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Author Lev Raphael Discusses His Memoir "My Germany"

When you grow up hating Germany because your parents are Holocaust survivors, what happens when you're invited to speak there about your books? Lev Raphael haunted by his parents' suffering and traumatic losses under Nazi rule, was certain that Germany was one place in the world he would never visit. Those feelings shaped his Jewish and gay identity, his life, and his career. Then the barriers of a lifetime began to come down, as revealed in this moving memoir "My Germany." While researching his mother's war years, Raphael found a distant relative living in the very city where she had been a slave laborer. What would he learn if he actually traveled to the place where his mother had found freedom and met his father? Not long after that epochal trip, a German publisher bought several of his books for translation. Raphael was launched on book tours in Germany, discovering not so much a new Germany, but a new self: someone unafraid to face the past and transcend it. Lev Raphael is a pioneer in writing fiction about America's Second Generation, publishing his first short story about children of survivors in 1978. Many of his early stories on this theme were collected in his award-winning book, "Dancing on Tisha B'Av," while the best of those appear in his second collection "Secret Anniversaries of the Heart." He is the author of 17 other books including two novels about survivors, "Winter Eyes" and "The German Money," two memoirs, "Journeys & Arrivals" and "Writing a Jewish Life" and dozens of essays, articles, and stories in a wide range of publications

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Who Is Baaba Maal?

Senegalese master musician Baaba Maal has been making music for the world to enjoy for nearly two decades. Aside from being a remarkable musician, he is socially conscious and committed to the concerns of families, young people, and the future of Africa. Recent UM graduate Vera Flaig will lead a discussion of where Maal fits in the pantheon of African musicians that have bridged the gap between musical genres and social causes. This event, cosponsored by the University Musical Society, is presented in conjunction with Baaba Maal's April 10 performance at the Michigan Theater.

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Frances Kai-Hwa Wang Discusses Multicultural Toolbox: Strategies for Raising our Children with Culture(s), Language(s), and Pride

In our quickly changing world, cultural fluency and multiple languages are becoming more important for our children's identity, self-esteem, friendships, connections with family, and future job possibilities. In this lively and fast-paced event, Frances Kai-Hwa Wang will introduce practical tools and strategies to make cultural education a part of our everyday lives. How do we make teaching about their/our/other cultures and values "normal", and then use it to build better and stronger communities for all of us? Frances Kai-Hwa Wang is a second-generation Chinese American. She is an editor for www.IMDiversity.com's Asian-American Village; she writes the syndicated column Adventures in Multicultural Living (available at annarborchronicle.com); and she is the Executive Director of American Citizens for Justice/ Asian American Center for Justice.

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Famed Chinese Actress Zhang Xunpeng Demonstrates and Discusses Kunqu, A Classical Genre of Chinese Theater

Acclaimed Chinese Actress Zhang Xunpeng will make a special appearance to discuss and demonstrate the ancient theatrical performance art of Kunqu. It is a synthesis of drama, opera, ballet, poetry recital, and musical recital, which also draws on earlier forms of Chinese theatrical performances such as mime, farce, and acrobatics, some of which go back to the third century B.C. or even earlier. This is an excellent opportunity to meet one of the great theatrical artists of China, in addition to learning more about this ancient performance art. Zhang Xunpeng is currently the Professor in Charge of Training the Fifth Generation of Kunqu Performers, at the Shanghai Theater and Drama College, Division of Theater and is also Senior Actress of the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe. The event was organized with the help of the University of Michigan Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments.

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Art History Expert Walter Spink Discusses His Exploration and Preservation Work In The Ajanta Caves of India

Join us as Professor Walter Spink, internationally known art history expert will speak and show slides from his exploration and preservation work of the Ajanta Caves in India. The Ajanta Caves are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the second century B.C. containing paintings and sculpture considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art. They were used by Buddhist monks as prayer halls (chaitya grihas) and monasteries (viharas) for about nine centuries, and then were abruptly abandoned. They fell into oblivion until they were rediscovered in 1819.Walter M. Spink, Ph.D. (1954), Harvard, is Professor Emeritus, History of Art, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has published widely on Indian Art in general, and Ajanta and related sites in particular and continues to travel, lecture, and work at the Ajanta Cave site.

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UM Assistant Professor David Doris Discusses Art of Southwestern Nigeria: Faces and Fragments - The Moral Image in Yoruba Culture

In honor of Black History Month, David T. Doris will explore the stunning art of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria who have produced some of Africa's most graceful works of art, objects, and images. In Yoruba, an image, like a proverb, is a trigger of conscience, calling the viewer to interpret and identify with the powerful legacies of the past. This presentation will examine the mechanics of such visual engagement by introducing Yoruba conceptions of the person, and of the image as "that which we look at and remember."?David T. Doris, PhD, UM Asst. Prof., Dept. of the History of Art and the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies. He has been a Fulbright Scholar in Nigeria, and has held fellowships at the Center for Advanced Study of the Visual Arts, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Getty Research Institute. His book, Vigilant Things: The Strange Fates of Ordinary Objects in Nigeria, is forthcoming from the University of Washington Press.

