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Series Q
¿Entiendes?: Queer Readings, Hispanic Writings
"¿Entiendes?" is literally translated as "Do you understand? Do you get it?" But those who do "get it" will also hear within this question a subtler "Are you queer? Are you one of us?" The issues of gay and lesbian identity represented by this question are explored for the first time in the context of Spanish and Hispanic literature in this groundbreaking anthology.
Combining intimate knowledge of Spanish-speaking cultures with contemporary queer theory, these essays address texts that share both a common language and a concern with lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities. Using a variety of approaches, the contributors tease the homoerotic messages out of a wide range of works, from chronicles of colonization in the Caribbean to recent Puerto Rican writing, from the work of Cervantes to that of the most outrageous contemporary Latina performance artists. This volume offers a methodology for examining work by authors and artists whose sexuality is not so much open as "an open secret," respecting, for example, the biographical privacy of writers like Gabriela Mistral while responding to the voices that speak in their writing. Contributing to an archeology of queer discourses, ¿Entiendes? also includes important studies of terminology and encoded homosexuality in Argentine literature and Caribbean journalism of the late nineteenth century.
Whether considering homosexual panic in the stories of Borges, performances by Latino AIDS activists in Los Angeles, queer lives in turn-of-the-century Havana and Buenos Aires, or the mapping of homosexual geographies of 1930s New York in Lorca’s "Ode to Walt Whitman," ¿Entiendes? is certain to stir interest at the crossroads of sexual and national identities while proving to be an invaluable resource.
Combining intimate knowledge of Spanish-speaking cultures with contemporary queer theory, these essays address texts that share both a common language and a concern with lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities. Using a variety of approaches, the contributors tease the homoerotic messages out of a wide range of works, from chronicles of colonization in the Caribbean to recent Puerto Rican writing, from the work of Cervantes to that of the most outrageous contemporary Latina performance artists. This volume offers a methodology for examining work by authors and artists whose sexuality is not so much open as "an open secret," respecting, for example, the biographical privacy of writers like Gabriela Mistral while responding to the voices that speak in their writing. Contributing to an archeology of queer discourses, ¿Entiendes? also includes important studies of terminology and encoded homosexuality in Argentine literature and Caribbean journalism of the late nineteenth century.
Whether considering homosexual panic in the stories of Borges, performances by Latino AIDS activists in Los Angeles, queer lives in turn-of-the-century Havana and Buenos Aires, or the mapping of homosexual geographies of 1930s New York in Lorca’s "Ode to Walt Whitman," ¿Entiendes? is certain to stir interest at the crossroads of sexual and national identities while proving to be an invaluable resource.
448 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 13, 2019
Found this gem on the Internet Archive Library: https://archive.org/details/entiendes...
Support libraries and archives, kids!
There is definitely not enough non-fiction about Hispanic/Latinx LGBT+ culture in the world. I only wish I was introduced to this book earlier in my life. Keep in mind, this was published in the 1990's, so the discussion is mostly about the G, the L, and a little bit of the B, but no T or A (haha joke), but otherwise I would recommend this for those interested in Queer and Feminist Theory.
Support libraries and archives, kids!
There is definitely not enough non-fiction about Hispanic/Latinx LGBT+ culture in the world. I only wish I was introduced to this book earlier in my life. Keep in mind, this was published in the 1990's, so the discussion is mostly about the G, the L, and a little bit of the B, but no T or A (haha joke), but otherwise I would recommend this for those interested in Queer and Feminist Theory.
August 19, 2019
As someone interested in pursuing a career in queer Spanish-language literature, this collection was an incredible find! I cannot stress enough how cool it can be to just browse the thousands of selections at a library.
With that said, Gossy's interpretation of Aldonza was particularly great and brought a whole new understanding of Don Quixote that I would not have ever found otherwise. Although a little dated now, I absolutely recommend this to anyone interested in the intersection of queer studies and Spanish-language literature.
With that said, Gossy's interpretation of Aldonza was particularly great and brought a whole new understanding of Don Quixote that I would not have ever found otherwise. Although a little dated now, I absolutely recommend this to anyone interested in the intersection of queer studies and Spanish-language literature.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews