Welcome Rebe Huntman, memoirist, essayist, dancer, teacher, poet, and Delaware resident, to celebrate the release of her highly anticipated memoir "My Mother in Havana!" Free. Registration required.
In this intimate conversation, the author offers a window into the extraordinary world of Afro-Cuban gods and ghosts and the dances and rituals that call them forth. As she explores the memory of her own mother, interlacing it with her search for the sacred feminine, Huntman leads us into a world of séance and sacrifice, pilgrimage and sacred dance, which resurrect her mother and bring Huntman face to face with a larger version of herself.
Immerse yourself in Cuban food, music and images directly from Cuba in this entertaining evening.
Free event. Registration is required at the link, beginning February 3.
PRAISE
"My Mother in Havana lifts the veil between the living and the dead and makes believers of us all. This story of a mother's absence and a daughter's need is written with a lyricism that filled my heart with beauty while also making it ache for loved ones lost. This is a stunning debut." --Lee Martin, author of the Pulitzer Prize Finalist, The Bright Forever
"I closed this book believing more than ever that the people we love, including the people we've been, never really leave us." --Maggie Smith, New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful
"With language that is as energetic, transfixing, and sensuous as the batá drums that keep the rhythms of the spirits, Huntman’s cadences conjure the divine spark that unites and animates us all." --Richard Blanco, Presidential Inaugural Poet, author of The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebe Huntman is a memoirist, essayist, dancer, teacher and poet. For over a decade she was head of the award-winning Danza Viva Center for World Dance, Art & Music and its dance company, One World Dance Theater. Rebe collaborates with native artists in Cuba and South America, has been featured in Latina Magazine, Chicago Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune and on Fox and ABC News. The recipient of an Ohio Individual Excellence award, Rebe has received support for this book from the Ohio State University, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, Playa, Hambidge Center, and Brush Creek Foundation. She lives in Delaware, Ohio and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
CONVERSATION
Rebe Huntman will be in conversation with Dr. Christopher Fink from Ohio Wesleyan University. Christopher Fink lives in Delaware, OH with his wife Liz and two children Amelia and Luca, and is a professor in the Department of Health & Human Kinetics at Ohio Wesleyan University. He also serves as the co-director of the Public Health program there, and his teaching focuses broadly on food and culture, public health, and qualitative inquiry. Recently, his research has focused on Cuban migration, food, and identity; the community and heritagization aspects of food festivals (particularly the Italian sagra); and program development around community food insecurity. His favorite things are his family, travel, cooking, sports (and coaching hockey), and all things related to Cuba and Italy.
BOOKS
The author will personalize and sign copies after the presentation.
Books may be pre-purchased at a 20% discount through the Friends of the Library beginning February 3. Pre-orders are also available on Beanbag Books' website, and Beanbag Books will be on hand to sell copies of the book at the event.
SPECIAL THANKS
To the Friends of the Delaware County District Library for sponsoring the event.
To Ohio Wesleyan University for their partnership.
To Beanbag Books for making book sales possible.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Author Visit |
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