessions on Nana, Repercussions of the Dreyfus Affair in Brazil, and Brazilian Neo-Naturalism. Other topics included Zola and Portuguese Writers of his Time, Sordid Literature, Naturalist Cinema and Theater, Naturalism and the Visual Arts, and the Reception of Zola in Brazil. We thank Elizabeth Emery for organizing a special Round Table entitled “Using Technology to Foster International Exchange in the Classroom: Tips, Techniques, Resources,” that will facilitate communication between students and specialists in naturalism in the entire world through video-conferencing.

A unique attraction at this conference was an exhibit entitled “O Naturalismo na Literatura Brasileira” (“Naturalism in Brazilian Literature”), especially prepared and presented by personnel at the Casa de Rui Barbosa for the AIZEN conference and based on the Rui Barbosa Collection. At the inauguration, Domicio Proença Filho, the invited curator and a professor at the Universidade Federal Fluminense, made a special presentation, entitled “Machado de Assis et Émile Zola: un diálogo intertextual?” This event included a reception offered by the Faculdade de Letras, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Another exhibit, “Rui Barbosa e o caso Dreyfus,” was on display in the manor house for participants to enjoy, since a launching was held by the Foundation during the conference for the second edition of the bilingual Uma voz contra a injustice. Rui Barbosa e o caso Dreyfus/ Une voix contre l’injustice. Rui Barbosa et l’affaire Dreyfus, by Homero Senna.

The AIZEN’s 10th International Film Festival was organized by Sergio Pedrosa (Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation) and included two uniquely naturalist films in color. The first, El crimen del padre Amaro, by Mexican filmmaker Carlos Carrera (2002, 118 minutes, subtitled in English), was introduced by Monica Figueiredo (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro), who gave a paper entitled “El crimen del padre Amaro do romance português ao filme mexicano.” This film, a candidate for the Oscar for best foreign film in 2003, is an adaptation of a Portuguese naturalist novel with the same title by Eça de Queirós. The filmmaker changed the setting of the action to Chiapas, Mexico, in order to criticize the collaboration between higher clergy and drug traffickers in his own country. Its title is reminiscent of Zola’s La Faute de l’abbé Mouret, but there is a link as well to another Rougon-Macquart novel La Conquête de Plassans. The second film, Madam Satã, a French-Brazilian film by Karim Aïnouz (2002, 105 minutes, subtitled in French), was inspired by the life of João Francisco dos Santos, alias Madame Satã, who was poor and homosexual. A cook in the 1930s, when Afro-Brazilian culture was beginning to emerge, dos Santos was continually getting into fights in the seediest parts of Lapa, in Rio de Janeiro.

An extraordinary program of social and cultural activities was arranged for this conference. On the first day, a special brunch was generously offered by the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation. In the tropical garden at the entrance to the manor house of the Brazilian lawyer, participants chatted informally while tasting elegant finger foods and Brazilian coffee. That evening, after a full day of challenging papers, participants relaxed as they listened to a concert featuring Brazilian music for brass, performed by the ensemble “Art Metal Quinteto” (of the Academia Brasileira de Música). The Naturalist Banquet took place in the Rio Othon Palace Hotel, on the Copacabana. Participants enjoyed a splendid view of the famous beach, while they partook of Brazilian specialties, such as “Bobó de camarno” and passion fruit cake with red “pitanga” sauce. During this event the Schor/Cahm Award for the best graduate student paper was awarded to Pieter Borghart, from the University of Ghent (Belgium), for his “Narratological Aspects of (European) Naturalism.” The evening ended with a celebration of Anna Gural-Migdal and Andrew Migdal’s twentieth wedding anniversary. Participants surprised the happy couple with a cake and a gift, blending their voices in joyous song.

For the astounding success of this conference, we would like to offer our sincere thanks to the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation, its President José Almino de Alencar, and especially Rachel Teixeira Valença, director of its Research Center, for the wonderful welcome they prepared for the Thirteenth International AIZEN Conference. The Universidade Federale do Rio de Janeiro, co-sponsor of the conference, provided invaluable support that made the event a reality. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Dean of the Faculdade de Letras, Edione Trindade de Azevedo, Director of the Programa de Pós-Pós-Graduação em Letras Neolatinas de Faculdade de Letras, Celina Moreira de Mello, and Assistant Director of this same program, Flora de Paoli Faria.

We are especially indebted to Ligia Vassallo and Pedro Paulo Catharina, colleagues in the Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras Neolatinas de Faculdade de Letras at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, who initiated the project of bringing the AIZEN to this city. They worked with us on the organizational details throughout, with efficiency, kindness, and generosity. As co-organizers with Anna Gural-Migdal, they outdid themselves in soliciting funding, taking control of the local arrangements, providing input into the invitation of guests, and overseeing the intellectual quality of the Portuguese language component of the conference. Their working closely with representative from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation, was greatly appreciated.

We also warmly thank the Consulat Général de France in Rio de Janeiro and, in particular, Jean-Paul Lefèvre, Attaché de Coopération et d’Action Culturelle, and Alain Saragosse, Attaché Linguistique, for their participation and generous support. Moreover, we extend our thanks to a number of Brazilian governmental and cultural institutions, such as the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation, the Cultural Section of the Faculdade de Letras at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, the CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior), the CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico), the FAPERJ (Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro), and even the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation of Portugal, the Center for Comparative Studies at the University of Lisbon, and Albert-Ludwigs-Universität in Freiburg, Germany.

