Tuesday, December 31, 2013
#CatalanTalk—Interviews of prominent Catalans, on Twitter, in English
My first guest will be Ferran Civit, member of the National Board of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), and the logistical coordinator for the Catalan Way in which more than 1.6 million people held hands from one end of Catalonia to the other to demand independence from Spain this past September. As Civit said in a recent interview in El Punt Avui, “If we are capable of doing this, we'll can win our independence, too.”
Upcoming interviews include Gemma Lienas (writer, feminist, and now chocolatier) on January 9th at 16h CET and Oriol Junqueras, President of Esquerra Republicana Catalana and Leader of the Opposition in the Catalan Parliament on Jan 13 at 17h CET, and we are in the process of scheduling Jaume Cabré, bestselling novelist; Blanca Rosa Roca, Publisher, Roca Editorial; Albert Pont, President of the Cercle Català de Negocis), Salvador Cardús, Sociologist and columnist, member of the National Transition Advisory Board to the Catalan Government; Vicent Partal, Director of online news portal Vilaweb; Quim Torra, Publisher and Director of the El Born Cultural Center; and others. Please send suggestions, via Twitter, or email.)
If you can't follow the interviews live, don't worry. I'll offer a recap later on this blog and eventually in book format. Details to follow!
Thanks to Porter Anderson for the inspiration. His interviews of people in publishing on #PorterMeets, Mondays at 5pm EST are really great.
Monday, September 30, 2013
What's up with Catalonia? in US Libraries
You can download the full original letter here.The Jersey City library is always grateful for the generosity of others, who, through donations such as yours, help build strong and varied collections throughout our library system. What’s up with Catalonia? is intriguing because of its timeliness on a buried news story, and will edify our library patrons on such a sensitive topic. [emphasis mine]
I have sent copies of What's up with Catalonia? to 187 libraries across the US, and several more in other countries. If your library doesn't yet have a copy, please ask them to order one, and let them know there are still donation copies available.
Here is the complete list of US libraries to which I have sent the book so far (PDF):
Alabama
Birmingham Birmingham Public Library
Tuscaloosa University of Alabama - Library
Alaska
Anchorage Anchorage Public Library
Fairbanks Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library
Arizona
Phoenix Phoenix Public Library
Tucson Joel D. Valdez Main Library, University of Arizona Library
Arkansas
Little Rock Central Arkansas Library System
California
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills Public Library
Los Angeles Los Angeles Public Library, Edward L Doheny Memorial Library - USC, Powell Library - UCLA College Library
San Diego San Diego Public Library - Central Library
San Jose San Jose Public Library
Stanford Cecil H. Green Library - Stanford University
Colorado
Boulder University of Colorado Boulder Library
Castle Rock Douglas County Libraries
Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Library District
Denver Denver Public Library
Fort Collins "Morgan Library, Colorado State University"
Connecticut
Bridgeport Bridgeport Public Libaray (Burroughs & Saden Branch)
Hartford Hartford Public Library
Middletown Olin Library (Wesleyan)
New Haven New Haven Free Public Library
Norwalk Norwalk Public Library
Stamford The Ferguson Library
Storrs UConn University Libraries
Delaware
Dover Dover Public Library
Wilmington Wilmington Institute Library
District of Columbia
District Of Columbia Public Library, Georgetown University Library, University Library at American University, George Washington University Library
Florida
Gainesville George A. Smathers Libraries - University of Florida
Jacksonville Jacksonville Public Library
Miami Miami-Dade Public Library System
St. Augustine St. Johns County Public Library
Tallahassee Leroy Collins Leon County Public Library System, Strozier Library - Florida State Library
Tampa Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative
Georgia
Athens University of Georgia Library
Atlanta Central Library & Library System Headquarters - Atlanta Georgia
Augusta East Central Georgia Regional Library System, East Central Georgia Regional Library System
Hawaii
Hilo Hilo Public Library
Honolulu Hawaii State Public Library System, University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library
Kailua Kailua Public Library
Idaho
Boise Boise Public Library
Illinois
Aurora Aurora Public Library
Chicago Harold Washington Library Center (Main Library), The University of Chicago Library
Evanston Northwestern University Library
Joliet Joliet Public Library
Rockford Rockford Public Library
Urbana Library of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Indiana
Fort Wayne Allen County Public Library
Indianapolis Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
Notre Dame University of Notre Dame Library
West Lafayette Libraries Administration Offices - Purdue University
Iowa
Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids Public Library
Des Moines Des Moines Public Library - Central
Iowa City The University of Iowa Libraries
Kansas
Wichita Wichita Public Library
Kentucky
Lexington University of Kentucky - Library
Louisville Louisville Free Public Library
Louisiana
Baton Rouge East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library - Tulane University
New Orleans New Orleans Public Library
Maine
Bangor Bangor Public Library
Brunswick Bowdoin College Library
Lewiston Lewiston Public Library, Ladd Library - Bates College
Portland Portland Public Library
