A Companion to Latin American Literature and Culture - (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture) 2nd Edition by Sara Castro-Klaren

About the Book

"Codas are by definition short interventions. Codas constitute an attempt to reach a satisfactory, though perhaps always temporary, closing to the musical piece unfolding. The Blackwell Companion to Latin American Literature and Culture did, in the first edition as it does in this second edition, represent, a kind of musical composition where pleats fold and unfold into inner and forward creases, tucks and crevices that seem never ending. Conceived as such, a coda at this moment in history acquires the hue of a paradox, in that it both closes and opens the discussion on Latin American culture writ large. Great change has occurred in Latin America in the last quarter century. Besides a turn to the left that never took place, people in Brazil and Spanish America along with many Indigenous communities living within the borders of various nation-states have experienced and continue to undergo the transformation brought about by the digital forces in play today. The forces of globalization, of which the digital age is only a part, have exacerbated during the 2020 pandemic as people have been forced to communicate and interact more intensely in the internet, making use of every platform available for multiple purposes of exchange. Together, the pandemic and the digital transformation have repositioned subjects, fractured borders, reconfigured modes of production and realigned personal, social and political relations. In this context the paradoxical valance of a coda, as both summary ending but also opening onto uncharted waters, seems justified as a brief introduction to the new and enlightening chapters that comprise the volume in this second edition"--

Book Synopsis

Cutting-edge and insightful discussions of Latin American literature and culture

In the newly revised second edition of A Companion to Latin American Literature and Culture, Sara Castro-Klaren delivers an eclectic and revealing set of discussions on Latin American culture and literature by scholars at the cutting edge of their respective fields. The included essays--whether they're written from the perspective of historiography, affect theory, decolonial approaches, or human rights--introduce readers to topics like gaucho literature, postcolonial writing in the Andes, and baroque art while pointing to future work on the issues raised.

This work engages with anthropology, history, individual memory, testimonio, and environmental studies. It also explores:

• A thorough introduction to topics of coloniality, including the mapping of the pre-Columbian Americas and colonial religiosity
• Comprehensive explorations of the emergence of national communities in New Imperial coordinates, including discussions of the Muisca and Mayan cultures
• Practical discussions of global and local perspectives in Latin American literature, including explorations of Latin American photography and cultural modalities and cross-cultural connections
• In-depth examinations of uncharted topics in Latin American literature and culture, including discussions of femicide and feminist performances and eco-perspectives

Perfect for students in undergraduate and graduate courses tackling Latin American literature and culture topics, A Companion to Latin American Literature and Culture, Second Edition will also earn a place in the libraries of members of the general public and PhD students interested in Latin American literature and culture.

From the Back Cover

A COMPANION TO LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE
SECOND EDITION

Cutting-edge and insightful discussions on Latin American literature and culture

This newly revised second edition of A Companion to Latin American Literature and Culture delivers an eclectic and revealing set of discussions on Latin American culture and literature by scholars at the cutting edge of their respective fields. The essays introduce readers to topics such as gaucho literature, postcolonial writing in the Andes, and baroque art. They are written from various different perspectives, including historiography, affect theory, decolonial approaches, and human rights. New essays consider questions of cartography and extractive economy, human rights and the anthropocene, as well as affect and minor literatures.

This work engages with anthropology, history, individual memory, testimonio, and environmental studies. It also includes:

• A thorough introduction to topics of coloniality, including the mapping of the pre-Columbian Americas and colonial religiosity
• Comprehensive explorations of the emergence of national communities in New Imperial coordinates, with discussions of the Muisca and Mayan cultures
• Practical discussions of global and local perspectives in Latin American literature, including explorations of Latin American photography and cultural modalities and cross-cultural connections
• In-depth examinations of uncharted topics in Latin American literature and culture, including discussions of femicide and feminist performances and eco-perspectives

A valuable resource for students and scholars of Latin American literature and culture, A Companion to Latin American Literature and Culture, Second Edition will also earn a place in the libraries of general readers interested in Latin American literature and culture.

About the Author

Sara Castro-Klaren is Emerita Professor of Latin American Culture and Literature at the Johns Hopkins University. She has published several books on the Latin American novel, with a particular focus on the works of Jose Maria Arguedas, Mario Vargas Llosa, Julio Cortazar, and Diamela Eltit.