Jaguars and Labyrinths: A Survey of South American Short Fiction

10 South American short stories in 10 weeks. We will read tales of jaguars and octopuses, labyrinthic cities and eerie parks, magicians and mediums, time loops and spatial stretches. Each of the works will offer a unique insight into South American literature, history, and culture. We will focus on 20th and 21st century stories that deal with the future of techno-science, the interaction between Western and indigenous worldviews, the intersection of fiction and reality, the relation between the human and the non-human, and the ecological planetary crisis. Authors include Clarice Lispector, Roberto Bolaño, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, João Guimarães Rosa, Vilém Flusser, and Conceição Evaristo. Taught in English, no previous knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese required. Note: Students with a background in Portuguese and/or Spanish may use this course as a platform to enhance their linguistic proficiency and their close-reading skills in the target languages.