South Portland South Portland Public Library
Waterville Colby College Libraries
Maryland
Baltimore Enoch Pratt Free Library, The Sheridan Libraries - Johns Hopkins University
College Park McKeldin Library - University of Maryland
Columbia Central Library - Columbia
Germantown Germantown Branch Library
Silver Spring Silver Spring Branch Library
Michigan
Ann Arbor University Library - University of Michigan
Detroit Detroit Public Library
East Lansing Michigan State University Libraries
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids Public Library
Warren Warren Public Library - Civic Center Library
Minnesota
Minneapolis Hennepin County Library - Minneapolis Central, Wilson Library - University of Minnesota
Northfield Gould Library - Carleton College Library
Rochester Rochester Public Library
Saint Paul Saint Paul Public Library
Mississippi
Jackson Jackson-Hinds Library System
Missouri
Kansas City Kansas City Public Library
St. Louis Saint Louis Public Library, "Olin Library (Washington Univesity, Saint Louis)"
Montana
Billings Parmly Billings Library
Bozeman Montana State University Library
Nebraska
Omaha Omaha Public Library
Nevada
Henderson Henderson District Public Libraries
Las Vegas Las Vegas-Clark County Library District
Reno Washoe County Library System
New Hampshire
Concord Concord Public Library
Derry Derry Public Library
Durham Dimond Library - U New Hampshire Library
Hanover Baker Berry Library - Dartmouth
Manchester Manchester City Library
Nashua Nashua Public Library
Plymouth Lamson Library & Learning Commons - Plymouth State University
New Jersey
Elizabeth Elizabeth Free Public Library
Jersey City Jersey City Free Public Library, Congressman Frank J. Guarini Library - New Jersey City University
Newark Newark Public Library
Paterson Paterson Free Public Library
Princeton Princeton University Library
Union Kean University Library - Nancy Thompson Library
New Mexico
Albuquerque Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Library System, "University Libraries, MSC05 3020"
Las Cruces Thomas Branigan Memorial Library
Rio Rancho Rio Rancho Public Library
New York
Albany SUNY Albany - "The University Library"
Buffalo Buffalo and Erie Public Library
Ithaca Cornell University Library
New York The New York Public Library, Columbia University Libraries, NYU - The Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
Rochester Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County
Yonkers Yonkers Public Library - Riverfront Library
North Carolina
Charlotte Public Library Of Charlotte Mecklenburg County
Durham William R. Perkins Library - Duke University
Greensboro Greensboro Public Library
Raleigh Wake County Public Libraries
North Dakota
Fargo Fargo Public Library
Ohio
Cincinnati The Public Library of Cincinnati And Hamilton County
Cleveland Cleveland Public Library
Columbus Columbus Metropolitan Library, Ohio State University Libraries
Kent University Libraries - Kent State University
Toledo Toledo-Lucas County Public Library
Oklahoma
Norman Pioneer Library System
Oregon
Eugene Eugene Public Library, Knight Library - University of Oregon
Portland Multnomah County Library, Reed College Library
Salem Salem Public Library
Pennsylvania
Allentown Allentown Public Library
Erie Erie County Public Library
Philadelphia UPenn - Van Pelt Library, Free Library of Philadelphia - Central Library
Pittsburgh Hunt Library - Carnegie Mellon University
Reading Reading Public Library
University Park Penn State Library
Rhode Island
Providence Providence Public Library, Brown University Library - Rockefeller Library
South Carolina
Columbia Thomas Cooper Library - University of South Carolina, Richland County Public Library
South Dakota
Sioux Falls Siouxland Libraries
Tennessee
Memphis Memphis Public Library And Information Center
Nashville Nashville Public Library, Jean and Alexander Heard Library - Vanderbilt University Library
Texas
Abilene Abilene Public Library
Austin Austin Public Library, University of Texas Libraries
Houston Fondren Library - Rice University
Utah
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City Public Library
Vermont
Burlington Fletcher Free Library, Bailey / Howe Library - UVM
Middlebury Davis Family Library - Middlebury College
Virginia
Charlottesville University of Virginia Library
Chesapeake Chesapeake Central Library
Newport News Newport News Public Library System
Norfolk Norfolk Main Library
Richmond Richmond Public Library
Virginia Beach Virginia Beach Public Library
Washington
Pullman Washington State University
Seattle Seattle Public Library - Central Library, University of Washington
Spokane Spokane County Library District
Tacoma Tacoma Public Library
Vancouver Vancouver Community Library
West Virginia
Charleston Kanawha County Public Library
Wisconsin
Green Bay Brown County Library
Madison Madison Public Library, "Memorial Library - University of Wisconsin, Madison"
Milwaukee Milwaukee Public Library
Oshkosh "Polk Library - University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh"
Wyoming
Cheyenne Laramie County Library System
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Spanish-English edition of What's up with Catalonia? on sale Sept 11 with Diari ARA
Tomorrow is September 11th, Catalonia's National Day. Hundreds of thousands of people will join hands from one end of Catalonia to the other, from Perthus in the Catalan Pyrenees to Alcanar in the delta of the River Ebre, a distance of some 250 miles. To celebrate, Catalonia Press has joined hands with the newspaper ARA to publish a bilingual edition of What's up with Catalonia?, in Spanish and English. This is the perfect book to share with friends and family both within and outside Catalonia who are curious about the 'process' towards independence.

