Urban Modernities in Spanish Literary Culture and Film

With a special focus on the period of 1898-1936, this course will examine the centrality of urban space and the leisure culture and gendered space of city life as it is conceived in Spanish high and low brow literature, including avant-garde works and kiosk commercial literature, in conjunction with its representation in both Spanish silent-era cinema (e.g. El sexto sentido; El misterio de la Puerta del Sol) and international “city symphony” films (e.g. Manhatta, Les nuits électriques). By reading literature with silent film, this course interrogates the...

Spanish<>English Translation

In this class, we’ll apply current translation theories to the analysis and practice of translation between Spanish and English. Among other questions, we’ll consider the difference between AI-generated translations and the translation work of humans. We’ll discuss translations of a variety of text types, ranging from slogans (like the remarkable translation of “Hail to the Orange” above) to laundry labels to poetry. Conducted in Spanish.Counts as an elective for: Spanish major, Spanish minor, Undergraduate Certificate in Translation Studies, Graduate Minor in Translation and...

Imaging Mexico

This course explores how since the post-independence period in the early 1800s through the present, visual cultures have participated in and commented on the formation of national identity in Mexico. We will study a variety of textual and visual mediums including the novel, painting, sculpture, architecture, prints, crafts, photography, and film in order to analyze how these various cultural forms have contributed to a variety of national projects. Students will hone the capacity to speak and write analytically about various forms of cultural production using each medium’s corresponding...

Latin American Cinema: Screening the People

This course explores how Latin American cinema, from the arrival of sound in the 1930s through 21st century production, has represented the people whose lives reflect the region’s widespread socioeconomic, demographic, and political realities such as working poverty, recent immigration to the region, internal migration, Indigeneity, and armed conflict, among others. We will study the various styles, modes, and genres through which cinema has produced a broad variety of representations of “the people” that range from lovable comedic figures to catalysts for indignation. Our exploration of film...

Storytelling in Latin America: An Introduction to the Latin American Short Story

This course focuses on the modern Latin American short story, highlighting the development of its literary and cultural traditions. We will explore the evolution of the short story in Latin America throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Our study will examine the various literary styles used by writers during this period and will analyze current trends among contemporary authors. We will delve into genre conventions, literary and theoretical movements, and the works of significant Latin American short story writers, including Horacio Quiroga, Juan Rulfo, Jorge Luis Borges, Elena...

Unwritten Textualities: Indigenous Literatures and Beyond

This course will introduce students to various forms of Indigenous textualities and the connections between them. Often, Indigenous literatures are placed in binaries and in a western chronological timeline, from oral to written and from traditional to modern. Students will read poetry, oral stories, newspapers, zines, and textiles amongst other forms to expand understandings of Indigenous literatures. While themes will vary, they will include identity, history, and politics. Course will be taught in English and readings will be provided in English, Spanish, and various Indigenous languages...

Abya Yalan Literatures: Indigenous Knowledges and the Written Word

This course examines contemporary Indigenous literatures of Abya Yala (or Latin America) and its relationship to Indigenous autonomy. Students will explore poetry, novels, short stories, newspapers, and literary magazines published across the 20th century in Mexico and Guatemala, as well as questions of form, genre, themes, and authorship. Considering the inclusion of other forms of textualities in Indigenous Studies, this course will also explore the relationship between the written word and other Indigenous cultural productions. Themes explored include language, the nation, representation,...

The Acquisition of Spanish

Examination of the acquisition of Spanish in multilingual learning contexts (by second language learners, heritage bilinguals, and L3 learners). We focus on the acquisition of phonetics/phonology, morphosyntax, semantics, lexicon, and pragmatics, with particular emphasis on the role of context of acquisition (naturalistic, classroom, and study abroad). Taught in Spanish.Fulfills MA in Hispanic Linguistics requirement for acquisition. Also open to undergraduates who have had SPAN 303 and 305.M 1:00-3:50 pm; 217 Gregory Hall  CRN: 64871 (grads), 64870...

The Politics of Melodrama in Latin American and Latinx Cultures

This course explores the social and political history of melodrama in Latin American and Latinx cultures. We will discuss the role that melodrama has had within Latin American media following a long-term chronological approach that begins with nineteenth-century serialized novels (folletín) and ends with recent telenovelas from Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, and the United States. As a language of emotions and familiarity, Spanish-speaking melodrama has been a key tool to reflect on the most critical social and political issues, from mid-twentieth-century populisms to...

Race and Nation in Argentine Popular Culture

This course explores Argentine popular culture by focusing on the interplay between race and nation. We will follow a long-term chronological approach from the nineteenth century to the present, examining the formation of a plebeian culture from gauchesca poetry to sports icons like Diego Maradona, from early-twentieth-century tango recordings to contemporary cumbia villera. We will cover a broad spectrum of cultural production —literature, music, cinema, comics, and television— as well as other dimensions of popular culture such as soccer/fútbol. The course will delve...
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