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 two cats (Gigi and Mona), and reading. Right now I’m reading La dimensión desconocida (The Twilight Zone), a sort of alternate reality horror novel by the Chilean author Nona Fernández that returns to the 1973 coup in Chile. (If you want to learn more, UBC’s Latin American Studies Program @ubclas has various events reflecting on the coup’s 50th anniversary). 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–food is central to life. Food 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

Fernández, Nona. La dimensión desconocida. Random House, 2016.

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!

Mona and Gigi enjoying some sunshine in front of my (humble) patio garden.