Hi! I’m Professor Tamara Mitchell (she/her/hers). I research and teach Latin American Literatures and Cultures in the Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies here at UBC. Outside of work, I like gardening, FaceTiming with my nieces and nephews, spoiling my cats (Gigi, Mago, and Zaza), and running (I’m training for my first marathon right now!). I also love reading… Right now I’m reading Punto de cruz (Cross Stitch) by the Mexican author Jazmina Barrera. I’m always looking for new books to read, so feel free to suggest your favourite!

I’m looking forward to this course for many reasons. The most obvious reason–I love food! Food is central to life. It creates community, engages all of our senses, is a necessity universal to all of humanity. Furthermore, as climate change accelerates, the scarcity of food is becoming an increasingly pressing issue (Neslen). Our focus on maize and milpa as key aspects of Mesoamerican foodways will give us a chance to think about the rich history and urgent present issues related to food in Latin America.

Works cited

Barrera, Jazmina. Punto de cruz. Almadía, 2022.

Neslen, Arthur. “Climate Change ’cause of most under-reported humanitarian crises.’” The Guardian, 21 February 2019, www.theguardian.com/science/2019/feb/21/climate-change-cause-of-most-under-reported-humanitarian-crises-report-finds.

“I am from” poem adapted from Rubí Orozco Santos, @tradicionessanas. Please compose a blog post with your own “I am from” poem and a short bio that tells me and your classmates a little about you!