Beyond Machu Picchu & Macondo: Real and Imaginary Worlds in Latin American Letters
SPAN 273
Spring 2026 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
LAST 273 |
Latin American writers and intellectuals have long conceived of their particular literary and cultural practices in connection to individual spaces and sites, both real and imagined. In this course we will examine why and how they have done so, looking not only at well-known if not legendary ones such as Machu Picchu and Macondo, invented, respectively, by Neruda and García Márquez in certain moments of their careers, but also the América and Gran Colombia of Simón Bolívar, the New York City of the Cuban intellectual José Martí (1880s) and Nuyorican writer Tato Laviera (1970s), as well as Violeta Parra's other Chile, César Aira's Colón (Panamá), Fernando Vallejo's Medellín (Colombia), and Mayra Montero's eroticized Caribbean. In each case we will be concerned with understanding the relationship between local, national, and hemispheric history and the new imaginarios created by the author/intellectual in question in the context of north-south relations. Topics to be considered within this critical framework will include the Wars of Independence, industrialization in the late 19th-century, the construction of the Panama Canal (1904--1914), the Cold War (1947--1991), Latino identity in the context of Puerto Rico and New York City, the drug wars, and sexual identity. When possible, films and short videos will be used to help build knowledge of historical context. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Hispanic Literatures and Cultures)(Latin American Studies)(Romance Studies) |
Major Readings:
Simón Bolívar (Venezuelan), Carta de Jamaica (1815)
José Martí (Cuban), "El puente de Brooklyn" (1883), "Coney Island" (1881), among other texts
César Aira (Argentinian), Varamo (2002) and selected texts about the Panama Canal (1903-1914)
Silvina Ocampo (Argentinian), Selected short stories
Pablo Neruda (Chilean), "Alturas de Machu Picchu" en Canto general (1950)
Gabriel García Márquez (Colombian), Selected texts, including chapters from Cien años de soledad (1967)
Tato Laviera (Nuyorican), La Carreta Made a U-Turn (1979)
Rosario Ferré (Puerto Rican), Papeles de Pandora (1976)
María Novaro (Mexican), Danzón (film) (1991)
Fernando Vallejo (Colombian), La virgen de los sicarios (1994)
Diamela Eltit (Chilean), selected texts
Roberto Bolaño (Chilean), Nocturno de Chile (2000)
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Examinations and Assignments:
Three short papers (4-5 pages), midterm, reaction papers |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
SPAN 273 is intended for students who have completed SPAN 221 with a B- or better. Students who have not done so should consult with the professor before preregistering. Readings, written assignments, and class discussions will be in Spanish. Only COL students may take this course CR/U. All students are expected to be active and informed participants in class discussions. You will improve all of your language skills in this course. |
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