This new edition will be available with a special price of 9.95€ exclusively with the purchase of the ARA newspaper, between September 11, 2013 and September 15, 2013, in newspaper stands all over Catalonia. After September 15, you can order a copy through DiariARA.cat. After October 1st, the book will be available in bookstores, in other online markets, and in electronic editions.
What's up with Catalonia? has garnered rave reviews on Amazon and in the prestigious American journal, Kirkus Reviews, who said, "This collection is packed with a college course’s worth of interesting information."

For questions or review copies, contact Liz Castro at Catalonia Press.
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Edición bilingüe español/inglés de What's up with Catalonia? - ¿Qué le pasa a Cataluña?
Mañana es 11 de setiembre, la Diada de Cataluña. Miles de personas se darán las manos, de un extremo a otro de Cataluña, desde La Perthus en los Pirineos Catalanes hasta Alcanar en el delta del Ebro, lo que representa una distancia de 400 quilómetros. Para celebrarlo, Catalonia Press se ha dado las manos con el Diari ARA para publicar una edición bilingüe en castellano e inglés de What's up with Catalonia? Se trata de un libro perfecto para compartir con amigos y familiares dentro y fuera de Cataluña que tengan curiosidad sobre el proceso de independencia.

Esta nueva edición estará disponible por un precio especial de 9,95€ exclusivamente con la compra del Diari ARA entre el 11 y el 15 de septiembre de 2013 en todos los quioscos de Cataluña. A partir del día 15 se pueden pedir ejemplares del libro a través de la tienda del Diari ARA. A partir del 1 de octubre, el libro se podrá encontrar en librerías, en otras tiendas online y en versión electrónica.
¿Qué le pasa a Cataluña? ha recibido reseñas muy favorables tanto en Amazon como en la prestigiosa revista estadounidense Kirkus Reviews, que lo ha descrito como una “colección repleta de información interesante que podría abarcar un curso universitario entero”.

Para más información o para pedir ejemplares de reseña, ponte en contacto con Liz Castro de Catalonia Press.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Sant Jordi, Lost Luggage, and What's up with Catalonia?
The celebration began with a lovely puppet show for the kids. The hall was then lined with chairs and novelist Jordi Puntí and Mary Ann Newman took the stage to present the new English edition of Jordi's book, Maletes Perdudes [Lost Luggage]. Jordi and Mary Ann took turns reading passages of the book, Jordi in Catalan and Mary Ann in English, and it was both interesting to listen to the story itself, and the curious tale of four brothers whose names were a “sort of Latin declension” of Christopher, as well as listening to the translation and mentally comparing it with the original. Thoroughly enjoyable.
After a short intermission, with delicious chocolates donated from a famous Barcelonian chocolatier, Oriol Balaguer, next up were Laia Balcells, Assistant Professor at Duke University, Jordi Puntí, and myself, with columnist and political scientist Jordi Graupera expertly moderating a panel discussion on What's up with Catalonia? Laia explained how we got where we are, I talked about why and how the book came about, and Jordi gave us a Barcelona-based view of the September 11th demonstration and current atmosphere in the city.
There were a lot of good questions and comments from the audience. Perhaps the most emotional moment came when an older woman stood up and explained that, born in 1933, she had lived through the Franco years and she was determined to live long enough to see Catalonia's independence.
Laia Balcells will talk about What's up with Catalonia? and the Catalan independence process in general on Tuesday with Clara Ponsatí at Georgetown University, while I will be speaking with a group of Harvard University students on Tuesday, and a UMass Amherst group on Wednesday. Please join us at any of those events if you're close by!