On Saturday, at the end of the conference, participants were invited to spend one last day together, with an excursion to the imperial city of Petrópolis. Here, Brazilian emperor Dom Pedro II gave orders for a palace to be built in 1845, in a beautiful location in the mountains above Rio de Janeiro, as a summer residence. The particular character of this city is due, in part, to Dom Pedro’s encouragement of German settlers, who came as tenant farmers and artisans. Participants drank in the magnificent panoramic view as the bus ascended the mountains, marveled at the jewels and royal splendor of the palace, and took in the sites of the city of Petrópolis, its cathedral, and the home of Santos Dumont, father of aviation and tireless inventor.That evening many were delighted by the atmosphere of Carnaval in Rio as they witnessed a stage show featuring the group called “Plataforma.” What a splendid finale to an excellent AIZEN conference, held in a city that has brought together a variety of cultures from all over the world to distill an experience, for inhabitants and visitors alike, of appreciation for all.

The AIZEN and CUNY Graduate Center Film Studies Certificate Program are proud to announce a unique conference-collaboration, to be held in New York City, May 5th and 6th, 2006. This will be the second time that AIZEN has selected the “Big Apple” as a conference site; the first time was at Hunter College, CUNY, ten years ago. That earlier conference was so successful, in terms of participants and audience, that we decided to return to New York, a city that has been cruelly challenged by the events of September 11, 2001, and has nevertheless shown its ability to surmount difficulties thanks to the dynamism that has characterized it and made it one of the most vibrant cities in the world, from a cultural and intellectual perspective. This 2006 joint conference will be something new and especially significant for all concerned, since its focus will be Realist and Naturalist Film.

This conference will be held in mid-spring, one of the most beautiful times of the year in New York. The CUNY Graduate Center building is centrally located at the corner of 34th Street and Fifth Avenue. Whether you walk, take a bus, or ride the train, you can get anywhere from this building: Macy’s, Central Park, Broadway, Greenwich Village, and Carnegie Hall. The conference area is called “midtown.”

We have selected as a conference theme “Realism and Naturalism in Film Studies” for several critical reasons: realism and naturalism are key aesthetic and theoretical categories in film studies; both areas of research are “underwritten and under-represented” in the body of general film publication; realism and naturalism incorporate the literary, psychological, scientific, sociological, and other areas of academic discourse, thus suggesting intertextual critical approaches; realist and naturalist film texts inform and involve traditional film genre parameters, as well as function as independent narratives; adaptations of realist and naturalist texts are a staple of international film production, spanning the silent to the contemporary era; realist and naturalist films have been produced by major directors and writers, as well as by artists in emerging national cinemas; perhaps most importantly, this is one of the first conferences we know of to exclusively focus on this topic in film studies. All presentations are limited to twenty minutes per speaker, and at the end of each panel, time will be available for further discussion and questions. A VCR and DVD player are scheduled to be in each conference room for brief presentations.

Since the conference has been scheduled for only two consecutive days, a Friday and Saturday, there will be concurrent sessions, each consisting of three, four, or five speakers, programmed to appear in two or three separate rooms, with the exception of special events. These rooms, C204, C205, C197, 9204, and 9205 are easily located in the building by elevator, and each room can accommodate approximately forty people. We anticipate well over fifty presentations. Open to the public and to all students, this conference will be attended by an especially international group, including participants from the USA, Canada, Israel, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Russia, Portugal, Belgium, France, the Middle East, and even Brooklyn!

Our two guest speakers for this conference are Professors William Boddy and David Baguley. Professor and Coordinator of the Film Studies Certificate Program at the Graduate Center, CUNY,William Boddy received his Ph.D. in Cinema Studies from New York University. His publications include Fifties Television: The Industry and Its Critics (University of Illinois Press, 1990) and New Media and Popular Imagination: Launching Radio, Television, and Digital Media in the United States (Oxford University Press, 2004), as well as scores of articles and book chapters on media history, digital media, and film studies. Associate Editor of Cinema Journal, William Boddy also serves on the editorial advisory boards of Screen, Television and New Media, The Velvet Light Trap and the International Journal of Cultural Studies. His teaching interests include film theory, avant-garde film and video, new media, and the cultural history of electronic media. Professor Boddy will introduce the conference and discuss interrelated areas of film studies and theory.

Professor Baguley, the AIZEN honored guest, has authored numerous books in the areas of Zola and Naturalist Studies, notably Naturalist Fiction: The Entropic Vision (Cambridge University Press, 1990 et 2005) and Le Naturalisme et ses genres (Nathan, 1995). His research interests include nineteenth-century French literature and culture, the naturalist novel, Émile Zola, Alexandre Dumas, and critical theory. Professor Baguley edited the two volumes of Critical Bibliography of French Literature: The Nineteenth Century (Syracuse University Press, 1994) and the two volumes of bibliography for critical work on Émile Zola (University of Toronto Press, 1976 and 1982). He is an Emeritus Professor of both the University of Western Ontario (Canada) and the University of Durham (UK). A graduate himself of universities in England (Nottingham, B.A., and Leicester, M.A.) and France (Nancy, Doctorat de l’Université), he has played a major role, in recent decades, in connecting Zola and Naturalist Studies in French- and English-speaking areas on both sides of the Atlantic. His professional engagements testify to this adaptability: he serves as President of the Emile Zola Society, based in London, England; he is a member of the research team of the Centre for Research on Zola and Naturalism, University of Toronto, and the Centre de Recherches sur Zola et le Naturalisme, Institut des Textes et Manuscrits Modernes (Paris); he serves on the editorial boards of both Les Cahiers naturalistes (France) and Nineteenth-Century French Studies (USA). Other books by David Baguley include Fécondité d'Émile Zola: Roman à thèse, évangile, mythe (University of Toronto Press, 1973); Émile Zola: L’Assommoir (Cambridge University Press, 1992); Zola et les genres (University of Glasgow French and German Publications, 1993); and a work entitled Napoléon III and His Regime. An Extravaganza (Louisiana State University Press, 2000). The title of David Baguley’s talk will be "Riduttore, traditore? On Screening Zola"; it will deal with diverse aspects of the filmic adaptation of Zola’s novels, and in particular Nana.

