Extra Credit--William Nericcio lecture

I had the great honor of breaking bread with and listening to the lecture of Dr. William Nericcio recently at the Chicana/o Studies Research Center.  This was my second time listening to Dr. Nericcio speak on his text, Tex{t}-Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the "Mexican" in America.  I had already read the book and presented on it in class.  I was delighted when I realized what a generous and thoughtful scholar and person he is.  His lecture centered on his forthcoming text, Eyegiene and his transition from Tex{t}-Mex.  Dr. Nericcio brilliantly uses his background in cultural studies to demonstrate how a picture is worth much more than a thousand words.  What I gleamed from his lecture is something that I have heard bell hooks argue, the visual and the written word are not opposites or enemies, rather they complement each other.  This is something that I grapple with as a writer and a scholar.  I mourn the fact that this new generation would rather watch videos than read a book.  As hooks and Dr. Nericcio argue, we can integrate the two to create a dynamic learning and teaching environment.  Another of Dr. Nericcio strong suits is that he uncovers the subtle and not-so-subtle racism veiled by smiling 1950s caricatures of suburban White families.  Instead of shouting, he uses his sharp analysis to point the viewer towards her/his own conclusions.  I am sincerely glad that I attended his lecture and that I was reread his book.  I am looking forward to meeting him again!