Beyond Machu Picchu & Macondo: Real and Imaginary Worlds in Latin American Letters
SPAN 273
Spring 2021
| Section:
01
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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: (HISP)(LAST)(RMST) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 75% - 89% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Simón Bolívar (Venezuelan), Carta de Jamaica (1815)
José Martí (Cuban), "El puente de Brooklyn" (1883), "Coney Island" (1881)
César Aira (Argentine), Varamo (2002) and selected texts about the Panama Canal (1903-1914)
Pablo Neruda (Chilean), "Alturas de Machu Picchu" en Canto general (1950)
Violeta Parra (Chilean), poetry (1950s-1960s)
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)
Fernando Vallejo (Colombian), La virgen de los sicarios (1994)
Mayra Montero (Cuban-Puerto Rican), La última noche que pasé contigo (1991)
Guillermo Gómez-Peña (1980s-present)
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Examinations and Assignments:
Three 4-5 page papers in addition to short reaction papers for each class. All assignments will involve close reading of texts and contextualization. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course is intended for students who have completed SPAN 221 with a B- or better or or the equivalent. Students who have not done so should consult with the professor before preregistering. Readings, written assignments and class discussions will be in Spanish. Reading and writing are the best ways for adult learners to improve their spoken Spanish. You will therefore improve all of your language skills in this course.
CONDITIONS FOR CR/U STUDENT OPTION: The Department of Romance Languages & Literatures normally does not recognize CR/U except for COL students. The reason is that learning effectively in another language calls for regular completion of multiple activities over the course of the term, including faithful attendance and informed participation. In our experience students have counted on grades to determine where to focus their efforts. Because of the pandemic we have made the CR/U option available, but it should be chosen only as a measure of last resort. Since a full university credit is involved no matter what the grading option, bear in mind that CR/U assumes students will complete all graded activities including attendance and participation satisfactorily. Remember, too, that the Hispanic Literatures & Cultures major and study abroad continue to require that courses be completed with a minimum grade. If you take your course CR/U, your professor will record the letter grade and the Spanish section will decide accordingly whether the grade is sufficient for you to continue to the next level, to study abroad, to meet the requirement for acceptance into the major, or for the course to count for the major. If you are having difficulties of any kind, we urge you to contact your professor immediately to see what can be done to address them. |
| Instructor(s): Conn,Robert T. Times: ..T.R.. 11:10AM-12:30PM; Location: FISK121; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 16 | | SR major: 9 | JR major: 2 | | |
| Seats Available: 2 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 1 | JR non-major: 1 | SO: 2 | FR: 1 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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