HISP 324 - First Person Singular: Latin American Autobiographical Narratives

This course studies Latin American autobiographical narratives. How and why have Latin American figures given an account of themselves? How have they sorted through the endless barrage of facts constituting their lived experience to craft a coherent story? What are the uses and limits of personal memory? What role does truth play in any autobiography? Texts include testimonies by activists (Menchú), diaries by revolutionaries (Guevara) and poets (Pizarnik, Matos Paoli, etc.), an autobiography of an enslaved Cuban man (Manzano), memoirs about living with AIDS and cancer (Arenas, Rabell), and films by Albertina Carri and Petra Costa. Taught in Spanish.

Prerequisites: HISP 304 or equivalent