The papers presented at this conference will be of great interest to specialists in Film Studies and, in particular, to all wishing to explore cinematic realism and naturalism. Several special panels have been organized for this conference: the first, on contemporary realism and naturalism in French and Belgian cinema, under the direction of Anna Gural-Migdal, will take place in French, “Réalisme et naturalisme dans le cinéma contemporain français et belge”; another has been organized by Vicente Rodriguez Ortega: “Re-Imaginings of the Real in Film,” to explore connections between realist cinema and the documentary; the third panel, “Zola and the City,” has been organized by Sylvie Richards. Another panel, “Cinematic Orientalism,” has been organized by Delia Caparoso Konzett, and the “Disruptive Realisms: Four Directors” panel has been organized by Marsha Orgeron. Other sessions include “Naturalist Foundations,” “Naturalist Deviations,” “Realism/Naturalism: Ideal and Identity,” “Adaptation of Zola’s Texts,” “Realist/Naturalist Takes from an International Perspective,” “Neo-Realisms,” “Realism and its Discontents,” “Le cinéma européen” (a second session to be offered in French), and “Naturalist Spectacles.”

Early Friday evening, we will meet for wine and conversation at BRENDAN’S BAR AND GRILL, located at 42 West 35th Street (next to the Comfort Inn Hotel). Later that night, we are planning to show, in one of the CUNY Graduate Center’s beautiful auditoriums, the Segal Theatre, a special film for the Film Festival, Detour (1945), directed by Edgar Ulmer and starring Tom Neal and Ann Savage (USA, 69 minutes; in black and white, English version). Made on a low budget and in just one week, this classic American film noir, seedy and desperate, tends toward naturalism and social commentary. Sometimes also labeled a film gris due to its unremitting bleakness and its all-too-average characters, Detour is set between the limitless dives and dumps found from New York to L.A., following the adventures of a down-and-out nightclub pianist hitchhiking from L.A. who is picked up by an amiable gambler. When the driver dies of a heart attack, the pianist takes his wallet and dumps the body, but when he picks up a woman on the road, he finds himself in trouble because of her suspicions and reckless nature. You’ll never pick up a hitchhiker again!

On Saturday evening, we plan to dine à la new yorkaise for our annual “naturalist dinner.” You will surely want to attend this promised gourmet feast. This beautiful restaurant, JOHN’S, located on 12th Street near Second Avenue, is a New York legend—it is nearly 100 years old and located in Greenwich Village. The restaurant is easily accessible from the CUNY Graduate Center or hotel; just take a bus or train downtown, going to the East Village. For example, you can take the “R” train, getting off on 8th Street, or the M5 or M6 bus running down Fifth Avenue, also getting off on 8th Street; it is a short walk to the restaurant from the bus or train. It is also a 10-minute taxi ride (not too expensive if a few people travel together). We have arranged for a special party menu.

PARTY MENU

Basically, it adds up to approximately $35.00 US--$45.00 US per person. Extra drinks are separately paid for by the diner.

Assistant Conference Coordinator Frank Percaccio will soon send out an e-mail that will give all the necessary information directly to conference participants. He will facilitate reservations, payment, and make the arrangements for the AIZEN. We strongly recommend that you join us for this wonderful dinner; some of the cast members of the SOPRANOS were spotted dining there not long ago! Our hotel, The Comfort Inn Hotel, located at 42 West 35th Street (one minute from the Graduate Center) has arranged for a number of single- and double-occupancy rooms to be available between Wednesday, May 3rd and Sunday, May 7th. The hotel is perfectly located for visitors to New York. The special rate per night, not including tax is $140.00 US. To make a reservation at this special rate, you must personally contact the hotel at the phone number listed below and speak with the IN-HOUSE RESERVATION REPRESENTATIVE, and you must specifically mention that you are a member of the AIZEN group in order to get the discount. You may begin to call for your reservation immediately, but do not wait too long because of the limited number of rooms. YOU CANNOT CALL AN 800 NUMBER OR USE THE INTERNET TO OBTAIN THE DISCOUNT—CALL THE HOTEL DIRECTLY. Direct phone number—212-947-0200 (ask for the IN-HOUSE RESERVATION REPRESENTATIVE and mention AIZEN—call during business hours, weekdays).

