Exploring Al-Andalus: Memory, Identity, and Interconnected Histories | Professor Eric Calderwood

Join us for an enriching conversation with Professor Eric Calderwood, an Associate Professor of Comparative and World Literature at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as we navigate the historical and cultural significance of Al-Andalus. Through an in-depth exploration, Professor Calderwood sheds light on Al-Andalus not just as a historical region but as a vibrant cultural imaginary that has influenced the identities of modern nations such as Spain and Morocco. Delving into the complexities of colonial narratives, interconnected histories, and the multifaceted legacy of Al-Andalus, this discussion offers a nuanced understanding of its enduring impact on contemporary memory, culture, and politics.

0:00 Overview of Al-Andalus's Historical and Cultural Legacies
1:03 Introduction to Al-Andalus as a Place and Cultural Imaginary
4:40 Al-Andalus as Colonizer and Colonized in History
8:22 Implications of 1492 for Al-Andalus
14:53 Al-Andalus's Influence on Modern Moroccan Culture
25:34 How Al-Andalus's Legacy Is Received
38:22 Calderwood's Work on Al-Andalus Interpretations
44:15 Spain, Morocco, and Al-Andalus Connections
54:07 Al-Andalus from Pan-Arab, Feminist, and Palestinian Views
1:08:59 Essential Texts on Al-Andalus

Professor Eric Calderwood is a distinguished scholar specializing in the literature, culture, and history of the modern Mediterranean, with a particular focus on the legacy of Al-Andalus. His work, including the award-winning "Colonial al-Andalus: Spain and the Making of Modern Moroccan Culture" and "On Earth or in Poems: The Many Lives of Al-Andalus," explores the complex interplay of memory, identity, and cultural production across Spain and Morocco. A contributor to NPR, the BBC, and Foreign Policy, Calderwood's research offers critical insights into the ways in which the past informs contemporary cultural and political discourses.

Check Eric's Books: On Earth or in Poems: The Many Lives of al-Andalus:
👉https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978.... And here’s the link for my first book,

Colonial al-Andalus: Spain and the Making of Modern Moroccan Culture:
👉https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978...

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