SPAN365

Modern Magics: Spanish-American Literature and Culture since the 1820s

This course aims to familiarize students with major concepts in Latin American literature through a discussion of representative works from the most important aesthetic movements of the past two centuries, such as modernismo, realismo mágico, the Boom, testimonio, and the Post-Boom. By studying a selection of canonical Latin American works from different regions and literary genres (poetry, essays, prose, etc.), students will become familiar with the ways in which Latin American literature and culture have influenced, critiqued, and been shaped by issues such as colonialism, national identity, race, gender, migration, nature, and political violence.

The theme of our course is “Continuidades y Rupturas,” which speaks to the literary anxieties experienced in the Spanish-speaking Americas since Independence. To that end, we’ll consider how Latin American authors participate in and break with the (Ancient, Classical, European, U.S., etc.) literary tradition, as well as how these anxieties mirror and echo political, economic, and broader cultural anxieties. Spanish is the language of course readings, discussions, and assessments (written/oral).

Required readings:

  • Course materials will be provided on Canvas.

Recommended readings:

  • Spanish-American Literature, Jean Franco
  • A Companion to Latin American Literature and Culture, Sara Castro Klarén

Prerequisite: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.

Language of Instruction: Spanish