The Comfort Inn Manhattan boasts accessibility, comfort and value and it offers the ambiance of a small European hotel. Many rooms feature sleep sofas, micro-fridges and all have remote control cable televisions, in-room pay movies and in-room safes. A deluxe complimentary continental breakfast is served daily. Each guest will experience personalized service from an attentive and friendly staff. The Midtown location offers convenience for both the business and leisure traveler, as it is within walking distance to the Fashion District, Macys, Fifth Avenue shopping, the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden/Pennsylvania Station, Rockefeller Center, St. Patricks Cathedral, Times Square/Theatre District, Radio City Music Hall and the Javits Convention Center. We are most eager to see you. After all, “If you can make it here…”

We have good news to report about many of our members. Congratulations go to Marion Geiger, who successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, entitled “Le sens des maux. Poétiques de la maladie, d’Honoré de Balzac à Thomas Mann,” in 2005, under the supervision of Jacques Neef in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, at the Johns Hopkins University. Also in 2005, Edward Lasseigne successfully defended his doctoral thesis entitled “Zola, Proust, and the Sexual Politics of the Dreyfus Affair,” in the Department of French and Comparative Studies at The Ohio State University, under the direction of Professor Eugene W. Holland, and we congratulate him as well. He is presently Visiting Assistant Professor at the College of Wooster. Hats off to Pieter Borghart, the recipient of the Schor/Cahm Award in 2004, who also completed his doctorate in 2005, with a thesis entitled “Who is that Zola? Greek Naturalism in European Perspective (1879-1911),” in the Department of Latin and Greek at the University of Ghent (Belgium), under the direction of Gunnar de Boel. Pieter is presently teaching at the same university. Congratulations also to Juan Pablo Spicer Escalante, Founder and Co-Director, of the electronic journal of Hispanic Studies, Decimonónica, who was tenured and promoted to the rank of Associate Professor at the Utah State University.

We thank Joseph Acquisto, Robert S. April, Gaël Bellalou, Elizabeth Emery, Carmen Mayer-Robin, and Patrick Shaw Cable, for their generous support to our association. They have taken out a lifetime membership in the AIZEN. We would especially like to thank Dr. April who has given a donation in order to encourage our association's activities and we thank him for all he has done for Zolian and Naturalist Studies.

Other members have recently produced books. Colette Becker published La Fabrique des Rougon-Macquart, vol. 2, Édition des dossiers préparatoires (Paris, Champion, 2005), with the collaboration of Véronique Lavielle. This volume is another installment in the publication of the « dossiers préparatoires » of Zola’s entire Rougon-Macquart, with the first edition, in their entirety, of the pre-texts of La Conquête de Plassans, La Faute de l’abbé Mouret, Son Excellence Eugène Rougon, and L’Assommoir. In this project, it becomes clear how Zola gradually perfected his « méthode»; furthermore, this publication helps to establish the chronology for the stages in the development of Zola’s novels. Once the constructor of plots and the characters is understood, the reader becomes acquainted with the writer’s choice of words, an aspect of Zola’s creation that has been shrouded in mystery. We would like to remind all those who are interested to request that their university libraries order the excellent edition in five volumes, published by Colette Becker, Gina Gourdin-Servenière, and Véronique Lavielle, of the Rougon-Macquart (Laffont, Collection “Bouquins,” 1991-1993), as well as the Dictionnaire d'Émile Zola, sa vie, son œuvre, son époque, suivi du dictionnaire des Rougon-Macquart, also by Colette Becker, Gina Gourdin-Servenière, and Véronique Lavielle (Laffont, Collection “Bouquins,”1993).

Another work that has appeared in 2005 is Le Roman au théâtre. Les adaptations théâtrales au XIXe siècle, under the direction of Anne-Simone Dufief et Jean-Louis Cabanès, RITM (Recherches Interdisciplinaires sur les Textes Modernes), no 33, 2005, Université de Paris X-Nanterre. The process of adaptation, transposition and re-writing, required when a work is transformed from one genre to another, is complicated. The move from novel to theatrical production is a topic that has been studied very little, and yet is still widely practiced, although adaptations are now more often from novel to the genres of film and television than to theater. This work nevertheless examines a number of important ideological and literary aspects of transposition that go beyond the simple fact of adapting novels for the stage. For this reason, you will not want to miss this issue of RITM that is devoted to a crucial topic for the study of relationships between literature and culture in the nineteenth century.

Alain Pagès, together with Vincent Jouve, produced a collection entitled Les Lieux du réalisme. Pour Philippe Hamon, (Paris, Coédition L'improviste/Presses Sorbonne Nouvelle, 2005). This book, intended to pay homage to the critical work of Philippe Hamon, brings together thirty-eight essays. As a continuation of the research conducted by Philippe Hamon, the authors explore the “lieux”—sites, figures, topoï—where realist narrative is constructed. The volume questions the limits of realist esthetics, seeking to detect its focal points in the literary space of the nineteenth century. Another recent publication that commands our attention is a book in Portuguese by Pedro Paulo Catharina, entitled Quadros literários fin-de-siècle (Rio de Janeiro, 7Letras). This is a study of À rebours by Joris-Karl Huysmans, offering a new reading of a novel whose aesthetics points the way to twentieth-century modernity. Yet another work that has recently appeared, in 2004, is Actualité de Zola en l’an 2000, edited by Mario Petrone and Giovanna Romano with an introduction by Jacques Noiray (Naples, L’Orientale Editrice). The book is dedicated to the memory of a member of the AIZEN, Giampiero Posani, and brings together twenty-three articles showing how much a reading of Zola’s work remains essential for an understanding of the history and meaning of the major ideological and esthetic currents that have shaped our era.