Many thanks to all who helped organize these events!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
"What's up with Catalonia?" is out!
Here's the video (in Catalan):
"What's up with Catalonia?" is a collection of brand-new essays—written in the last few months by experts in Catalan history, economy, language, culture, and politics—that explain why 1.5 million people took to the streets on Catalonia's National Day, September 11, 2012, to demand independence from Spain, and how they are channeling that joyous, peaceful, democratic spirit toward the Declaration of Sovereignty, structures of state, and other steps toward having their own independent country.
The objective of this book is to explain the current political situation in Catalonia to the world. Our goal is to offer timely information to political and business leaders, to students and professors, to visitors, to historians, and to anyone else who's interested in going beyond the surface. With that in mind, we have licensed the electronic versions of the book under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license.
That means:
You are free to share (to copy, distibute, and transmit the electronic versions of the work). Links to follow!
Under the following conditions:
• Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
• Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
• No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
With the understanding that:
• Waiver — Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.
• Public Domain — Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
• Other Rights — In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:
--Your fair dealing or fair use rights, or other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations;
--The author's moral rights;
--Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.
• Notice — For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to this web page.
At the same time, we ask for your financial support for the work that went into producing this book. You can help by buying either print and electronic copies of the book online:
• Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon.es | Amazon.fr | Amazon.de | Amazon.it | Amazon Canada | Amazon Brazil | Amazon Japan
• as well as in local bookstores, like Botiga VilaWeb, Llibreria Laie, and the bookstores associated with Bestiari Cooperative.
• or see Catalonia Press for an updated list.
You can also donate any amount you wish via Paypal, and we will dedicate that money to sending copies of the book to public libraries, politicians, business leaders, university professors, or anyone else who asks for a donation of the book, or to translating and editing new editions of this book or others about Catalonia. Feel free to attach strings as desired!
You can download the electronic versions of “What's up with Catalonia?” by following this link:
Thank you for your interest and for your support.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
“What's up with Catalonia?” will have a prologue by the President of Catalonia
You can download a sample of the book—including the cover and back cover, table of contents, Editor's note, and index. Please feel free to share it with whomever you like.
And here's the cover:

Here's the blurb from the back of the book:
On September 11, 2012, on Catalonia’s National Day, 1.5 million people from all over Catalonia marched peacefully and joyfully through the streets of Barcelona, behind a single placard: Catalonia: New State in Europe. Fifteen days later, President Artur Mas called snap elections for the Parliament of Catalonia, in order to hold a referendum that would let the people of Catalonia decide their own future. The rest of the world and even Spain were caught by surprise, but the events unfolding in Barcelona have been a long time coming.
In this new book, 35 experts explore Catalonia’s history, economics, politics, language, and culture, in order to explain to the rest of the world the fascinating story behind the march, the new legislature, and the upcoming vote on whether Catalonia will become the next new state in Europe.
With a prologue by Artur Mas, President of Catalonia, and contributions from: Ignasi Aragay • Laia Balcells • Germà Bel • Laura Borràs • Alfred Bosch • Núria Bosch • Roger Buch i Ros • Joan Canadell • Pau Canaleta • Salvador Cardús • Muriel Casals • Andreu Domingo • Carme Forcadell Lluís • Josep Maria Ganyet • Salvador Garcia-Ruiz • Àlex Hinojo • Edward Hugh • Oriol Junqueras • M. Carme Junyent • J.C. Major • Pere Mayans Balcells • Josep M. Muñoz • Mary Ann Newman • Elisenda Paluzie • Vicent Partal • Cristina Perales-García • Eva Piquer • Enric Pujol Casademont • Marta Rovira-Martínez • Vicent Sanchis • Xavier Solano • Miquel Strubell • Matthew Tree • Ramon Tremosa • F. Xavier Vila
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Inside "What's up with Catalonia?"
As you can see in the list below, the collaborators are an extremely illustrious group and the topics they are addressing will give non-Catalan readers a much better grasp of the situation in Catalonia. You can also download a PDF of the list. Please share it!
Our crowdfunding campaign at Verkami is designed to both help us finance the distribution of the book directly to libraries, newspapers, and politicians all over the world, as well as to raise awareness of the project among Catalans, who can share it with their friends and family outside of Catalonia. After four days, we are half of the way to our goal.
We want the world to know what is happening in Catalonia. Please like our page on Facebook, and spread the word in any way you can.
