Comparative Literature 596 – Special Studies in Comparative Literature

In addition to examining three general anthologies of short stories from Spain, Latin America, and the Hispanic US, we will read a collection of short stories by Jewish Latin American women authors, a testimonial novel by a former political prisoner in Argentina, and a novel and film by Argentine author/director Lucía Puenzo, who focuses on issues of sexual orientation and identity. Also, we will study recent films by several other women directors from these three regions, in order to map the general contours of feminist narrative discourse in the Spanish-speaking world over the past half century (and, in the case of the films, over the past decade). We will read the texts in English translation (although students who can are welcome to read them in the Spanish original) and will watch the films in Spanish with English subtitles, so no knowledge of Spanish is required. The primary texts will be complemented by several key theoretical and critical essays that will be uploaded to our Catalyst page. Students will direct one class discussion and participate actively in the other discussions. For the final essay they will choose one or two authors for additional research and analysis and will write a final 8-10-page analytical essay, presenting their research to the seminar at the end of the quarter.
Books:
Masoliver Ródenas, Juan Antonio, ed. The Origins of Desire: Modern Spanish Short Stories. New York: Serpent’s Tail, 1993, 208 pp. [buy used on amazon]
Correas de Zapata, Celia, ed. Short Stories by Latin American Women: The Magic and the Real. Modern Library Classics, 2003, 272 pp. 0812967070. $10.72
Agosín, Marjorie, ed. The House of Memory: Stories by Jewish Women Writers of Latin America.  The Feminist Press at CUNY, 1999, 272 pp. 1558612092 $15.15
Stejilivich, Nora. A Single, Numberless Death. Trans. Cristina de la Torre. U of Virginia Press, 2002, 176 pp. 0813921317 $17.57
Puenzo, Lucía. The Fish Child. Trans. David William Foster. Texas Tech University Press, 2010, 176 pp. 0896727149 $21.85
González, Ray, ed. Mirrors beneath the Earth: Short Fiction by Chicano Writers. Curbstone Books, 1995, 331 pp. 1880684020 $14.95 
Films:
My Life Without Me (Spain, 2003), dir. Isabel Coixet, 106 min.
Even the Rain (Spain, 2010), dir. Iciar Bollain, 103 min.
La ciénaga (Argentina, 2001), dir. Lucrecia Martel, 103 min.
The Good Herbs (Mexico, 2010), dir.  María Novaro, 117 min.
Madeinusa (Peru, 2006), dir. Claudia Llosa, 100 min.
Labyrinths of Memory (Mexico, 2007), dir. Guita Schyfter
The Prize (Argentina, 2011), dir. Paula Markovitch, 115 min.
The Fish Child (Argentina, 2009), dir. Lucía Puenzo, 96 min
Señorita Extraviada / Missing Young Woman (US, 2001), dir. Lourdes Portillo, 103 min.