Cultures and countries differ in what they call "real." The question of what is real is at the heart of magical realism, which is often defined as a style of fiction which is grounded in the real world but in which fantastical elements - such as magic, miracles and monsters - are considered normal.
The Chilean writer Isabel Allende proposes the wonderful world of clairvoyant women in her magical realist novel The House of Spirits. Laura Esquivel takes us to unexpected places in Like Water for Chocolate. Of Portland Writer, Jan Baross' novel, "Jose Builds a Woman," Ursula K. Le Guin, wrote: "What a romp! Let Baross take you for a wild ride on her magical-realist camel from the village of Octopus to the village of The Women through an extravagantly carnal Mexico of the imagination."
Magical realism asks us to question our assumptions about our world and expands and enriches our own sense of what is possible - a timely practice for this poignant time in human history. Join us for a fun morning of broadening our vision and experimenting with this literary genre.
