It is by now considered a mere commonplace to assert that literary production in Latin America depends upon the city. In this course we will examine how the city as a real, lived space of power and the representation of the city as a fictional landscape intersect in many Latin American texts. We will pay close attention to how the city often serves to uphold dominant forms of power as well as appear as a space of community and resistance. We will also consider how the city is written in relation to nature and the country. The fous will be broad, spanning from the colonial period (Balbuena, Carrio de la Vandera), through texts of the early republican period (Sarmiento, Bello), the twentieth century (Guiraldes, Borges, Arguedas) and the narratives of the last few decades (Eltit, Piglia,Bellatin, the film La ciudad). Conducted in Spanish. Format: seminar. Requirements: Three papers (8 - 9 pages) and one oral report that explores a cultural aspect of a particular Latin American city. Prerequisite: any 300-level course or two 200-level courses or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limit: 14 (expected: 8). Preference given to Spanish majors and students with a background in literature.

Hour: DONNELLY