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This article considers the crónica modernista to offer a case study of what comparative media studies might contribute to the study of Latin American literary and cultural history. Through an analysis centered on the Havana-based Literary weekly La Habana elegante, I argue that although cronistas clearly promoted the exclusivity of their writing in ways that anticipated twentieth-century notions of literary value, they also envisioned ideas of literature that disappeared after the genres heyday in the 1880s and 1890s. Within La Habana elegante, one of those ideas took the form of what I am calling networked literature, through which some cronistas sought to make literature a vehicle for mobilizing social and political change. The periodical's crónicas envisioned the regions culture as a global leader in modeling that kind of literature for an expanding world of print. Recovering La Habana elegante's alternative notion of literature extends observations within existing scholarship on the genre about its role in promoting emerging notions of pan-Latin American identity. It also sheds new light on one of the period's leading cronistas, Julián del Casal, who offered his own alternative to La Habana elegante's literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we analyze the novel Pedro Paramo of Mexican writer Juan Rulfo, from symbolisms of pre-Hispanic origin, as well as expressions characteristic of the colonial catholic Hispanic imagery. The study aims to expand certain concepts about life and death, smiles and guilt, which have been remade by the novelist in a c0ntext with an underlying foundation of beliefs that has significant elements of indigenous world views. The analysis tries to expand on the symbolism of Comal, the clay dish used for cooking the traditional flat maize pancakes. The Comal, as a tool of Pre- Cortés origin, is analyzed as a symbol of the mythical rural world that Pedro Paramo owns, as great chief of the town of Comala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a postcolonial reading of some passages of the famous book by Pascale Casanova, The World Republic of Letters (2004). It makes visible French assumptions that sustain Casanova's interpretation of Latin American modernity. Playing with the tide of an old film by William Friedkin, the author names the narrative based on these assumptions, The French Connection. He analyzes three striking key moments in its development within the book of Casanova. Firstly, the moment of literary independence that would be obtained by Ruben Darío at the end of the 19th century; secondly, the moment of the liberating discover)' of “authentic" Latin American identity that would occur in Paris during the avant-garde era, and lastly, the global recognition that would come in the 1960s with the literature of the Boom novels. The author argues for a change of perspective beyond the myth of French universalism which may allow us to understand France, its society, its peculiarities and characteristics, within the context of the strategies, the logic and the beliefs that nourish its complex power relationship with Latin American culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the circles to which he belonged during his youth, Pedro Henríquez Ureña was one of the first to gather information regarding the American literary culture in the Spanish language and systematize it through modern methods. This work is inscribed with the marks of his situation in time and space: the climate of Spanish regenerationism, the idealist Hispanic theses developed by José Enrique Rodó in Ariel, and various formulations fed by the philosophical environment of spiritualism. In the measure in which Henríquez Ureña established the bases of his historiographical model on the notion of a Hispanic literary community, his writings surpassed the renewed and vindicative horizon of the regenerationist and Arielist theses in order to claim a utopian dimension. In this model the regenerationist thesis has a strategic importance in the Spanish Renaissance. Thanks to this process the Dominican writer contributed significantly to the design and accreditation of the idea of a Hispanic literary community. This article will explain this contribution in the field of intellectual history, especially with respect to the socially constructed identity of the intellectuals and the universes of concepts through those who regulate their behavior and intervene in the public sphere. [TRANSLATION]

In the first third of the 20th century the literary field was rearranged, in part around the controversial topic of money. The modernization of the publishing industry implicated as much a change in the concept of the editor as in the presence of the author in the negotiations of the book. The article studies the decisive protagonism in the editorial sector of some intellectuals that began from a few progressive approaches in an economic and cultural context of expansion. The capital investments brought about this rearrangement as much to the level of the publishing as the creation of the book. [TRANSLATION]

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez’s stay in Argentina (1909-1914) allows us to analyze aspects of Hispano-American relations at the beginning of the 20th century, and analyze more concretely the problem of the Spanish editorial industry in relation to its expansion in the American market. This is analyzed here according to Blasco, who as an object of study exhibits not only the figure of the European colonist but also of the mechanic of the editorial trade and of the best-selling author that he came to be. In this way, Blasco outlines a lucid view of the situation of the writer and the editor in modern society, but also currently: the extraordinary compendium that defines a policy of self-management as author-editor. [TRANSLATION]

Drawing upon studies of media history and print culture, this article analyzes the relationship among early-nineteenth-century Latin American periodicals, literary institutions, and new experiences of time and history. Framing these periodicals as a new medium which boomed during and immediately after the wars of independence, it underscores their impact upon forms of reading and writing, as well as their importance for concurrent and later debates on the norms governing literary institutions, including the status and definition of literature. Ultimately, this new medium gave rise not only to a new prose—which was described as accelerated and therefore ‘modern’—but also to new forms of discursive authority and to an unprecedented legitimacy for literary genres such as the novel. As such, this article departs from the nation-building paradigms that have governed studies of the Latin American nineteenth century, establishing instead a dialog between periodicals of the whole region, with an emphasis on Cuba, Chile, and the Río de la Plata. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article presents a literary criticism for Latin American literature dealing with the theme of regionalism, such as "La vorágine," by José Eustacio Rivera, "Don Segundo Sombra," by Ricardo Güiraldes, and "Doña Bárbara," by Rómulo Gallegos. The author comments on the representation of Latin American indigenous groups in these works, particularly during the early 20th century. A comparative analysis of local literature and regional novels is also provided.

