In 13 episodes, Curly Velasquez will introduce you to the themes, trends, and movements that have breathed life into Latin American literature for centuries. From Indigenous texts to contemporary novels, we’ll explore how Latin American authors have been shaped by the dynamic cultures, history, and politics around them.
Latin America is a vastly diverse region shaped by a blend of influences. In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we’ll explore how Latin American authors navigate one big question: Who are we?
How did “Latin American literature” come to be? In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we trace the origins of this region’s stories from the pre-Columbian era all the way to the Boom of the 1960s.
Who is Mother Nature REALLY? In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we’ll uncover how representations of Latin American landscapes have often reflected shifting social and political concerns.
Strongmen, tyrants, and dictators have marked Latin America’s history — and literature — for hundreds of years. In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we dive into some of the novels that have challenged authoritarian governments in real time and in their aftermath.
How do you honor the memory of something… that you don’t fully remember? In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we’ll explore how writers who grew up in the shadow of dictatorships, civil war, and armed conflicts wrestle with the memory of violence, and the challenges of memory itself.
Are you afraid of ghosts? In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we pull back the curtain on the origins of Latin American horror, winding our way through (literal) ghost towns, haunted inns, and the eerie landscape of the Andes. Prepare to be spooked.
Where you are affects WHO you are. But what happens when you cross a border? In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we’ll explore how exile and border crossings have inspired Latin American authors to cross literary borders, too.
Houses and homes occupy a lot of space in Latin American literature. In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we make room for all the ways that our homes can represent who we are.
Families are personal—but they can also be political. In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we’ll take a look at a 19th-century romance novel and poems about motherhood. But we’ll also compare two contemporary novels about growing up—and relating to the people who raised you.
Fish and insects and dogs—oh my! In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we’ll explore how all things fuzzy, buzzy, and ferocious can help us understand our own human nature.
Science and technology have existed in Latin America since well before Columbus arrived. But how have they impacted literature? In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we’ll trace technological developments from the calendars of the Maya to WWII’s weapons of mass destruction—and uncover the creative ways writers have responded to them.
Lights, camera, action! Latin American literature intersects with all sorts of other kinds of art, including film. In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we explore the exchange between these two art forms, and how one piece of pop culture can help illuminate another.
Literature doesn’t begin and end when a writer puts words on a page. In our final episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we’ll explore how literature is shaped by readers and translators, too.