Topics in Hispanic Literature: Literature as Politics and Protest
What are the social and political implications of writing and reading literature? How do literary texts contribute to social change and what is our role, as readers of literature, in that endeavour? How might we read literature as a form of political praxis or activism? What is the relationship between power and culture? These are some of the questions we will tackle together in our consideration of Latin American literature of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Through four main topics—Interventionism, Detective Fiction, Gendered Violence, Diaspora—the course focuses on the fundamental elements and techniques of poetry and prose, as well as critical reading strategies, in order to reflect on artistic trends, socio-political movements, and intellectual debates.
Primary texts will include selections (essay, narrative fiction, poetry, performance) from both renowned and lesser-known authors, such as Jorge Luis Borges, Valeria Luiselli, Amparo Dávila, Humberto Ak’abal, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, and Cristina Rivera Garza. Students are able to select among research paper, critical-creative piece, or group project for final assignment.
Readings and course conducted in English.
Language of instruction: English
Instructor: Dr. Tamara Mitchell
Prerequisites: No prerequisites