SPAN 6850 - [Apocalyptic Writing in Latin America]

Spring. Not offered: 2020-2021. Next offered: 2022-2023. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

E. Paz-Soldan.

Latin American literature has produced some masterpieces of (post)apocalyptic narrative in the last decades, from Oesterheld’s El Eternauta to Roberto Bolaño’s 2666. In this seminar we will explore the literary, religious, and historical uderpinnings of this subgenre, going back to the Book of Revelations, and analyze the reasons behind its current popularity. We will discuss the political and social crises connected to apocalyptic narratives - from dictatorships to the current neoliberal order; an important part of the seminar will be devoted to studying how the climate emergency in influencing these works.