Department of Spanish and Portuguese

Prerequisite: Graduate Students only

This course studies three renowned and widely translated writers from Portugal, iconic authors engraved in the country’s literary canon and wall art. We will delve into the innovative—simultaneously melancholic and humorous—literary experiments of the country’s most prominent nineteenth-century realist writer, José Maria Eça de Queirós (1845-1900), of the great modernist inventor of poets, or heteronyms, Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935), and of the Nobel-prize winning novelist, José Saramago. Through close readings of the texts, engagement with their critical reception, and the visual arts (film and painting) we will examine Portugal’s shifting literary landscape as reflected in the work of these towering figures. Our task is not only to reflect on the ways in which this writing questions identity, existence, and meaning, deepening our appreciation of the complexity of their literary projects, but also to reconsider their cultural legacy, create dialogues with other arts, critically examine conventional readings, and engage with a diverse range of perspectives and interpretations.

HISP-P 701     #30672    4:45P-7:15P        T       GA 0007        Prof. Estela Vieira