A special issue of the electronic journal published by the Departamento de Letras Neolatinas of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, entitled Cadernos neolatinos, was published in 2005 under the direction of Ligia Vassallo and Pedro Paulo Catharina, in collaboration with Anna Gural-Migdal. In this issue twenty-seven articles show the importance of the impact of « Émile Zola et le naturalisme » in Brazil and South America.The majority of these texts were developed from presentations given at the 13th International AIZEN Conference (2004). If you would like further information about this special issue of Cadernos neolatinos, or wish to receive a copy of the CD rom, please contact Professor Pedro Paulo Catharina: pp-conde@uol.com.br

Another piece of good news, this time for Mirbeau specialists: Pierre Michel, president of the Société Octave Mirbeau, would like to announce that his association now has its own web site, at the following address: http://membres.lycos.fr/octavemirbeau/. This web site will certainly become a valuable tool for the development of Mirbeau Studies, since researchers and others who access it will be able to gain knowledge on the life of Mirbeau, his works, and his struggles. Please be warned, however, that the present address of the site is temporary. Its contents will soon be transferred to another location: http://www.mirbeau.org/

Volume XX of Excavatio is now off the press. It contains twenty-three articles, including a dossier entitled “Naturalism and the Visual.” Other sections are as follows: “Precursors and Contemporaries of Zolian Naturalism,” “Social Malady in the Zolian Text,” and “Zola and the Lusophone World.” We are pleased to inform you that now most Canadian universities are subscribing to Excavatio. Please encourage your university to follow their example and to order our most recent issues since our journal is not only an essential tool for scholars who have specialized in the fields of Zola and Naturalism, but also an enjoyable reading and a mine of information for those who are interested in discovering new aspects of works by one of France’s greatest authors.

As Editor-in-Chief of Excavatio, I would like to thank all the members of the editorial team, including Carolyn Snipes-Hoyt, Marie-Sophie Armstrong, Associate Editors, and Alexandra Miekus, Editorial Assistant and Layout Editor. A special thank you goes to Marie-Sophie, who has offered all her talent, enthusiasm, and energy in taking up new responsibilities. I am grateful to Elizabeth Emery for having carried out her functions as Associate Editor for five years with exemplary professionalism. I would like to thank her in particular for all of her advice and suggestions that made our collaboration fruitful and allowed us constantly to improve the quality of Excavatio. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Professors Ligia Vassallo and Pedro Paulo Catharina of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro for their collaboration as Associate Guest Editors. Both of them have greatly contributed to the richness of the content of Volume XX of Excavatio, soliciting articles from their Brazilian and Portuguese colleagues. Thanks also go to the Vice-Rector of Research at the University of Alberta, Gary Kachanoski, to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Daniel Woolf, to the Vice-Dean of Research, Gurston Dacks, as well as to Donald Bruce, Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, for their constant support and their encouragement. Finally, on behalf of the entire editorial team, I wish to thank the Conseil de Recherches en Sciences Humaines du Canada, for conferring a grant that made possible the publication of this double volume of the international review Excavatio.

Carolyn Snipes-Hoyt and I are happy to inform you that we are co-editing a collection of essays entitled Zola et le naturalisme en Europe et aux Amériques: Contaminations et influences d’un genre. This volume, to appear by the end of 2006 with Edwin Mellen Press in New York, comprises sixteen articles by members of the AIZEN, including Kristof Haavik, Mihaela Marin, Linda Toenniessen, Kelly Basilio, Marie-Sophie Armstrong, Robert S. April, Elizabeth Emery, Jurate Kaminskas, Holly Haahr, Ruth Schürch-Halas, Arturo Larcati, Riikka Rossi, Juan Pablo Spicer-Escalante, Ligia Vassallo, Diane Smith, and Robert Singer. The naturalist novel is considered from three angles in this collection: contamination both by other genres and a multitude of social discourses, in addition to its impact outside the Zolian school. These essays will enable readers to move beyond reductive and stereotypical ways of viewing naturalist texts and to understand them in relationship to the communities engaged in a dynamic relationship with the narrative power of this genre.

We are also proud to announce that volume XXII of Excavatio (to appear in 2007) will be entirely dedicated to cinema and will consist of a selection of the best papers from the AIZEN /CUNY International Conference on Realism and Naturalism in Film Studies. Conference participants are encouraged to submit their papers revised and recast into a full-length article (not less than 4,000 words and no more than 6,000 words including footnotes) for publication in this special issue of our journal. These papers must be formatted in Word, be previously unpublished, and follow the Excavatio “Guide for Authors” (see the AIZEN website for specifications). Submissions should be sent as download files to Robert Singer at collegenowsinger@aol.com by May 30th, 2006. If desired, film stills (no more than two) that accompany the article may be mailed to Professor Singer.

Fourteen years of existence now for the AIZEN! Our association has reached its maturity and most of its goals have been realized. Do not forget that we need your support and contribution and that our success is also yours! We strongly encourage you to renew your membership if you have not done so. Annual membership includes among other advantages a free subscription to Excavatio. We would like to end this AIZEN Bulletin, with a quotation from Yannick Lemarié, who spoke very highly of Volume XIX of Excavatio, in his review that appears in no 13 of Cahiers Octave Mirbeau: « Il n’a pas été bien sûr possible de faire le compte-rendu de l’ensemble des articles: c’est un peu frustrant pour nous, mais c’est aussi un moyen peut-être d’inciter les lecteurs à se précipiter sur une publication qui, numéro après numéro, affirme son excellence. » (In English : « It has not been possible to give a summary of all the articles; it is a bit frustrating for us, but it is also a way of encouraging readers to find a copy of this publication, which, issue after issue, affirms its excellence.”)

We are looking forward to see you in New York and wish you all an excellent holiday season !

Anna Gural-Migdal, University of Alberta, and
Carolyn Snipes-Hoyt, Pacific Union College,
the 27th of December, 2005.

13th AIZEN® INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PORTFOLIO, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO (UFRJ) AND CASA DE RUI BARBOSA, MAY 25-28, 2004

Dear Anna,

I am very happy to have finally met you in Rio. It was a very good conference and everything went extremely well. But quite honestly, the choice of country was even better. I will definitely go back and while I was there, I felt as if I were at home. Apart from the language, there are many other things which reminded me of the Portuguese roots and historical ties.

