Lecture series to begin 10th year

October 10, 2005 —

Internationally renowned author Isabel Allende will speak about writing, politics, relationships and more Wednesday in the Performing Arts Theatre. Her lecture is the first in the Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists Lecture Series this semester and opens the 2005 Fall Focus, which revolves around Popular Culture and the Popular Arts.

The Dow series, currently in its 10th year, is coordinated by Dr. Carlos Ramet, executive assistant to the president. Ramet says that he feels Allende's prominence as a writer could help generate further interest in the series.

The author of over a dozen novels that have been best sellers in Europe, the United States, Latin America, and Australia, Allende has sold over 35 million copies of her books in more than 27 languages.

She has garnered a wide following for her work, which tells stories about magic and dreams. Her books include Of Love and Shadows, Daughter of Fortune, and The House of the Spirits, which was made into a movie starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons.

Ramet believes that her non-fictional childhood memoir, entitled My Invented Country, gives the reader an insight into the sorts of subjects Allende may address during her upcoming lecture.

Allende's writing has earned her over 33 international distinctions, including several honorary degrees and citizenships, various hall of fame placements, and Lifetime Achievement awards. Most recently, she became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

In the past few months she has been on an international tour to promote her latest book, Zorro: A Novel, which is a retelling of the classic legend.

Ramet says that he feels fortunate that Allende was able to find time for SVSU and that she will have an opportunity to interact with students, staff, and faculty.

Allende was born in Lima, Peru in 1942. Her mother relocated to Chile with her siblings in 1945, and they remained there until 1953. The family eventually moved to Bolivia and then to Lebanon, where she attended a British private school in Beirut.

She returned to Chile in 1958 to complete her secondary education, and there she met her first husband, Miguel Frias.

Following the 1973 assassination of her uncle, former president Salvador Allende, Isabel was forced into exile in Venezuela. She now lives in California.

The Fall Focus also includes the Rush Lecture, and the Hoffman/Willertz Memorial Lecture, plus a jazz recital and gallery exhibitions of popular art.

The lecture series will continue throughout October and November. Other speakers include Stephen L. Hocquard, a licensed architect and assistant vice president for Campus Facilities; artist Gladys Nilsson; jazz musicians Shirlene Zarin-Taj and Jeff Hall; actor, and record label founder Derrick Ashong; author, screenwriter and commentator Pico Iyer; and SVSU history department member John V. Jezierski.