Spanish 170: "Theatricality and Performance in Hispanophone Caribbean Literature"
The Caribbean is best-known for its performance practices, from Carnival to music. This course focuses on the influence and presence of performance practices on 20th Century Cuban and Puerto Rican literature. What purpose does the representation of musical performance serve for these texts? How does the attempt to depict the live arts in literature prompt aesthetic experimentation? As we examine the interchanges between popular performance practices and literature , these questions will guide our analyses of texts including poetry by Guillén and Palés Matos, Piñera's "Electra Garrigo," Gutierrez Alea's Guantanamera, and Santos-Febres's Sirena Selena.
The assignments are aimed at developing skills in literary analysis as well as essay writing and oral presentation in Spanish.