[HouTango-L] Argentina - en palabras

[Miles Yao]

The online magazine Salon just published a short literary guide to
Argentina.  A striking read:

"... as V. S. Naipaul wrote in a half-insightful, half-prejudiced
90-page sketch of the country ..., "The elegance did not last." The
Argentine 20th century was a long economic slide punctuated by spasms
of dictatorship. The country remains wealthy in comparison to its
neighbors and as literate as our own, and its food, land and
extraordinarily handsome people are nothing short of spectacular. But
the feeling of what might have been hangs over Argentina. Each new
effort at democracy, prosperity and hope seems threatened by a
reversion to frontier lawlessness, poverty and emptiness. And perhaps
the uncertainty of tomorrow even explains the Argentine penchant for
staying out till dawn."

Of course, there _has_ to be something exceptional about a land that
produced tango.  However, I leave it to the natives and the
better-informed among us to comment further (and DO read the comments
- they are rather colorful & interesting).  The article itself does
require membership, but it is a worthy investment for those who love
NPR:

http://www.salon.com/books/literary_guide/2006/10/16/argentina/index_np.html


Saludos,
Miles