Research Intensive Seminar in Romance Studies
Twenty-First-Century Women Writers
Crosslisted with RMST495.
This course is a survey of contemporary women writers whose work has been translated from Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Catalan, or who are writing within a Romance Language tradition.
Their books cover many different topics and styles: from history to memoir, autofiction to thriller, fantasy to horror; migration and violence, politics and the family, race, class, and sexuality as well as gender, and much else. Amid all this variety, we will ask what if anything these texts may have in common.
Does it make sense to talk of “women’s writing” here? Does the fact that these authors all write or are fluent in a Romance language make this a meaningful category?
All texts will be made available and discussed in English, though students are welcome to read them in the original.
Though the set readings are still to be determined, and this list is very much subject to change, these are some likely contenders:
Mónica Ojeda (Ecuador), Jawbone (2018)
Samanta Schweblin (Argentina), Little Eyes (2018)
Valeria Luiselli (Mexico), Lost Children Archive (2019)
Marta Sanz (Spain), My Clavicle and Other Massive Misalignments (2017)
Sara Mesa (Spain), Un amor (2020)
Beatriz Serrano (Spain), Discontent (2023)
Delphine de Vigan (France), Based on a True Story (2015)
Annie Erneaux (France), The Years (2008)
Edwidge Danticat (Haiti), Claire of the Sea Light (2013)
Elena Ferrante (Italy), My Brilliant Friend (2012)
Valeria Parrella (Italy), Almarina (2019)
Adriana Lisboa (Brazil), Crow Blue (2010)
Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida (Angola/Portugal), That Hair (2015)
Ioana Pârvulescu (Romania), Life Begins on Friday (2009)
Herta Müller (Romania/Germany), The Hunger Angel (2009)
Eva Baltasar (Catalonia), Permafrost (2018)
Prerequisites: No prerequisites
Language of instruction: English
Instructor: Dr. Jon Beasley-Murray