Mesoamérica Foundation

Salon: A Gathering of Stimulating Conversation

A salon is understood to be a gathering of people engaged in stimulating discussion, often inspired by a hostess or host, partly to enjoy each other's company and partly to refine their taste and increase their knowledge through conversation and readings.  Quintus Horace succinctly defined a salon's purpose as "to please and educate" (aut delectare aut prodesse est).

Salons are commonly associated with French literary and philosophical gatherings of the 17th century and 18th century, and were carried on until quite recently in urban settings among like-minded people in pursuit of greater knowledge, intellectual stimulation and sociability.

We invite you to participate in a Salon, under the auspices of Katalina McNulty.

Held each Monday, at 5 PM at Cafe Chocolate, located at Calle 60 between 55 and 53 Streets, Centro, we will discuss two presentations made by contemporary thinkers on various topics, and engage in discussion.

There is a suggested donation of $20 pesos, and you will receive the material beforehand via email.

We have chosen to discuss speeches delivered to the Commonwealth Club of California, the longest-running public affairs discussion in the hemisphere, and use these as platforms for engaging conversation.

WEEK FOUR – MONDAY, APRIL 27

Katherine Graham

FAIRNESS AND FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

What is the nature of a responsible press in society and in our lives?

WEEK THREE – MONDAY, APRIL 20

Cesar Chavez

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR FARM WORKERS AND HISPANICS

How is immigration changing both Mexico and the United States, and what does the ascendance of Mexican-Americans in the United States mean for this century?

WEEK TWO – MONDAY, APRIL 13

Cecil B. DeMille

THE MOTION PICTURES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Are movies a way of influencing international relations – and if so, what role did the early filmmakers play in shaping relations between Europe and the Americas last century?

WEEK ONE – MONDAY, APRIL 6

Bill Gates

THE BUSINESS AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY

The Internet, Email, Facebook, Twitter … Good heavens, what does it all mean to our daily lives and how we interact with each other?

WEEK ONE: Monday, December 8

A VISION FOR AMERICA IN THE NUCLEAR AGE

Dwight Eisenhower laid out his vision for America in the nuclear age back in 1960, speaking of his time as president and what he hoped for the future given the realities of catastrophic weapons, and astronomer Carl Sagan a quarter century later discussed the scientific consequences of a nuclear winter on the planet.  Given the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world today, what are contemporary concerns for us to ponder?

Please click on the image to the left to read the speeches.

WEEK TWO: Monday, December 15

RACE IN AMERICA AND THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA

Robert F. Kennedy addressed the question social progress and the human spirit on January 4, 1968; and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. discussed the nature of race in America on January 28, 2004.  How do Kennedy's and Gates' thoughts and ideas speak to us today with the election of Barack Obama?

Please click on the image to the left to read the speeches.

WEEK THREE: Monday, December 22

AMERICA'S ROLE IN THE WORLD

Former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and George P. Shultz each delivered speeches, the former on February 12, 2004 and the latter on May 17, 2004, speaking to this topic.  Who was right and who was wrong, now that, four years later we have a healthy distance to evaluate their perspectives? 

Please click on the image to the left to read the speeches.

WEEK ONE – MONDAY, JANUARY 5

THE ENGLISH LITERARY TRADITION

Stephen Greenblatt discussed how Shakespeare became Shakespeare, and Simon Wincester spoke about how the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) came into existence.  We will discuss the irreplaceable contributions to humanity by the writers and readers of the English language.

WEEK TWO – MONDAY, JANUARY 12

Eve Ensler

AFGHANISTAN IS EVERYWHERE
What is the state of misogyny in the world today?

WEEK THREE – MONDAY, JANUARY 19

Michael Beschloss

ROOSELVET, TRUMAN & THE DESTRUCTION OF HITLER'S GERMANY
How did America defeat the Third Reich?

WEEK FOUR – MONDAY, JANUARY 26

Daniel Goldhagen

THE ROLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE HOLOCAUST

What was the untold story of the Catholic Church during the Nazi Reign in Europe?

WEEK ONE – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Christopher Hitchens

WHY ORWELL MATTERS
How is the world today fast becoming what Orwell feared?

WEEK TWO – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9

Jeffrey Sachs

THE END OF POVERTY – ADDRESS TO THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

What is our moral obligation, as an individual, a community and a nation, to defeat poverty throughout the world?

WEEK THREE – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Norman Mailer

ONLY IN AMERICA

Only Norman Mailer can speak about the American Experience as he can!

WEEK FOUR – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22

Gloria Steinem

A 21ST CENTURY FEMINISM

Where is feminism headed today, at a time when women are making remarkable achievements in government, business, law, science and athletics?

WEEK ONE – MONDAY, MARCH 2

HUMAN ORIGINS AND THE FLEETING NATURE OF CULTURE

Wade Davis, an anthropologist in residence at the National Geographic Society, and Louise Leakey, a Paleoanthropologist, also at the National Geographic Society, each ponder our origins as humans – and the fate of human culture and societies.  Where did we come from, and where are we going?

WEEK TWO – MONDAY, MARCH 9

THE ART & SCIENCE OF FORGIVENESS

Frederic Luskin, director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project, explains the nature of forgiveness and the power in absolving those who have wronged us.  It turns out that absolution for our trespasses is more than a Catholic rite!

WEEK THREE – MONDAY, MARCH 16

STAR SPANGLED MANNERS

Judith Martin, also known as “Miss Manners,” explains the new norms of civility (yes, there are some), and how lifestyle and technology are changing how humans interact with each other, not often for the better.  Is there a place for manners in the 21^st century?

WEEK FOUR – MONDAY, MARCH 23

BEHIND JOHN NASH AND A BEAUTIFUL MIND

Sylvia Nasar, the author of A Beautiful Mind, that tells the story of the brilliant but mentally unstable mathematician John Nash, in conversation with Dave Bayer, an advisor on the film, and Robert Osserman, author of Poetry of the Universe, discuss the nature of genius.  Is brilliance a mental illness?

WEEK FIVE – MONDAY, MARCH 30

RECONNECTING: A CULINARY REVOLUTION

Alice Waters, founder of acclaimed restaurant Chez Panisse, and a leader in the “eat local” movement, explains the culinary revolution now underfoot – Think Globally and Eat Locally?  This is food for thought.