Fernando Coronil, distinguished professor of anthropology and Latin American studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, passed away on Aug. 16, 2011 after a hard-fought battle with lung cancer. Numerous colleagueshave remembered the committed internationalist and critic of globocentrism, noting his capacious intellect, incisive scholarship, and passion for teaching, while still others have mourned the passing of a beloved mentor and friend. We remember Coronil as the author of The Magical State: Nature, Money, and Modernity in Venezuela, which examined key twentieth-century transformations in the nation’s polity, culture, and economy, recasting theories of development and highlighting the relevance of these processes for other postcolonial nations.

Read more here for a personal tribute from U of Chicago Press anthropology editor, David Brent, who worked intimately with Coronil on his celebrated book, The Magical State, and who offers a few good words on Coronil’s remarkable life:

http://pressblog.uchicago.edu/2011/08/25/remembering_fernando_coronil.html