Warm regards to you and your husband,

Reinaldo Silva, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Dear Anna,

First of all I want to congratulate you and all the organizers of the Brazil conference. As usual, it was a success. I enjoyed it very much and I am sure everybody had, as I did, a rewarding and enriching experience. On a more personal note, I congratulate you and your husband again on your 20th anniversary of wedding.

Best wishes y un abrazo,

Pilar Rotella, Chapman University, USA

Chère Anna,

Juste un tout petit mot pour vous remercier d'avoir organisé ce merveilleux colloque. L'envergure de celui-ci, la beauté des lieux, l'enthousiasme des participants, la générosité de nos collègues brésilien/-nes ... et votre énergie! Quel tour de force, vraiment. C'était magique. J'y pense tous les jours depuis mon retour et j'en reste tout a fait inspirée. Merci encore pour tout.

Amicalement,

Valérie Narayana, Mount Allison University, Canada

Dear Anna,

I had such a wonderful time at AIZEN and laud the wonderful conference that you organized.

Sharon Johnson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA

Chère Anna,

Je voudrais joindre mes salutations à toutes celles que vous avez déjà reçues et vous remercier vivement pour la chaleureuse “aventure AIZEN” à Rio de Janeiro. C'était réellement une semaine enrichissante à tous points de vue! Je suis sûre que cela n'a été possible que grâce à l'efficacité de votre travail et celui de Ligia et Pedro Paulo. Merci pour tout et à bientôt,

Laura J. Hosiasson, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.

Chère Anna,

Pour moi aussi cela a été un plaisir de pouvoir vous rencontrer à Rio.

J'espère bien que d'autres occasions se présenteront pour que l'on puisse resserrer nos liens amicaux et académiques.

Toutes mes amitiés,

Maria Cristina Batalha, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Chère Anna,

Tu m'excuseras de ne pas t'avoir envoyé ce petit message plus tôt. Je voulais te dire combien la conférence du Brésil avait été formidable.

Le cadre du colloque (la si jolie Casa de Rui Barbosa et Copacabana), la qualité des interventions, l'admirable concert de musique brésilienne, le banquet en bord de mer, que de souvenirs pour les jours de grisaille!

Nous aurions aimé rester plus d'une semaine pour faire du tourisme et voir un peu de pays. Peut-être un prochain voyage, un jour... Je m'estime toutefois heureuse d'avoir pu goûter au Brésil! J'ai adoré!

Bien amicalement,

Marie-Sophie Armstrong, Lehigh University, USA

Chère collègue,

Je garde d'excellents souvenirs du Colloque AIZEN de Rio. J'espère que São Paulo ne vous a pas déçue.

C'est vraiment une ville immense!

En vous remerciant, je vous envoie mes meilleurs souvenirs.

Mara Lucia Faury, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Dear Anna,

Special thanks go to you, Ligia, and Pedro Paulo as the organizers of the Zola Conference at Rio de Janeiro. It was so nice to be with people from all over the world!

My regards to all,

Sudha Swarnakarm, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Brasil

Chère Anna,

Depuis mon retour, je demeure encore sous le charme de ce continent neuf (pour moi), de cette ville, Rio, aux accents si paradoxaux... et je suis étonnée d'être quelque peu dépaysée dans mon propre pays, voire dans ma ville.

Cette 13e rencontre de l'AIZEN à Rio était une idée peu commune... On a assisté à un Colloque très riche, mais essouflant, tant les séances et les activités parallèles furent intenses, nombreuses et variées.

En tout premier lieu, il importe de souligner "la main" heureuse de Ligia et de Pedro Paulo dans les choix judicieux de lieux historiques tels que La Casa de Rui Barbosa et Petrópolis, entre autres... Leur présence active, empreinte d'une "joie de vivre" certaine s'est repercutée sur l'ensemble des participants.

Les nombreux professeurs, issus de différentes universités du Brésil, du Portugal, et les invités d'honneur: Jean-Louis Cabanès, Carlos Reis, Joseph Jurt, et Kelly Basilio, ont su nous révéler tour a tour, plusieurs pages zoliennes inspirées dans autant de pages de l'histoire du Brésil ou du Portugal: pages oubliées et/ou inconnues même, pour quelques-uns d'entre nous.

Une fois de plus, Anna, tu auras été l'âme dirigeante de cet événement majeur, admirablement bien entourée de Ligia, de Pedro Paulo et de Carolyn, dont l'efficacité et la disponibilité ont éclairé tous nos instants.

Bref, le Brésil passera à l'histoire de l'AIZEN comme l'un des grands moments de l'Association, grâce a l'esprit vif, particulier, qui la sous-tend, et sans cesse avivée des lumières du passé, en attirant Zola jusqu'à nous.

Mes remerciements chaleureux, chère Anna.

Hélène Poiré, Université Laval, Canada

Chère Anna,

Je tiens à vous dire combien je suis heureuse d'avoir pu participer au merveilleux colloque que vous avez organisé à Rio de Janeiro. C'était un événement de qualité et de succès. Je félicite toute l'équipe pour un si beau travail. Chapeau bas! Un grand merci pour tout!

Veuillez transmettre mes amitiés à votre mari.

