Margo Persin

  

My interest is contemporary poetry in Spanish, which until recently has had its focus on the printed text. But I am fascinated by the very contemporary -- and oral -- manifestations of 'poetry in Spanish' such as hip hop, poetry slams, stand up comedy, and performance art. My conviction is that we need to integrate academic and intellectual pursuits with technology. To this end, this semester I am teaching a course on contemporary Spanish literature and culture that is meant to serve as a transition between what goes on within the university walls and what will happen in the work world. Students must take exams orally and their final project is to be visually based, to be handed in electronically in a format such as Prezi or PhotoStory. As for Žižek, both he and I are of Slovenian heritage. I wonder if my Dad would approve of his philosophical musings.