This article examines the issue of whether contemporary Latin American literature can continue to be considered national literature. Through a look at the panorama of publishing in Spain and Latin America, it reflects on the fragmentation of the markets and its effect on the genres and styles of contemporary authors, and posits the appearance of a more individualized literary occupation that is less subject to considerations of national or regional identity. The article discusses the works of a wide range of Latin American authors from generations appearing between 1990 and 2010, marking its discussion within the context of observations of Roger Bartra and Jesús Martín-Barbero regarding the nationalist criticism such as ideology and the breakdown of the role of the nation as a transcendent totality. It also takes note that, together with the pro-government nationalism promoted by national states, an autonomous and individualist tendency has existed among writers, fruit of the modern tradition, which brings them to look for their own space at the margins of bourgeois society. The post-national authors of this day and age, the article notes, are characterized not so much by the desire to expand national borders but rather to reject them. [TRANSLATION]

The article deals with the notion of accident from a wide point of view integrating philological, philosophical and historical data. The meaning of accident is analyzed according to the image of the world in the post-industrialized societies, from a set of theorical reflexions developed by Octavio Paz during the 60's; finally, there is a brief discussion about the possible connections between the notion of accident and the hispanic literacy production in the 20th century, specifically in the field of narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of this essay is "the poor devil," specifically a literary version of that type. Bolaño's work, especially The Savage Detectives, presents an extensive repertoire of "poor devils," characters who have no importance, or who cannot be set or fit well into a literary tradition. In a way it is the opposite of memory: that which is not remembered and lives permanently in obscurity. Nevertheless, this figure can also serve as a methodological tool to thoroughly study a literary tradition, Latin American literary culture of the 20th century in Bolaño's case, and thus its value as a critical category. The poor devil resides in the border between the visible and the invisible, the valid and the worthless, standing for all that a literary culture wants to dismiss or "make invisible." In many ways the poor devil functions as a border that draws limits within a literary culture, to mark its times, levels, and also its contradictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that, at present, there has been a loss of the "map" of identity references of Latin American literatura, which has been blurred national borders, resulting in the breakdown of a model of a writer and a restructuring of his role in society. For this reason, the author proposes that the study of the "floating territories" of this new literary cartography is not easy to place on the "flowchart" of the classical tradition of Latin American literature, which uis accustomed to divide by periods and countries, regardless of the "trans-territoriality" that current narrative presents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies how the Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa and, more generally, neoliberalism rearticulate the opposition between civilization and barbarism, and the vision of the world that underlies it. During a time in which many intellectuals have embraced a relativistic notion of culture that makes judgment problematic, neoliberals embrace this clear-cut value hierarchy with complete abandonment. In fact, one cannot but be surprised by the ease with which Vargas Llosa makes pronouncements based on the identification of individuals, groups, and political movements with either civilization or barbarism. However, the fact is that his reference to this dichotomy differs substantially from its nineteenth-century version and its colonial precedents. The implicitly racial hierarchization proposed by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and other nineteenth-century thinkers has been replaced in Vargas Llosa's writings by one based on cultural and social values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a general mapping about the most relevant features related to contemporary Latin American narrative, and it is based on global analyses published in recent years by several critics from the region, included Brazil. The first part discusses extra-literary aspects, such as publishing industry conditions, literary groups building, and the media impact. The last part refers to themes and formal aspects regarding to new literary productions in Latin America, in particular the relationship between new writers and Latin American tradition, as well as the concept of nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the theory that violence, with particular attention to crimes against humanity, as experienced in Latin American literature is a response to the globalization of the literary market and the common associations of Latin America with revolution and rebellion. The connection in post-dictatorial Latin American literature between human rights and financial globalization is explored, with the suggestion that such violence in Latin American literature may give a false image of the region to international readers. Books and stories such as "El Desierto" by Chilean author Carlos Franz, "Abril Rojo" by Santiago Roncagliolo, and "La Muerte y la Brújula" by Jorge Luis Borges are discussed with respect to the global theme of human rights.

The article discusses the process of globalization of Latin American literature and the strong need of Latin American authors to create a geographic, ethnic and literary identity. The writers of the 1960s-1970s Latin American literary boom and after, into the 1990s, demonstrated awareness of self, expressed through autobiography or fiction. Literature began to focus on the exile of the narrator, which is cited as a representation of the author who cannot participate in the literary course of history. Modernization required self-representation, the author suggests, so as to leave a permanent legacy of one's contribution to Latin American narrative.