Bien cordialement à vous,

Agnieszka Tworek, Yale University, USA

Chère Anna,

Une fois de plus la famille AIZEN s'est retrouvée pour un nouveau colloque dans la belle ville de Rio; merci pour cette expérience zolienne au Brésil qui m'a permis de voir à quel point l'écrivain romancier que fut Zola a influencé ce pays. J'ai beaucoup apprécié le site choisi, particulièrement la Casa de Rui Barbosa.

Les communications étaient plus intéressantes les unes que les autres, et surtout, elles ont généré des discussions tout à fait enrichissantes auxquelles tous ont participé.

Encore une fois, j'ai rencontré des anciennes connaissances et je m'en suis fait de nouvelles.

Bravo et merci à vous et à toute l'équipe organisatrice pour son travail formidable.

Christian Mbarga, St. Thomas University, Canada

Chère Anna,

Merci vraiment pour cette merveilleuse conférence au Brésil. Moi aussi, j'ai beaucoup apprécié le pays, les gens. Le colloque m'a beaucoup apporté, et l'occasion de rencontrer M. Cabanès était unique.

Vraiment, merci encore!!!

Mélanie Giraud, The Johns Hopkins University, USA

Chère Anna

Je suis contente de savoir que vous avez bien aimé votre séjour au Brésil.

Je voudrais encore vous remercier de vos aimables attentions et vous présenter mes félicitations pour le succès du Colloque AIZEN à Rio.

Cela a vraiment été un plaisir de participer à une rencontre si intéressante et je suis honorée de faire partie d'une Association sympathique comme la vôtre avec des membres aussi importants!

Mes meilleures salutations!

Maria Cristina Vianna Kuntz, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Ma chère Anna,

Je vous remercie de votre présence parmi nous à l'occasion de ces journées si riches et productives du Colloque de Rio. Je tiens à vous exprimer ma très vive gratitude pour tout, et j'attends le plaisir d'autres journées d'études aussi intéressantes que celles de Rio.

Salete de Almeida Cara, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Dear Anna,

Thank you for treating us to the AIZEN conference in such a spectacular locale as Rio de Janeiro. You really have a gift for picking the most picturesque sites, and the conference this year was a huge success as usual. My appreciation also extends to our Brazilian organizers, Professors Ligia Vassalo and Pedro Paolo Catharina for doing such a magnificent job as hosts.

Amitiés,

Sayeeda Mamoon, Edgewood College, USA

Ma très chère Anna,

Mille excuses tout d'abord pour mon retard à t'écrire! J'en profite d'ailleurs pour te remercier de ce merveilleux colloque dont j'ai encore beaucoup parlé avec Kelly. Tu nous a offert l'opportunité de découvrir un pays enchanteur et d'écouter un grand nombre de communications fabuleuses. Je te souhaite de passer d'excellentes vacances. Transmets toutes mes amitiés à ton mari, à Carolyn et à Robert.

Amitiés,

Gaël Bellalou, University Bar-Ilan, Israel

Chère Anna,

Je comptais justement te dire combien je te remercie de ton invitation de Rio et combien j’en ai été heureuse et honorée! Comme à chaque fois d’ailleurs—et tu le sais bien—que j’ai participé aux colloques de l’AIZEN, que tu diriges avec tant d’art et de gentillesse!

Je t’embrasse bien fort. Toutes mes amities à ton mari,

Kelly Basilio, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Chère Anna,

Merci encore d'avoir organisé ce colloque fabuleux!

Meilleurs souvenirs à ton mari.

Amicalement,

Chantal Morel, Institut francais du Royaume-Uni, England

Chère amie et collègue,

Maintenant que vous êtes peut-être rentrée au Canada, je souhaite, une fois encore, vous remercier de toute votre gentillesse et générosité, pendant le Colloque de Rio de Janeiro. Pour moi, ce fut une excellente opportunité de faire votre connaissance et de partager avec des collègues et des amis mon enthousiasme pour la littérature et pour les grands romanciers dont se nourrit la mémoire du XIXe siècle. Il y a une semaine, pendant une soutenance de thèse à mon Université (sur la réception du naturalisme au Portugal et en Espagne), j'ai justement évoqué votre excellent colloque et le travail de l'AIZEN. J'espère bien que nous serons en contact dans l'avenir et que ce même avenir puisse nous donner la possibilité de nouveaux rendez-vous, au Portugal ou ailleurs. Je demeure à votre disposition.

Très cordialement à vous,

Carlos Reis, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal

Chère collègue et amie,

Je garde un excellent souvenir du Colloque international AIZEN sur Émile Zola et le Naturalisme qui s'est tenu à Rio de Janeiro. J'ai été très heureux d'avoir participé en tant qu'invité d'honneur au congrès et je vous en dis un merci de tout coeur. Ce fut pour moi un grand plaisir d'avoir pu faire votre connaissance à cette occasion et j'ai pu apprécier les recherches très intenses consacrées à Zola et au naturalisme aux Amériques. Le colloque a été une réussite à tous les égards. Permettez-moi d'associer à mes remerciements Ligia et Pedro Paulo de l'Université Fédérale de Rio dont j'ai eu l'occasion d'apprécier l'hospitalité si généreuse lors de mes séjours antérieurs au Brésil.

En espérant avoir l'occasion de vous revoir, je vous envoie, chère collègue et amie, mes plus cordiales salutations.

Joseph Jurt, University Albert-Ludwigs-Freibourg, Germany

Chère amie,

C'est à moi de vous remercier de nous avoir donné l'occasion d'accueillir dans notre ville le sympathique groupe de chercheurs de l'AIZEN et ce brillant colloque, qui a favorisé les échanges interculturels entre spécialistes de l'œuvre d'Émile Zola et du naturalisme, venus de si divers horizons! Votre lettre de remerciements sera intégrée à la mémoire de notre Programa de Pós-graduação, témoin de la réussite de votre travail.

