MEL Talks: Dra Marina Aguirre

Stories from the Shadows: Bruno Traven and the Soul of Mexico: On December 17, ethnohistorian Marina Aguirre reflects on how Bruno Traven’s literature offers an intimate and critical view of México profundo—that deeper, often invisible Mexico that lives beyond official or folkloric narratives—as an enduring exercise in cultural and political memory.

Bruno Traven, the enigmatic author whose true identity remains a mystery, traveled through rural Mexico as an anthropologist, photographer, and deeply committed storyteller. In works such as The Jungle Novels and Canasta de Cuentos Mexicanos, Traven portrays with both sensitivity and rawness the lives of Indigenous and mestizo communities, exploring themes of labor exploitation, marginalization, and social tension in post-revolutionary Mexico. This talk offers a journey through his literary lens, revealing the complexity and vitality of México profundo—a living, enduring civilization made up of Indigenous and mestizo communities who continue to resist imposed modernity and capitalist logic.

MEL Talks begin at 7:00 PM and are free and open to the public. Visit the MEL Talks web page for information about the talks planned for this season.