Well, in Spanish we say "de gustos y colores no discuten los doctores",
which roughly translates as: everyone is entitled to his own taste.
I was only commenting half in jest about my lack of PC-ness. However,
given my complete ineptitude and ignorance concerning female novelists, I
went to an expert.
I thus transcribe, below, the summary of the syllabus of a course taught
at UT on female writers, by Prof. Fereirapinto. I should, of course, have
remembered at least Clarice Lispector and Elena Poniatowska, but then
again I am getting older and my memory is not what it used to be.
Saludos,
Luis
FEMALE DEVELOPMENT IN LATIN AMERICAN WOMEN'S WRITINGS , FEREIRAPINTO , LAS
392P, TTH 930-1100 , BAT 207 , POR 381 (39970) ,
This general course will explore different theories on the novel of
development and their applicability to writings by Brazilian
and Spanish American women. Each work will be read within its
sociohistorical context, which will allow the student to
understand the differences and similarities among them. Several aspects of
female development will be addressed:
self-realization, sexuality, againg, women's participation in the
political process. Qestions of authorship, testimonial literature,
and the intersection of the individual's story and the community's history
will also be discussed.
Readings
de la Parra, Memorias de Mam'a Blanca
Bombal, La 'ultima niebla
Lispector, Uma aprendizagem ou o livro dos prazeres
Jesus, Quarto de Despejo
Poniatowska, hasta no verte, Jes'us m'io
Telles, As Meninas
Queiroz, Dora, Doralina
Angel, Estaba la p'ajara pinta sentada en el verde lim'on
On Wed, 26 Mar 1997, Vera M. Britto wrote:
> hi luis - i hope i didn't sound like i was hitting you
> over the head, but it is true that women writers have been
> greatly ignored because of sexism, etc.
>
> once i read
> a great article on this (forgot author), and the writer
> was talking about latam women writing in exile and at the
> end she asked: but haven't women writers in latam
> always been in exile? :)
>
> and yes, i only mentioned allende and menchu, because unfortunately
> i have not had the chance to read much latam lit, so my
> ability to make suggestions (of men and women) is quite limited.
> (although i am currently reading cortazar, whom i adore )
>
> and don't get too upset, but i didn't like 100 years
> at all...(i didn't even finish), and yes i know what
> you're thinking about me now :)
>
> Vera Britto
> (fiatlux@umich.edu - http://www.umich.edu/~fiatlux)
> ............................................................................
> Le Bret: Si tu laissais un peu ton ame mousquetaire, la fortune et la
> gloire... Cyrano: Et que faudrait-il faire? Chercher un protecteur
> puissant, prendre un patron, et, comme un lierre obscur que circonvient
> un tronc et s'en fait un tuteur en lui lechant l'ecorce, grimper par
> ruse au lieu de s'elever par force? Non, merci! Non, merci! Non, merci!
> Mais... chanter, rever, rire, passer, etre seul, etre libre... oui.
> "Cyrano de Bergerac" - Edmond Rostand
>
> On Wed, 26 Mar 1997, Luis Fierro wrote:
>
> >
> > Hi, Vera:
> >
> > No, I am not sexist at all. I do enjoy reading Isabel Allende, but I do
> > think Garcia Marquez is better. Your own message only mentioned one
> > female novelist, Isabel Allende (or rather, the title of her novel),
> > whereas I mentioned at least one other women writer (admittedly, my
> > mother).
> >
> > We were just commenting yesterday on the fact that there have been few
> > novelists or short story writers in Ecuador, at least (we came up with
> > Alicia Yanez Cossio, Nela Martinez and Eugenia Viteri).
> >
> > Let's see, who else should we add to a list of women novelists with
> > political overtones (at the risk of committing some other glaring
> > ommission or PC faux-passe).
> >
> > Gabriela Mistral, of course, received the Nobel Prize, but she was a poet.
> >
> > Some other examples I can think of, off the top of my head, are:
> >
> > Gioconda Belli (Nicaragua), Laura Esquivel (Mexico), Sor Juana Ines de la
> > Cruz (Mexico), Sandra Cisneros (Mexican-American), Flora Tristan
> > (Peru-France).
> >
> > I am sure someone who has actually studied literature can provide a more
> > comprehensive list, and perhaps attempt to answer the question of why
> > there are not more women novelists with political themes in Latin America
> > (perhaps because patriarchy and machismo did not allow women enough free
> > time to write novels?).
