Women and Power in Argentine Literature: Stories, Interviews, and Critical Essays » (1st Edition)

GWENDOLYN DÍAZ is Professor of English and Director of the Graduate Program in Literature at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.

The astonishing talent of Argentine women writers belies the struggles they have faced--not merely as overlooked authors, but as women of conviction facing oppression. The patriarchal pressures of the Perón years, the terror of the Dirty Wars, and, more recently, the economic collapse that gripped the nation in 2001 created such repressive conditions that some writers, such as Luisa Valenzuela, left the country for long periods. Not surprisingly, power has become an inescapable theme in Argentine women's fiction, and this collection shows how the dynamics of power capture not only the political world but also the personal one. Whether their characters are politicians and peasants, torturers and victims, parents and children, or lovers male and female, each writer explores the effects of power as it is exercised by or against women.
The fifteen writers chosen for Women and Power in Argentine Literature include famous names such as Valenzuela, as well as authors anthologized for the first time, most notably María Kodama, widow of Jorge Luis Borges. Each chapter begins with a "verbal portrait," editor Gwendolyn Díaz's personal impression of the author at ease, formed through hours of conversation and interviews. A biographical essay and critical commentary follow, with emphasis on the work included in this anthology. Díaz's interviews, translated from Spanish, and finally the stories themselves--only three of which have been previously published in English--complete the chapters. The extraordinary depth of these chapters reflects the nuanced, often controversial portrayals of power observed by Argentine women writers. Inspiring as well as insightful, Womenand Power in Argentine Literature is ultimately about women who, in Díaz's words, "choose to speak their truth regardless of the consequences."

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter One: Elvira Orphée
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Elvira Orphée
"Justice Shall Be Done"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Two: Angélica Gorodischer
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Angélica Gorodischer
"How to Succeed in Life"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Three: Marcela Solá
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Marcela Solá
"Natural Paradises"
Kind's Silence (Excerpt from El silencio de Kind)
Publications and Translations
Chapter Four: Luisa Valenzuela
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Luisa Valenzuela
"Tango"
"The Key"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Five: Tununa Mercado
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with the Tununa Mercado
"Combatant Love"
"Delirious Love"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Six: Alicia Dujovne Ortiz
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Elvira Alicia Dujovne Ortiz
"The Blond Madonna" (Excerpt from Eva Perón: A Biography)
"White, Black, Red" (Excerpt from Eva Perón: A Biography)
Publications and Translations
Chapter Seven: Liliana Heer
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Liliana Heer
"Red Summer"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Eight: Liliana Heker
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Liliana Heker
"They Live Far Away"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Nine: Alina Diaconú
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Alina Diaconú
"The Evil Eye"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Ten: María Kodama
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with María Kodama
"Leonor"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Eleven: Cristina Siscar
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Cristina Siscar
"Hoop, Thread, and Canvas"
"The Bra"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Twelve: Ana María Shua
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Ana María Shua
"The Spinal Column"
Death as a Side Effect (Excerpt from La muerte como efecto secundario)
Publications and Translations
Chapter Thirteen: Alicia Kozameh
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Alicia Kozameh
"Impression of Heights"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Fourteen: Esther Cross
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Esther Cross
"The Recipe"
"Appearances"
Publications and Translations
Chapter Fifteen: Ana Quiroga
The Author and Her Work
Conversation with Ana Quiroga
"A Little Bit Farther"
Publications and Translations
Index