Schenectady, N.Y., May 24, 1999 —
The Talmud says, “When a man's
passions bewilder him, he should put on black clothes and travel to a place
where he is not known.” That is exactly what Prof. Edward F. Stanton, author
and professor of Spanish at the University of Kentucky in Lexington did.
Stanton will present a lecture on his personal journey Thursday, May 27, 1999, at 7 p.m., in Everest Lounge of Union College's
Hale House. The lecture is titled “Walking Across Spain: The Camino de Santiago.”
Stanton, author of a new book, “Road of Stars to Santiago (The University Press of Kentucky), found
his journey a life-changing experience. He says, “My life was a shambles, I
felt exhausted by work, my marriage was foundering. When finally I had the time
to make the journey, I prepared my backpack, found a walking staff, flew to
Spain and took to the road. I knew what I was fleeing from, not what I was
seeking. The Camino would teach me that and many other things.”
The area discussed by Stanton is rich with history,
since thousands of pilgrims teemed along the Camino de Santiago in search of
the remission of sins that was thought to be the prize for reaching Compostela.
James A. Mitchener calls the route to Santiago the best in Spain and one of the
finest anywhere. He says of Stanton, “Edward Stanton has joined this host of
believers and recounts his adventures with stylish conviction.”
Stanton, a prominent speaker in the U.S., Spain and
Argentina, has a Ph.D. in Hispanic languages and literature from UCLA with a
dissertation on Federico GarcRa Lorca. In addition to publishing and teaching on
modern Hispanic literature, Stanton works on comparative literature and popular
Spanish culture and has published on such topics as Hemingway in Spain and the
contemporary pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
The lecture, in addition to being of general interest
to the public, will come alive for students of two Union professors, Victoria
Martinez and Louisa Matthew, who will be hiking the famous trail this June and
July with their students. At the present time, the students are taking a
pre-requisite course in preparation for their trip.
Hale House is located near the center of Union's campus. Parking is
available on side streets. For more information about the lecture, contact
Professor Martinez at (518) 388-6359 or Professor Matthew at (518) 388-6371.