> >
> > Luis
> >
> > On Wed, 26 Mar 1997, Vera M. Britto wrote:
> >
> > > hi luis - great contribution - but what happened
> > > to women writers in Latin America? i hope you're not
> > > that sexist...
> > >
> > > Vera Britto
> > > (fiatlux@umich.edu - http://www.umich.edu/~fiatlux)
> > > On Wed, 26 Mar 1997, Luis Fierro wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hola:
> > > >
> > > > The author of "House of Spirits" is Isabel Allende, the niece of former
> > > > President Salvador Allende.
> > > >
> > > > Personally, I would recommend going to the inspiration of Allende's
> > > > "magical realism" style, that is Gabriel Garcia Marquez. "One Hundred
> > > > Years of Solitude" is still, without a doubt, the best Latin American
> > > > novel of all times, and it is also a very good introduction to the
> > > > politics and economics of the region (especially the Liberal-Conservative
> > > > dichotomy of the late 19th century).
> > > >
> > > > Other authors I would highly recommend, with political overtones, are
> > > > Jorge Amado, Juan Rulfo, Jose Maria Arguedas, Alfredo Bryce Echenique,
> > > > Julio Cortazar, Alejo Carpentier, Mario Benedetti, Manuel Scorza, Augusto
> > > > Roa Bastos, and the early Mario Vargas Llosa (before his conversion to
> > > > becoming the defender of "tradicion, familia y propiedad").
> > > >
> > > > >From my own country, Ecuador, and fresh from hearing a wonderful lecture
> > > > yesterday by writer Raul Perez Torres, I would recommend Luis A. Martinez,
> > > > Jose de la Cuadra, Pablo Palacio, Joaquin Gallegos Lara, Demetrio Aguilera
> > > > Malta, and Jorge Enrique Adoum. ( I would mention my mother, Fanny
> > > > Carrion de Fierro, but she has only published poetry so far; hopefully,
> > > > she will publish her short stories and novels shortly :-)
> > > >
> > > > There are good collections of Latin American short stories, which would
> > > > give your students a "taste" of several of these authors.
> > > >
> > > > Some of the novels I mention are mentioned at the Siglo XXI Editores web
> > > > site, listed below:
> > > >
> > > > http://www.inetcorp.net.mx/sigloXX1/creacion.html
> > > >
> > > > Please let me know if you need more specific information, or have a
> > > > particular topic in mind.
> > > >
> > > > Luis
> > > >
> > > > On Wed, 26 Mar 1997, Vera M. Britto wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > house of spirits - by chilean author (my mind is blank)
> > > > > and instructions for john howell (short story by
> > > > > julio cortazar - plus any collection of his). although not a novel per se,
> > > > > i, rigoberta menchu (mix auto/biography). for
> > > > > a "personal is political" short story "Tia Matilde"
> > > > > by Jose Donoso (chile).
> > > > >
> > > > > Vera Britto
> > > > > (fiatlux@umich.edu - http://www.umich.edu/~fiatlux)
> > > > > ............................................................................
> > > > > Le Bret: Si tu laissais un peu ton ame mousquetaire, la fortune et la
> > > > > gloire... Cyrano: Et que faudrait-il faire? Chercher un protecteur
> > > > > puissant, prendre un patron, et, comme un lierre obscur que circonvient
> > > > > un tronc et s'en fait un tuteur en lui lechant l'ecorce, grimper par
> > > > > ruse au lieu de s'elever par force? Non, merci! Non, merci! Non, merci!
> > > > > Mais... chanter, rever, rire, passer, etre seul, etre libre... oui.
> > > > > "Cyrano de Bergerac" - Edmond Rostand
> > > > >
> > > > > On Mon, 24 Mar 1997 scherlenrg@conrad.appstate.edu wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Dear List Members:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I will be teaching an Introduction to Latin American Studies course this
> > > > > > fall. I would like to have the students read a novel (or a collection of
> > > > > > short stories?). I am a political scientist, so I would especially like a
> > > > > > novel with political content/overtones/etc. Any suggestions?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks for your help,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Renee Scherlen
> > > > > > Dept of Political Science
> > > > > > Appalachian State University
> > > > > >
> > > > > > scherlenrg@appstate.edu
> >
> >
>
>