Visiting Scholar Presentations
Dr. Spencer R. Herrera
January 21, 2021
“A pura pala” en la pandemia: On the Road from el llano to Big Bend and Beyond
Dr. Spencer R. Herrera, CRS Visiting Scholar 2020
The expression “a pura pala” is a nuevo mexicano mantra that conveys the idea of hard work. In this talk, Dr. Herrera discusses a dossier he curated on the legacy of Rudolfo Anaya and how it helped him better understand the idea of querencia, one’s love of place and its people and cultures.
Spencer R. Herrera is an Associate Professor of Spanish at New Mexico State University where he teaches Chicanx Studies. His is co-editor of Querencia: Reflections on the New Mexico Homeland and co-author of Sagrado: A Photopoetics across the Chicano Homeland. He was born and raised in Houston, Texas, but has enjoyed living in Nuevo México for twenty years. He completed his Ph.D. in Spanish with a minor in film at the University of New Mexico.
