The following is a list of common questions plus other general information. If you have additional questions, please feel free to email or post a comment below.
//* Last updated: May 4, 2008 *//
- Who are you?
- Your archives go back to March 2007; why does your tagline say “since 2002”?
- Why is this blog called “Pronto*”?
- Where are you?
- What do you blog about?
- Where did you study?
- Where can I learn more about Bolivian politics?
- Can I cite you for a paper/website?
- Can I subscribe to this site?
- What are the “Post this to” links at the bottom of each post?
- Can I buy you things?
Who are you?
I was born in Santa Cruz (Bolivia) in 1975 & moved to the US w/ my family in 1985. I lived in Michigan (the Great Lakes State) for more than two decades. I recently moved to Pennsylvania (to teach at Dickinson College, 2006-2008) and am moving in May to Baltimore (to teach political science at Mount Saint Mary's University).
Your archives go back to March 2007; why does your tagline say “since 2002”?
My blogging has evolved over the years. I started on Blogger.com in September 2002, before migrating to Movable Type in January 2003. After moving to my own domain (though the family centellas.org domain is still very much active), I decided to change the name, in part to reflect a new stage in my life (employed, married, PhD). You can access the old archives (but only posts since January 2003 are MySQL searchable).
Why is this blog called “Pronto*”?
I’m an Italophile. My previous blog was called “Ciao!” (used to mean both “hello” & “goodbye”). I renamed my blog “Pronto*” (not sure why I put the “*” in it) because it’s a multi-purpose word: it means both “ready” and “hello” (when used to answer the telephone); in Spanish, it means “quickly” (which can be used both to indicate either a command or a desire).
Where are you?
Though I frequently write about Bolivian politics (which I visit regularly, both for research & family/friends), I live in quaint Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Unless otherwise specified, that’s where I’m blogging from.
What do you blog about?
My academic interests include democratic theory, democratization, democratic institutions (e.g. political parties, electoral systems, presidentialism), “national imaginaries” & nationalism, populism & the “new left” in Latin America, and Latin American politics. Other than that, I’m interested in politics more broadly, internet & web issues, pop culture, and various kinds of “indie” (non-mainstream) music. These are all things I blog about, as well as my daily life.
On the academic side, sometimes I post quick reflections on current events. Some of these may go into conference papers or other manuscripts later. I may even post links to manuscript drafts; please feel free to comment, critique, or provide other feedback.
Where did you study?
I’m a product of state schools (and proud of it). I did my undergrad at Central Michigan University, followed by grad school at Western Michigan University. If you’d like to know more about my “professional” life, you can read my curriculum vitae.
Where can I learn more about Bolivian politics?
I’m glad you asked! You can start by downloading my dissertation; at the very least, I’m sure the bibliography’s useful. You can also check out my (in-development) Bolivian politics wiki project.
Otherwise, stay tuned to this blog for updates (particularly the Bolivia category page). One good source I recommend is the Global Voices Bolivia page, which regularly gives roundups of the growing Bolivian blogosphere. Three particularly interesting/insightful (English-language) blogs include: MABB (which has a comprehensive blogroll), Barrio Flores (written by the Global Voices Bolivia editor), and Blog from Bolivia (by Jeff Schultz at the Cochabamba-based Democracy Center). If you read Spanish, here’s a comprehensive list of the Bolivian blogosphere & a blog about Bolivian blogs. Finally, check out some in-print books on Bolivian politics & history at my Amazon.com Bolivia bookstore.
Can I cite you for a paper/website?
My blog’s fair game (so long as you follow my Creative Commons License). Be sure to attribute the information to me (in the case of posts) or to the comment’s author (in the case of comments).
Can I subscribe to this site?
Feel free to syndicate this blog; here’s my RSS feed. You can also subscribe to this blog by email.
What are the “post this to” links at the bottom of each post?
Those are links to popular social bookmarking sites. Social bookmarking allows you to save your favorite posts for future reference. My favorite is del.icio.us; but there are many such services available online. Feel free to explore my del.icio.us links, which are tagged into a number of useful categories.
Can I buy you things?
Of course! Here’s my Amazon.com wish list. Note that I have separate lists (e.g. Latin American politics, electoral/party systems, and political science) besides a “personal” list (DVDs, music, non-academic books, etc.) that’d make great presents for holidays, birthdays, or special occasions. If you want to buy things from me, check out my My Amazon Bookstore.
