Book Description

superb and indispensable. . . . this guide should serve to introduce a rich lode to scholarly miners of the Latin American literary tradition. Highly recommended. Choice Containing contributions by more than fifty scholars, this volume, the second of Diane Marting's edited works on the women of the literature of Spanish America, consists of analytical and biographical studies of fifty of the most important women writers of Latin America from the seventeenth century to the present. The writers covered in the individual essays represent most Spanish-speaking American nations and a variety of literary genres. Each essay provides biographical and career information, discusses the major themes in the body of work, and surveys criticism, ending with a detailed bibliography of works by the writer, works available in translation if applicable, and works about the writer. The editor's tripartite introduction freely associates themes and images with/about/for the works of Spanish American women writers; explains the history and process of the collaborative effort that this volume represents; and traces some feminist concerns that recur in the essays, providing commentary, analysis, suggestions for further research, and hypotheses to be tested. Two general essays complete the volume. The first examines the oral testimony of contemporary Indian women outside of the literary tradition, women whose words have been recorded by others. The other surveys Latina writers in the United States, an area not otherwise encompassed in the scope of this volume. Appendixes classify the writers in the main body of the work by birth date, country, and genre. Also included is a bibliography of reference works and general criticism on the Latin American woman writer, and title and subject indexes. This book addresses the needs of students, translators, and general readers, as well as scholars, by providing a general reference work in the area of Spanish American literature. As such, it belongs in the reference collections of all libraries serving scholars and students of Latin American and women's studies and literature.