The Cubs and The New Novel in Latin America

I started work on The Cubs by wondering if I have the entire novel in 44 pages or if there was something I was missing with such a “short” work.  Then I started doing some pre-reading searching on the author and found out he spent part of his early childhood in my querido Bolivia (Cochabamba) [...]

Postcolonialism and Notebook of a Return to the Native Land

Upon finishing the Notebook, I can’t say it is one of my favorite works of poetry; however, many of Cesaire’s points and stylistic techniques are very commendable and out of the ordinary which causes it to stand out in many positive ways.  One of the most obvious characteristics is how the tone of the poem changes [...]

The “New Novel” in Latin America and Juan Rulfo’s Pedro Paramo

I must be honest and say I did not quite expect such a powerful novel with a title like Pedro Paramo.  Needless to say, I am extremely ignorant of Mexican history and culture (and I feel even more ignorant now that I am living in Texas).  Knowing a little more about the revolution and its [...]

Existentialism and Endgame by Samuel Beckett

OK, call me traditionalist, old-fashioned, or just plain existentialistically challenged, but man, this week’s reading has been painful and so dreadfully difficult to bear.  It brought back horror stories of my undergrad reading of Waiting for Godot (is there a reason I actually remember that over other less dreadful pieces?? …….interesting)
 Anyhow, give me a break- [...]