This 10-weeks course surveys major Latin American literary works from pre-Columbian traditions to the period preceding the rise of modernism in the late 19th century. We will take a critical approach to the idea of "literature" by examining poetic and dramatic texts alongside historical, legal, ethnographic, and religious documents. Through this broad conception of textuality, we will explore the articulation, transformation, and preservation of identity across the colonial and early republican eras.
Syllabus
Syllabus Winter 2026 SPAN 261 Literature in Modern Latin America
This 9-weeks course provides an overview of some of the major trends in Latin American literatures since 1888, modernismo, the historical avant-garde, the "Boom," and end of the 20th century. The readings, class discussions and assignments will offer many opportunities to improve students’ oral and written Spanish. The course will emphasize various literary styles and ideological constructions that, in different ways, reflect the complexity of Latin American writing.
Syllabus Fall 2025 SPAN 261 Literature in Modern Latin America
This course provides an overview of some of the major trends in Latin American literatures since 1888, modernismo, the historical avant-garde, the "Boom," and end of the 20th century. The readings, class discussions and assignments will offer many opportunities to improve students’ oral and written Spanish. The course will emphasize various literary styles and ideological constructions that, in different ways, reflect the complexity of Latin American writing.
Bitácora de viaje 