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The Rice Thresher
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by J. CAMERON COOPER THRESHER STAFF
The fellowship is meant "to help provide fellows with blocks of time in which they can work with as much creative freedom as possible," according to the Guggenheim Foundation's Web site. This year, 182 fellows were selected from 2,927 applicants. Professionals in all fields except the performing arts can apply. Fellowships are not available for students, institutions or organizations. To allow Taylor to live in Argentina next year, Rice will supplement the fellowship grant of about $34,000. "The Guggenheim is actually a low monetary award, but because of its prestige, they try to get institutions to help," Taylor said. "I'll be on leave without pay for one semester and on leave with pay for a semester." Taylor plans to use the research leave to study how tango in Argentina relates to violence in Argentine life. "Tango includes a form of theater in Argentina which is a native-born grotesque," Taylor said. "There's economic exclusion, state violence and gender violence. They all come together in tango, and there's an active debate in these art forms. People are working these issues out as they dance." Taylor's interest in tango came from previous experiences in Argentina, where she learned the dance. "I've dedicated my whole career to working in Argentina as an anthropologist," Taylor said. She said she's spent over half of her adult life in Argentina. "Two-thirds of it I spent working on political terror and violence," she said. "While I was there, I began to learn tango. I had been trained as a dancer, so it was the natural thing to do in Argentina." Taylor learned to tango in both academies and dance halls, and she eventually she took up tango as a research subject. "I do most of my research by having become a very, very good dancer and hanging out with very, very good dancers and listening to what they say," Taylor said. "I have to be a good dancer or else they wouldn't talk to me. They probably wouldn't even give me the time of day. They have some very sad stories. It's a heart-rending situation." Taylor was invited to come to teach at Rice in 1981 because of her unique specialty.
Taylor said that the Rice Anthropology Department has a great deal of international recognition and is known even in South America. Taylor plans to return to Rice after her year-long research leave to resume teaching and to write about her experiences in Argentina. Because her work is "qualitative social science" and about art as well as anthropology, Taylor plans on having an artistic side to the presentation of her findings. "I'm looking to do either an academic book with an artistic side or maybe an academic book and an artistic project," she said. She said writing and publication will probably take two to four years after her return, depending on her luck. Taylor said the Guggenheim Fellowship is a big boost both personally and professionally. "It's a lot of fun," she said. "I think that after being a single mother and having a lot of trouble trying to keep a career on track, it's a big inspiration." The fellowship came as a surprise to Taylor since it is not usually awarded without several years of applications. "I was kicking myself for not applying for more grants," Taylor said. "I was aghast when I got the letter. Amazed. It's a major recognition of my work, which is a blessing." Taylor has written several books, the most recent one in 1998 that she describes as "a memoir of learning tango in Argentina." Taylor has spent a lot of time in Argentina: she has been there during the summer for the last 10 years and during the winter break for the past four. Her son was born in Buenos Aires, and she has many friends there. "It's a place I love, a place I try to contribute to, and I try to spend a lot of time there," she said. "I'm very glad of the Guggenheim," Taylor said. "People are not always convinced of the importance of this work. ... The interrelation of aesthetics and violence is crucial ... and the book has almost written itself. They have stories to tell, and [they] know that I'm the person to tell them to." - back - |
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