Great Day at the Peabody Essex Museum

From left to right:
Back row: Mary Beth, Bill, Ian, Erika T., Betsy, Erika A., Paula, Nicole
Front row: Beata, Jill

On Saturday, April 3, a group of about a dozen BSLUGs convened in Salem, Mass. at the Peabody Essex Museum, to take a guided tour of the exhibit, "Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea". The exhibit, which runs through mid-July, had only been open a week. It's a very impressive, small exhibit in a beautiful space, complete with facinating interactive learning installations. Our tour guide was fine, in spite of the fact she seemed to not notice that we weren't school children. Many of the pieces on exhibit, dating from the 4th-11th centuries, were perfectly preserved, having been buried for hundreds of years. Painted vessels and sculpted panels depicted scenes with mythical aquatic creatures emerging from the bubbling sea.

Hungry, we emerged into the bright, sunny daylight, squinting our way to the Gulu Gulu Cafe where we found the perfect table for all of us. It felt a bit like being back in Santa Cruz, the weather being perfect, the doors of this funky cafe were wide open to the ocean breeze. Great beer, delicious sandwiches, and wonderful company - what more could you want on a beautiful Saturday afternoon!

BSLUGS Host UCSC Sociology Prof. Paul Lubeck Mon. Apr. 26 Dinner/Talk in West Newton

We are happy to announce that UCSC Professor Paul Lubeck*, an expert on political sociology, religion and social movements, will be giving a talk for us called:

"The Cost of Permanent Warfare versus Soft Power - How will the US engage in Civic Diplomacy with the Muslim world."

Dr. Lubeck, who specializes in Nigeria and Islam, founded the UCSC Global Information Internship Program (GIIP) and the Center for Global, International and Regional Studies at UCSC. Check out UCSC press release: "Students forging a new frontier in global health."

• ON THE AGENDA: a fabulous talk, interesting discussion with fellow UCSC alums and a delicious light dinner (Yugoslav filo-cheese egg dish-Gibanica, a big salad, breads, and desserts) prepared by chef extraordinaire and our host, Mary Jane Suzman. (The sooner you can rsvp, the easier you make it for Mary Jane to prepare for the grocery shopping.)
  

• WHEN: Monday, April 26, 6:30-9 p.m. (6:30 p.m. dinner- 7:45 p.m. talk begins)
• COST: $8
• DEADLINE to RSVP: Sunday, April 18
• WHERE: At the home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman, 14 Leonard Ave., West Newton, MA

RSVP to me and send your checks NOW made payable to "Boston Chapter" to:

Erika Tarlin, 7 Bradford Ave., Somerville, MA 02145

Questions? Contact Beata at tel. 617-491-3871 or by email: beatapana@gmail.com

*Paul M. Lubeck is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Global Information and Social Enterprise Studies Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research focuses on global political economy, civil society and information studies, and the global sociology of Muslim social movements. His recognized expertise lies in the analysis of political, economic, and discursive changes in Muslim world, specializing on Nigeria. His wide-ranging intellectual interests have produced a corpus of work that bridges the boundaries between n scholarship, advocacy and social policy. For the past three decades, Lubeck’s work has extended from organizing cooperatives among Muslim peasants in Niger, to conducting intensive urban field work in Nigeria, Ghana, Mexico and Ghana. More recently, he has consulted with NGOs from the Global South on implementation of information strategies, and advised Nigerian state governments on the regional industrial policy lessons to be drawn from Malaysia. Lubeck’s first book, Islam and Urban Labor in Northern Nigeria: The Making of a Muslim Working Class, was awarded the Herskovits Prize.