May 11, 2023: Spring 2023 Surprises: Ruiz de Burton in Multi-Ethnic American Literatures

[Asanother challenging but rewarding semester comes to a close, I wanted toreflect on a handful of moments that particularly surprised me (in good ways).I’d love to hear some of your Spring reflections in comments!]

This mightcome as a surprise, given how frequentlyI’ve written about her and her works in this space and beyond, but beforethis semester I had never taught an entire Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton novel. I’vetaught excerpts from The Squatter and the Don(1885) many times in my HonorsLit Seminar on the Gilded Age, and had taught the opening of WhoWould Have Thought It? (1872) here and there as well. I really loveRuiz de Burton (duh), but I can’t lie, I wasn’t entirely sure how the entiretyof her long and chatty late 19th century novels of manners wouldteach here in 2023. So I was very pleasantly surprised that the conversation aboutWho Would Have Thought It? in my Gradclass on Multi-Ethnic American Literatures not only went well, but was one ofthe couple best conversations of the semester (always a competitive categorywith our great Grad students). Guess I should teach her whole books more often!

Lastsurprise tomorrow,

Ben

PS. Whatdo you think? Spring semester reflections you’d share?