El artículo ofrece la reflexión del autor sobre los estudios de teoría y crítica literaria en América Latina y en respuesta al artículo "Estudios latinoamericanos y nueva dependencia cultural (apuntes para una discusión)" de Nelson Osorio, publicado en el número 66 (2007) de la Revista de Crítica Literaria Latinoamericana. El autor considera la independencia intelectual en los estudios latinoamericanos de literatura y la construcción del diálogo intercultural.

The figure of the soldier writer in literature stories constitutes a foundational paradigm in the construction of the idea about the Latin-American intellectual. Such paradigm is the object of a dynamic that we named the circle of metamorphosis, which evidences the process that begins with the soldier writer in battle —represented by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada— and ends with the hero writer as a constructor of public opinion and narrator of national history. All these images take part in the construction of national identity and in the ideal of the Latin-American intellectual linked to the battle and performance characteristics of Emancipation. Thus, this article aims to open the door for future discussions around the rol of literature stories inside the social and historical development of the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects on the development of Latin American narrative literature after 1968. It asserts that the apolitical nature of Latin American literature of the late 20th and early 21st centuries constitutes a reaction to the highly political, revolutionary, and nihilistic currents in 1960s literature.

The article focuses on the study of literature and culture in Latin America and the need for its ideological and cultural independence. The author discusses the current dependence on literary/cultural perspectives from the United States and proposes several aspects that need to be addressed including the development of cultural studies, regional cultural policies and literary studies that are distinctively Latin American.

The article discusses the history of artistic movement Surrealism in Latin America, with a focus on literary production. It is the author's view that contrary to the common opinion, surrealism did not take root in Latin America, and except for some texts of Mexican poet Octavio Paz, Latin American surrealist literature is rather scarce. Topics discussed include points of disagreement between surrealism and Latin American social conditions, magic realism, and nationalism in Latin American literature.

This article presents a speech given by the author at the LASA (Latin American Studies Association) conference, which was held in Chicago in September of 1998. In it, he discusses the state of Latin American studies, particularly in regards to literature. He comments on the relationship between history and Latin American studies, especially the influence of the colonial era. Literary genres unique to the region, such as testimonial literature and postmodernism, are also explored.

This article discusses the state of Latin American cultural studies based on an anthology organized by the Asociación Internacional de Literatura Comparada and edited by Ana Pizarro titled "América Latina: Palavra, literatura e cultura." The author comments on the essays within the book, which include studies on tradition, indigenous cultures, and transculturation in Latin America, as well as their influence on literature in the region. She also examines the development of the literary genre of the avant-garde (vanguardia) in Latin America.

This article provides a literary criticism of Latin American essays written during the 19th century regarding the notion of Nuestra América (Our America), or a Latin American identity distinct from Europe and the United States. The author comments on the amalgamation of indigenous and European cultures explored in essays by such authors as José Cecilio del Valle, José Victorino Lastarria, and Francisco Bilbao.

This article discusses the thought of Peruvian author and critic Antonio Cornejo Polar regarding the historiography of Latin American colonial literature. The author describes the three main areas of focus for Cornejo Polar, which include literary criticism, cultural criticism, and metacriticism. She also comments on the influence of indigenous culture on literature in Latin America, particularly during the colonial period. The relationship between literature and cultural studies of this region is also explored.

This article discusses the history of criticism of Latin American literature. The author comments on the relationship between the political situation in Latin America and the literary styles that were popular during the 1990s, which often reflected Latin American politics. He also examines the role of historicism and language, including Spanish, Portuguese, and English, in literary criticism written at the time. A distinction is made between the first and second historicism, which reflect different eras of Latin American history and culture.

El artículo habla del tema de las escritoras contemporáneas en la escena literaria latinoamericana. Se habla del cambio que tuvo lugar alrededor de 1996 con la publicación de la antología "McOndo." Los editores latinoamericanos empezaron a darse cuenta de la falta de escritoras de cuentos urbanos en las páginas de las antologías. Por último, se menciona la necesidad de tener editores y editoras revolucionarios para romper la costumbre de dejar fuera lo menos conocido.

An introduction to the journal is presented, in which the editors discuss the subject of Latin American literature and its role in the civilizing process of the region.

This article discusses the development of the Centro de Estudios Literarios Antonio Cornejo Polar (CELACP), an educational center for literary studies in Peru named after the late Peruvian author and critic. The author comments on Cornejo Polar's influence on the Latin American literary tradition and criticism. He also describes the main purpose of the institution, which was set up to continue the intellectual production of Cornejo Polar, promote literary research, and provide forums for academic conferences and educational courses.

The article presents an introduction to the journal, in which the editor discusses topics explored in this issue including vanguard literary movements in Latin America, the publication's objectives of literary and academic discourse, and Latin American literary criticism.