Bien amicalement,

Celina Moreira de Mello, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Chers amis,

Juste un petit mot pour vous remercier de cet excellent colloque AIZEN au Brésil.

Tout était si intéressant et si bien organisé!

Je suis très content d'avoir pris part à cet événement. Des gens chaleureux, des séances formidables, des conversations vives...

E no Rio, uma cidade magnifica!

Merci beaucoup à vous tous,

Patrick Shaw Cable, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Canada

Dear Anna,

First of all, I want to thank you and your team both for the marvelous conference in Rio de Janeiro and for the interest and confidence in my research! The fact that I was given the Schor/Cahm Award was for me an unexpected but very pleasant experience.

Best regards,

Pieter Borghart, Ghent University, Belgium

Dear Anna,

I hope you had a good trip back.

Thank you as always for your wonderful efforts, and I hope all is going well.

All the best,

Oswaldo Voysest, Beloit College, USA

Chère Madame Gural-Migdal,

En tant que participante au Colloque AIZEN de Rio de Janeiro, je voulais féliciter les organisateurs pour l'excellence des interventions, ainsi que pour l'organisation en soi, à la Casa de Rui Barbosa.

Je suis à votre disposition, non seulement pour les affaires académiques, mais aussi, si un jour vous voulez revenir à Rio, ce sera un grand plaisir pour moi de vous accueillir au bord de la mer, à Barra da Tijuca.

Veuillez agréer, chère Madame, mes sentiments distingués.

Lucia Pereira de Lucena-Guerra, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Chère Anna,

Je tiens à te dire, une fois encore, combien j'ai été sensible à l'aspect chaleureux de ce colloque et à la générosité intellectuelle des participants. Cette semaine brésilienne a été pour moi une parenthèse vraiment bénéfique et heureuse.

Encore une fois toute mon amitié pour toi et pour André,

Jean-Louis Cabanès, Université de Paris X-Nanterre, France

Chères Anna Gural-Migdal et Carolyn Snipes-Hoyt,

Merci pour ce mémorable colloque AIZEN qui a réuni tant d'excellents collègues. Merci également à Ligia Vassallo et Pedro Paulo Catharina dont la précieuse et énergique collaboration a rendu possible cette réunion dans la belle ville de Rio de Janeiro. Merci à André Migdal pour son apport à ce colloque. Je n'oublierai ni les communications, ni le banquet, ni la randonnée en chansons, ni la visite de Petrópolis.

Mes amitiés à toutes et à tous.

Gilbert Darbouze, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, USA

Chère Anna,

Je me réjouis des échos partout favorables que j'entends du colloque de Rio.

Bravo encore pour tout ce que tu fais pour les études zoliennes.

Bien amicalement.

Alain Pagès, Université de Reims, France

Mes très chers Anna et André,

Je vous écris pour vous remercier de tout mon coeur pour la qualité du colloque, pour la possibilité de revoir les collègues qui sont devenus chers pour moi, pour avoir pu savourer le plaisir de vous écouter, de faire la connaissance de la personnalité marquante qu'est M. le Professeur Cabanès.

Merci pour l'atmosphère chaleureuse que vous savez créer au sein de l'équipe, merci de nous unir et de nous enrichir, de nous donner à réflechir tout en sachant nous parler avec votre coeur. Les jours passent mais les voix des collègues, la vôtre et celle d'André en particulier, continuent de résonner dans mes oreilles.

Je vous embrasse et je vis avec l'idée de vous recevoir chez moi.

Anna Bondarenco, State University of Moldova, Moldova

Chère Anna,

J'ai eu de très bons échos du colloque de Rio et j'ai pensé à vous tous !

Monsieur April m'a par exemple écrit son enthousiasme!

Au le plaisir peut-être de participer à nouveau à un de ces merveilleux colloques de l'AIZEN,

Amitiés,

Aurélie Barjonet, University of the Saarland, Germany

Ma chère Présidente Anna,

Merci infiniment de tous les soins que vous nous avez prodigués à moi et aux autres membres de notre société. On s'est bien rendu compte de tout le travail effectué depuis très longtemps pour organiser ce colloque splendide de Rio. Tous les participants garderont un bon souvenir du "naturalisme carioca" dans une ville qui est vraiment unique à plusieurs points de vue.

J'espère que vous allez profiter d'un repos bien mérité...

Veuillez agréer l'expression de mes sentiments chaleureux en attendant notre rencontre à un prochain colloque AIZEN.

Amicalement,

Robert S. April, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, USA

Chère Anna

Malgré le retard, je tiens à vous remercier de la possibilité d'assister à un Colloque aussi intéressant et qui m’a en plus permis de faire votre connaissance. J'ai bien profité de mon séjour à Rio et de l'occasion de présenter une recherche qui me passionne depuis longtemps.

Merci beaucoup et soyez sûre que je garde de vous le meilleur souvenir.

Um abraço brasileiro da

Regina Campos, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Dear Anna,

Rio was great! It was great to be back in touch with everyone and with Rio (I lived in Brazil in the early 80s and had not been back since 1984). The session which I was in was stimulating, as usual, and provided for some necessary dialogue with colleagues in Latin American naturalism that is always nice. Once again, thanks for all that you do for the association and its members. We appreciate you very much!!!

As always, I wish you the best!

Saludos,

Juan Pablo Spicer-Escalante, Utah State University, USA