History of Women through their Writings

In this course through the reading of text written by women --diaries, autobiographies, and letters-- we will examine the process of construction of gender identity at various stages of history and the perception that women had of their own situation. Emphasis will be given to women writers from Spain and Latin America who were in the vanguard and were teachers or visiting lecturers at the Spanish School in Middlebury. Writers such as Gabriela Mistral, Concha Espina, Margot Arce, Sofia Novoa, Isabel Garcia Lorca, Gloria de los Rios among others will be discussed. (1 unit)

Required texts: A selection of excerpts from the following texts and authors available in electronic form at Middlebury: Concha Espina, Singladuras; viaje americano (Madrid: Compañía Ibero-Americana de Publicaciones, 1932); Isabel García Lorca, Recuerdos míos (Barcelona: Tusquets, 2002); Gabriela Mistral, Victoria Ocampo, Esta América nuestra. Correspondencia 1926-1956. Introducción y notas Elizabeth Horan y Doris Meyer (Buenos Aires: El cuenco de plata, 2007); Jaime Salinas, Travesías: memorias (1925-1955) (Barcelona: Tusquets, 2003); Roberto Véguez, In the Green Mountains of Vermont. Spanish and Latin American Exiles in the School of Spanish at Middlebury College (1937-1963)

This course is cross-listed with Literature