Prof. Beatriz Cortez
Sierra Tower 420, (818) 677-3585
E-mail: beatriz.cortez@csun.edu
Web: http://www.csun.edu/~bc60904
Office Hours: Mon and Fri 10:00 – 11:00, Wed 1:00 – 1:50, or by appointment

Course description

The objective of this course is to examine Central American artistic and literary traditions from pre Hispanic times to the present. The course will focus on 20th century literary and artistic movements as it explores the historical and political context in which Central American art is produced and the ways in which artistic and literary production contribute to the construction of a contemporary version of Central American identity. By the end of the semester students will be able to:

• Recognize the artists and authors studied in class.
• Recognize the literary movements and artistic movements discussed in class.
• Recognize the ideological perspectives that the texts and works of art propose.
• Be familiar with the historical and political context in which these works were produced.
• Be familiar with the basic terminology for literary and artistic analysis.

• A course reader. To be announced.
• And We Sold the Rain: Contemporary Fiction from Central America.  Ed. Rosario Santos. 2nd ed.  New York: Seven Stories Press, 1996.

• Opening a student e-mail account at CSUN.
• Reading assigned materials before class.
• Reading the Cultural or Opinion section of a Central American newspaper or cultural journal once a week and for being prepared to discuss its contents in class (students can choose to read the Sunday's section titled Comentarios in the local newspaper La Opinión).
• Attending at least one cultural event related to Central American literature and art in the Los Angeles area. A list of up-coming events will be provided.

• Class attendance and active participation: previous reading of assigned texts, contribution of ideas, criticism, and personal opinions to the class (10%).
• Preparation of 2 short papers (3 double-spaced pages each) analyzing one of the literary or artistic works discussed in the course. (20%)
• One oral Presentation (5 minutes) based on student's research on Central American culture in Los Angeles (10%). Presentations will begin on Monday, September 25. One per class.
• Midterm exam (30%). Wednesday, October 18.
• Final exam (30%). Monday, December 11. Note: There will be no-make up exam.

Course Outline

1. Ancient Mayan civilization. Discussion of Mayan world-view, art and architecture, and Mayan myths. Particular attention will be placed on the discussion of the Popol Vuh.

2. The conquest of Central America. Exploration of a new form of literary discourse: letters to the crown and chronicles of the conquest. Aesthetic impact of the conquest.

3. The colonial period. The colonial city and its cultural life.

4. Independence. Exploration of a new form of literary discourse: essays for the people. Discussion of the literary and artistic proposals for the formation of the nation.

5. Modernism in Central America. Discussion of the Modernist tradition developed in Central America by Rubén Darío, and its influences in Latin America, Spain, and Europe. Exploration of cosmopolitanism in Central American literature and art.

6. The indigenous movement. The artistic exploration of local cultural traditions and the Indigenista movement in Central American literature and art.

7. The international avant-garde movement in Central America. Discussion of most relevant writers and artists. Particular attention will be placed on the work of Miguel Angel Asturias.

8. Engaged literature and art. Exploration of artistic and literary movements engaged in the denunciation of social injustice in Central America.

9. Testimonial literature and art from Central America. Discussion about authorship, truth, representation, the role of the intellectual, and the contrast between testimonial literature and fiction.

10. Central American film. Overview of artistic film production in Central America and its evolution from the civil war experience to contemporary times.

11. Contemporary fiction from Central America. Exploration of the evolution of contemporary fiction from Central America from the production of testimonial literature to the contemporary expressions of fiction.

12.  Contemporary art from Central America. Exploration of contemporary artistic trends and movements in Central America.

13. Popular arts in Central America. Analysis of the various forms, styles and techniques of popular arts in Central America and their impact on society. Elite lore versus folklore. Utilitarian and functional art forms and styles.

14. Central American literature and art outside the Central American territory. The culture of the Central American diaspora. Exploration of literary and artistic contributions by Central Americans on exile.

15. Central American art and literature in Los Angeles. Exploration of Central American artistic and literary production in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
 

Bibliography

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Argueta, Manlio.  One Day of Life.  New York: Vintage Books, 1983.

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Asturias, Miguel Angel. The mirror of Lida Sal: tales based on Mayan myths and Guatemalan legends. Trans. Gilbert Alter-Gilbert. Pittsburgh, PA: Latin American Literary Review Press, 1997.

Asturias, Miguel Angel. El señor presidente. New York, Atheneum, 1978.

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Miller, Mary Ellen.  Maya Art and Architecture.  New York: Thames & Hudson, 1999.

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Monterroso, Augusto. Complete Work and Other Stories.  Trans. Edith Grossman. U of Texas Press, 1995.

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Santos, Rosario, ed.  And We Sold the Rain: Contemporary Fiction from Central America. 2nd ed. New York: Seven Stories Press, 1996.

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