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Week 13.2 - Concluding Remarks - Nicholas Latimer - So that was Latin American Literature?

Thirteen weeks later, in conclusion, I echo my peers’ comments, saying that it is definitely a proud moment to be finishing up this course knowing how much we have covered together. From gaining a perspective of the most influential moment in Latin American literary history, to the fine grain details that have made some of the most complex, rewarding, and imaginative work many of us will ever read. From poetry, to thriller, to puzzling Borges, there certainly have been preferences - but also exposure to work I would not have sought out myself.  As Jon mentions in his concluding lecture, there was never any “right” way we were told to read or interpret a text, and this was one of the features of this course which I am sure many of us respected most. Approaching each week with a spirit of play, hoping to learn from each author but not feeling a need to learn “correctly” was a huge relief that made these difficult works so digestible. That, in combination with the extremely informative le
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Week 13.1 - Fever Dream, Samanta Schweblin - Nicholas Latimer - On Titles, Familiarity, and Worms

My final reading of this class, despite the confusion and blurriness that defines this nightmare of a story, would have been my favorite reading of the semester. Perhaps not because of its amazing complexity or influence on the field, which we have seen consistently throughout the course, but because of its uniqueness. Our first psychological thriller of the year comes and goes just like the title suggests, as a fever dream,  that we wake up from wondering what the heck just happened. I actually went into the reading completely blind to the genre or back story of Scheblin’s work - so was more than shocked when met with the intense and vivid imagery that supplemented each character's experiences (from watching David burry dead animals to the way Nina would sit legs crossed always grasping her precious stuffed mole.  More about the title though, was something I found interesting, noticing the very different meanings the Spanish vs. English version seemed to offer. For example, reflec
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Week 12 - My Tender Matador, Pedro Lemebel - Nicholas Latimer - On the Truth in Performance & Politics of the Pose.

Lemebel’s writing was very interesting to read this week, juggling some heavy themes while sharing a meaningful perspective of the realities of revolution, but also a movement for social justice. While shining light on similar complexities he would have endured in his own life we are given a small window into the lives of the courageous minds, and charismatic personalities behind the revolutionary movements in 20th-century Chile. The story was super engaging despite dealing with concepts most modern readers (myself included) have not personally met. However, there were many ways that we are presented with timeless themes, and invited to empathize with the characters we follow throughout the story. There was one example of such a timeless theme I wanted to discuss this week which I have expanded on below. Reflecting on “the politics of the pose” - or perhaps the “truth” which lies beneath it, Dr. Poblete makes a fascinating point in this week's conversation video, about the near iro
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Week 11 - Distant Star, Roberto Bolaño - Nicholas Latimer - On Curious storytelling, and Mystification

Hi all, I will echo my peers by agreeing that this has been a very amusing read. Although by no means a light book in terms of its heavy theme, and the whirlwind of politics that were going on around the poets in this story, Bolano, or our narrator, wrote in a very digestible manner/tone. I’m someone who enjoys the more peculiar inclusion of details that authors/storytellers include - like when recounting Bergman describes Weider’s apartment as “naked and bleeding”. Although this perhaps was perhaps a slip of what was to come later in that same place. Another attempt to appreciate the structure of Bolano’s story is found in his opening of chapter 8: “This is where Abel Romero appears on the scene and I make my reappearance”. Beyond the syntax which I found fun in a way that it was unexpected - we are actively being told where we are in the storyline. This is unique from the more complex plots we’ve previously followed. … Beyond my liking - I want to reflect on a broader concept in the
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Week 10 - Rigoberta Menchú, I, Rigoberta Menchú - Nicholas Latimer - On repeated themes, culture, and tradition.

Another alluring, and thought-provoking read this week. Rigoberta’s recounting of the many stories and ‘highlights’ of her life, although sometimes very hard to wrap my head around or to come to terms with their severity - I was eager to continue reading, almost out of respect and admiration for such a strong character.  My initial thoughts while reading were about this book in relation to our past readings. Albeit unique, there were some parallels I felt - such as the themes of death, reflective tone, and even some of the cultural beliefs that Rigoberta had shared with us. When her little brother passes as a result of the brutal conditions on the Finca, not only are we reminded that this could happen to any individual unfortunate enough to live their life, but we see a shift in Rigoberta’s perspectives of their poverty. A reflection of this growth, on page 34 she recounts: “That’s when my consciousness was born”. Although many instances of violence occurred (like the performance-killi
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Week 9 - Mario Vargas Llosa - Captain Pantoja and the Special Service - Nicholas Latimer - On Repetition, and Psychological Disorientation

  I enjoyed my reading of Captain Pantoja ! As intended, I found the plot comedic, and the content a bit more exciting than some of the other literature we’ve looked at. With that said though, past books have occasionally introduced an equal amount of absurdity (taken from the magical realism stuff) and well-written characters - although it was the entire premise of this story that felt more light-hearted than others. I will note, however, that watching Jon’s lecture and learning more about the actual atrocities that this and other military groups were committing - was pretty off-putting, so I am surprised that the writing was so well received.  This crazy ‘adventure’ that Pantoja embarks on with the SSGFRI, to us as readers, comes out of the blue, as we are introduced to this character as an already successful, impressive captain - who is being tasked with a new mission (somewhat like the beginning of an Avengers movie). As the organization expands, provides satisfaction to some, and
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Week 8 - Gabriel Garcia Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude - Part Two - Nicholas Latimer - On Nostalgia and paradox

Just as anticipated following last week, I was not bothered in reading Marquez’ wacky yet thought provoking story. Although I feel like I’ve lost a bunch of the details, like who actually he’s talking about half the time, and when the thing is actually happening - things came together a little better after watching this weeks lecture, which pointed out a few of the primary elements folks have been analyzing, one of which I will discuss below. Moreover, there was some similarity of nostalgia as a theme to some of our previous texts, of family and the progression (perhaps repetition), of generations.  To clarify, we see the town of Macondo, with so much promise of euphoria, experience challenge and frequent defeat against oppressive forces of politics, plague (of the bananas), of dreams dying, and eventual disappearance of loved ones. We are left with the reflections of times when kids roamed like ‘boarding schools without rules’, playing and laughing under the sun. In reading and watchi
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