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Poet, Writer and Human Rights Activist Yazir Henri Discusses The Challenge of Freedom after Apartheid in South Africa

This program is held in conjunction with the upcoming UM Wallenberg lecture by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. Yazir Henri has written and published on the politics of memory, trauma, identity, sustainable peace and Truth Commissions. He is the founding Director of the Direct Action Centre for Peace and Memory in Cape Town, S. Africa, and works on social reintegration programs with former combatants, political prisoners, and torture survivors. Henri currently lectures at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the UM. For more information on Dr. Tutu's lecture, visit http://wallenberg.umich.edu.

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Adventurer Greg Mortenson Discusses His Book 'Three Cups Of Tea: One Man's Mission To Promote Peace... One School At A Time'

Humanitarian and adventurer Greg Mortenson will make a special appearance at Huron High School Auditorium as part of the nation-wide tour for the new Youth and Teen versions of his book, "Three Cups Of Tea: One Man's Mission To Promote Peace... One School At A Time." Greg is the co-founder of the nonprofit organizations Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace, as well as co-author of the New York Times bestseller "Three Cups of Tea." This event includes a book signing, with books for sale courtesy of Nicola's Books. There is no charge for admission and tickets are not required.Stumbling, lost and delirious, into a remote Himalayan village in Pakistan after a failed climb up K2, Greg Mortensen's life was saved by the villagers. He vowed to return and build them a school. Over the next 15 years, Greg established more than 78 schools in rural, often volatile, areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The schools provide education to more than 28,000 children, including 18,000 girls, where few educational opportunities existed before. He has endured death threats, a kidnapping, and more to dedicate his life to building literacy and peace, one child at a time.

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The Many Festivals of Mexico with Stephanie Schneiderman of Tia Stephanie Tours

Mexico - a country so close, yet whose customs are so different from ours; a country of multiple images and stereotypes that bears knowing first hand; a country and people that is much more than its beaches. Mexicans are especially known for their many colorful festivals and holiday celebrations. Using many colorful photographs and anecdotes from past journeys, Stephanie will provide an introduction to fascinating festivals and traditions of Mexico. Tia Stephanie Tours designs and leads small group Cultural Journeys to Mexico, focusing on folk art, people and customs, pre-Hispanic civilizations, flora and fauna.

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Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Special Community Event: Leo Africanus Website Creator Cristel de Rouvray

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2005 is proud to host this special event at Pioneer High School, 601 West Stadium, Ann Arbor, in Schreiber Auditorium. Cristel de Rouvray, who attends the London School of Economics, spent 9 months in 2000-2001 traveling through Morocco on a Fulbright research scholarship, following in the footsteps of Leo Africanus. She then created a website, www.leoafricanus.com, which has been used internationally for Leo Africanus information by students, teachers and those curious about Leo's 16th century travels. Using slides and photographs from her travels and research, Cristel will discuss the website and her personal experiences of living and traveling in Morocco in the 21st century. As she leads the audience in a recap of her travels, she will compare Morocco in the time of Leo Africanus with Morocco today. She will also discuss Leo Africanus, the man - as well as the process of undertaking such a project as the Leo Africanus website.Through discussion and using a selection of pictures, and excerpts from Leo's text (each being a building block of his life and world) Cristel de Rouvrey will examine: Leo Africanus' writings, the life of Leo Africanus, Morocco in the 16th century and Morocco today, and the importance of putting historical fact in context and turning it into living knowledge. Cristel holds a Bachelors in Economics and a Masters in International Policy Studies from Stanford University; she is currently finishing her PhD at the London School of Economics. She is half French, half American - and has lived in Paris, San Francisco, Rabat and London. If you have read the novel, "Leo Africanus," this is a unique chance to see the world of the book come visually to life. It is also a chance to become more familiar with this excellent website, which can be a valuable companion tool when reading the book.Using virtual travel, the website encourages readers to learn about the exceptional 16th century Mediterranean: an epoch that saw the constitution of many of the elements of our contemporary political, geographical and cultural identities; just as it uses Leo Africanus' adventurous life and unlikely destiny to awaken our modern minds to the desire for travel and exploration. The research and travel underlying the website were supported by a Fulbright Grant.Leo Africanus is a person of many voices. His world was one of a tremendous melting pot. He came from many countries (Spain, Morocco, Italy); many ethnicities (Berber, Arab) and many religions (Muslim, Christian and shades of Berber mysticism) and his text is constantly torn among these various perspectives. His description of Morocco is deeply marked by all these views. ANN ARBOR/YPSILANTI READSThe 2005 Read program encourages readers of all ages to explore the Cultural Treasures of the Middle East - its many shared and diverse histories, memories and traditions of creative expressions.A selection committee of community leaders, students and educators in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area chose Amin Maalouf's "Leo Africanus," translated by Peter Sluglett, as the focus of Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2005. This is the first time a work of fiction has been chosen for the Read. Written in the form of a memoir, Leo Africanus explores Islam and Christendom through the fictional adventures of a real-life Arab traveler and geographer. Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads has been coordinated by several area organizations, including the Ann Arbor District Library, the Ypsilanti District Library, the University of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Public Schools, the Ann Arbor News, Barnes and Noble Bookstores, Borders Books and Music, Community Television Network, Eastern Michigan University, The Jewish Community Center of Washtenaw County, Nicola's Books: A Little Professor Store, Shaman Drum Bookstore, the University Musical Society, Washtenaw Community College and many others. For more information about Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads, or this event, check out the website at www.aareads.org, or phone the events line at 327-4205.