Cuban Literature: Within, Against and Beyond the Revolution

3 units

In this seminar we will focus on contemporary Cuba within the broader cultural and historical context of the Caribbean. Drawing upon a variety of theories (postcolonial, cultural studies, discourse analysis), we will emphasize textual interpretations of discourses in several different genres (poetry, theatre, narrative, testimony, political discourse, essay) by a variety of authors: from the revolutionary canon (Guillén, Carpentier, Morejón, Barnet), through the diaspora (Pérez Firmat, Behar, Benítez Rojo) to the youngest generation of the so-called Post-Novisimos. Themes under discussion include syncretism, transculturation, Cubanidad, intellectual freedom and censorship, testimonio, bridges to/from Cuba, cultural memory, and arts of resistance. Students may be required to view selected films outside of class. Requirements include shorter written assignments (e.g., article summaries, book responses) and research leading to a major paper as well as in-class discussion.