This course will look at the period of Spanish literature from 1939 (the end of the Civil War) to the present day. Special emphasis will be placed on the important tradition of female authors that emerged during this period. Our readings will highlight the reflection of key historical, socio-political, and cultural moments and tendencies in several novels and plays. The eras we will consider are: the immediate postwar period (the 1940s), the socially and politically engaged 1950s and 1960s, the transition to democracy and la movida, and finally the 1990s and the beginning of this new century. We will study the concerns and themes of Spanish literature today and consider their evolution since 1939. A guiding question throughout the course will be the nature of Spain's relationship to its past-especially to the memory of the Civil War and the post-war-and how this relationship affects Spain's present and future. Readings will include novels and plays by Carmen Laforet, Camilo Jose Cela, Antonio Buero Vallejo, Luis Martin Santos, Carmen Martin Gaite, Antonio Munoz Molina, Dulce Chacon, Almudena Grandes. Conducted in Spanish. Format: seminar. Requirements: active participation in class discussions, an oral presentation, several short writing assignments, and a final paper. Prerequisites: Spanish 105 or above, or placement via Williams College exam. Enrollment limit: 22 (expected: 22). Preference given to students with background in literature.