What's up with Catalonia? List of collaborators/articles | |
Ignasi Aragay | Journalist The Battle over the audience: language, politics, and culture |
Laia Balcells | Assistant Professor of Political Science at Duke University and affiliated researcher at the Institut d’Anàlisi Econòmica, CSIC (Barcelona) Opening the black box of secessionism |
Germà Bel | Professor of Economics at the University of Barcelona. Visiting Professor at Cornell University and Princeton University in 2012-2013. Strangers in their own land |
Laura Borràs | Professor of Literary Theory and Comparative Literature at University of Barcelona. Director of the Institution of Catalan Literature. Non-nationalist independentism |
Alfred Bosch | Writer and historian; MP for ERC (pro-independence Republican left) in Spanish Congress of Deputies in Madrid Judo in Madrid |
Núria Bosch | Professor of Economics at the University of Barcelona The Viability of Catalonia as a state: fiscal flows |
Roger Buch i Ros | Writer and Professor at Ramon Llull University The CUP: the oldest—and newest—pro-independence party |
Joan Canadell | General Secretary of the Cercle Català de Negocis (Catalan Business Circle) The Catalan Business Model: past, present, and future |
Pau Canaleta | Political and business strategist What happened on November 25th? |
Salvador Cardús | Professor of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and journalist What has happened to us Catalans? |
Muriel Casals | Professor of Economics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, President of Òmnium Cultural From Culture to politics via the economy |
Andreu Domingo | Deputy Director of the Centre for Demographics Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona Catalonia, land of immigrants |
Carme Forcadell Lluís | President of the Catalan National Assembly, professor and consultant Catalonia, New State in Europe |
Josep Maria Ganyet | Computer engineer, new media professor and entrepreneur. Net activist and would-be poet. Keep Calm and Speak Catalan |
Salvador Garcia-Ruiz | Co-founder of Emma Network and former consultant, investment banker, and film entrepreneur. To my Spanish friends |
Àlex Hinojo | Wikipedian, Museum Consultant and Open Culture Advocate Yet Another Wiki? |
Edward Hugh | Independent macroeconomist, expert on the European Sovereign Debt Crisis, member of board of directors of Catalunya Caixa bank. Is the perfect always and everywhere the enemy of the good? |
Oriol Junqueras | President of Republican Left of Catalonia. Opposition Leader in Catalan Parliament. 2013: The Transition Year Toward the Referendum on Independence |
M. Carme Junyent | Professor of General Linguistics at the University of Barcelona The Languages of the Catalans |
J.C. Major | Co-founder of Emma Network, New York-based linguist On the prickly matter of language |
Pere Mayans Balcells | Professor of Secondary Catalan Language and Literature Education, Director of the Language Immersion and Welcome Service Schooling in Catalonia, a key element for guaranteeing equal linguistic opportunities for the entire population (1978-2012) |
Josep M. Muñoz | Historian and Editor of the magazine L’Avenç News from Catalonia |
Mary Ann Newman | Writer and translator Americans (Heart) Catalonia: A geometric progression |
Elisenda Paluzie | Professor and Dean of the School of Economics and Business at the University of Barcelona The Finances of the Catalan government: a premeditated asphyxia |
Vicent Partal | Founder and Director of Vilaweb, Vice-president of the European Journalism Center Our place in the world: The land of Barcelona |
Cristina Perales-García | Professor of Communication, University of Vic (Catalonia) How did we get here? A look at the recent history of Catalonia and the Basque Country within Spain |
Eva Piquer | Writer, Cultural journalist, mother of four, Member of the Catalan Parliament Time to say “Yes” |
Enric Pujol Casademont | Professor in the Department of Modern and Contemporary History at the Autonomous University of Barcelona Wilson, Obama, Catalunya and Figueres |
Marta Rovira-Martínez | PhD in Sociology from Autonomous University of Barcelona. Researcher and documentarian. September 11th (1714) and other national symbols of Catalonia |
Vicent Sanchis | Professor in journalism at Ramon Llull University, Editor/Publisher of El Temps magazine, columnist and author Catalonia or Catalan Countries? |
Xavier Solano | Diplomatic adviser in London and political aide to Scottish MPs in the UK Parliament A Scottish referendum for Catalonia |
Miquel Strubell | Worked in Catalan language government body for 19 years, and currently at the Open University of Catalonia Language in education |
Matthew Tree | Anglo-Catalan writer Catalan language literature: What’s going on? |
Ramon Tremosa | Member of the European Parliament since 2009 Catalonia, new state in Europe? The view from Brussels |
F. Xavier Vila | Director of the University Centre for Sociolinguistics and Communication and Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona It’s always been there. The Position of Catalan and other languages in Catalonia |
Download the PDF of the list of collaborators and articles in What's up with Catalonia?