吃瓜网

• PhD, Harvard University, Romance Languages and Literatures. 2013.
• A.M., Harvard University, Hispanic Literatures. 2008.
• M.A., New York University, Latin American Studies and Journalism. 2005.
• Licenciate, University of Costa Rica, Journalism. 2003.
• B.A., University of Costa Rica, Mass Communications. 1997

• literary theory
• aesthetics
• Latin American Studies
• journalism and literature

• President. Executive Committee Forum, Literatures of the United States in
  Languages other than English. Modern Language Association. January 2022 鈥� 2023.
• Elected member. Executive Committee Forum, Literatures of the United States in
  Languages other than English. Modern Language Association. December 2018 鈥�
  2023.
• Editorial Board Member at Revista de Lenguas Modernas. University of Costa Rica.
  2020 to present.

Mass Communications and Journalism

• Producer and Host. University of Costa Rica Radio. En la Academia. 2015-2017.
• Producer. Latin America desk. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). London,
  United Kingdom. 2013-2014.
• Correspondent. Central America desk. Inter Press Service. (IPS) News Agency.
  Costa Rica. 1999-2003.
• President. Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in Costa Rica (APEX).
  2001.
• Correspondent. Central America desk. Europa Press (EP). Costa Rica. 2000-2002.
• Instructor of Journalism. Latin University. San Jos茅, Costa Rica. 1998-2000.
• Staff Reporter. La Naci贸n. San Jos茅, Costa Rica. 1996-1999.

• Associate Professor of Spanish. Modern Languages and Literatures, University of
  Dallas. April 2021 鈥� Present.
• Assistant Professor of Spanish. Modern Languages and Literatures, University of
  Dallas. August 2017 鈥� April 2021.
• Profesor en Propiedad (Tenured Professor). School of Social Sciences; School of
  Literature; Society and Culture Studies (graduate program). University of Costa Rica.
  July 2016 鈥� August 2017.
• Research Affiliate. Center for Research in Mass Communication (CICOM),
  University of Costa Rica. January 2014 鈥� July 2017.
• Profesor Invitado (Visiting Assistant Professor). University of Costa Rica. January
  2014 鈥� July 2016.
• Graduate Student Associate. David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies,
  Harvard University. 2008 鈥� 2012.
• Resident Tutor in Spanish. Kirkland House, Harvard University. 2011 鈥� 12.
• Teaching Fellow in Spanish and Portuguese. Harvard University. 2007 鈥� 2012.
• Spanish Instructor. Harvard Summer Program in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2011.
• Spanish Instructor. Harvard Summer Program in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2009.
• Adjunct Spanish Instructor. Hunter College, City University of New York. Spring
  2005.
• Adjunct Spanish Instructor. New York University. Fall 2004.

 

Administrative Leadership

• Spanish Program Co-Director (Upper-Division Coordinator). Modern Languages
  and Literatures. 吃瓜网. 2020 鈥� Spring 2023.
• Spanish Program Co-Director (Lower-Division Coordinator). Modern Languages
  and Literatures. 吃瓜网. 2019 鈥� 2020.
• Faculty Member. Student Success Committee. 吃瓜网. September
  2022 鈥� Present.
• Faculty Mentor. Gregory Undergraduate Residence. 吃瓜网. 2019 鈥�
  2021.
• Director. Costa Rica Summer Program. Modern Languages and Literatures.
  吃瓜网. 2018 鈥� Spring 2022.
• Faculty Representative. Committee on Undergraduate Admission and Financial
  Aid. 吃瓜网. 2020.
• Journalism Program Director. School of Mass Communications. University of
  Costa Rica. 2014 鈥� 2016. 

吃瓜网
鈥� Senior Project/Latin American Journalist Writers
鈥� Spanish-American Short Story
鈥� 20th Century Spanish-American Novel
鈥� Spanish-American Literary Traditions
鈥� Spanish Film and Conversation
鈥� Advanced Spanish Composition and Grammar
鈥� Second-Year Spanish I and II (intensive)
鈥� Second-Year Spanish II
鈥� Second-Year Spanish I
鈥� First-year Spanish II
鈥� Intensive First-Year Spanish

University of Costa Rica
鈥� Literatura centroamericana (Central American literature)
鈥� Teor铆a de la novela (Theory of the novel)
鈥� Coloquio de investigaci贸n I (Research coloquium I)
鈥� Teor铆a Literaria I (Literary theory I)
鈥� Producci贸n verbal (Verbal Production)
鈥� Periodismo narrativo (Narrative Journalism)
鈥� Portugu锚s Intensivo II (Intensive Portuguese II)
鈥� Est茅tica y teor铆a literaria (Aesthetics and literary theory)
鈥� Taller de investigaci贸n I (Academic Writing I)
鈥� Taller de investigaci贸n II (Academic Writing II)
鈥� T茅cnicas del relato y la narraci贸n (Writing and Narration Techniques)
鈥� T茅cnicas de reporteo (Reporting techniques)

Harvard University
鈥� Spanish Aa: Spanish for Beginners I
鈥� Spanish Ab: Spanish for Beginners II
鈥� Spanish 70: Introduction to Latin American Studies
鈥� Spanish Aab: Harvard Summer School in Cambridge, Massachusetts
鈥� Intermediate Spanish: Harvard Summer School in Buenos Aires, Argentina
鈥� Portuguese 37: Brasil hoje. Contemporary Brazilian Culture Through Media

• "La nostalgia y el (des)cuido en la novela Roza tumba quema de Claudia Hern谩ndez鈥�.
  Revista Istmo: Revista virtual de estudios literarios y culturales centroamericanos.
  Forthcoming. Fall 2024.
• 鈥淗omecoming and Public Education: The Cancel Culture (of class time) in Costa
  搁颈肠补鈥�. ReVista. Harvard Review of Latin America. Harvard University. April 2024.
  
• 鈥淕arc铆a M谩rquez鈥檚 literary smuggling in The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor鈥�. Peer reviewed. Texas Studies in Literature and Language. University of Texas at Austin.
  March 2024.
  
• 鈥淐lamando y (re)clamando: Maurice Echeverr铆a y Miguel Huezo Mixco, dos cronistas
  de la violencia en Centroam茅rica鈥�. Peer-reviewed. Revista de Estudios Hisp谩nicos.
  Washington University in St. Louis. May 2021.
  
• 鈥淗ouse of Cards y su narrativa: la realidad en la ficci贸n o la
  ficci贸n en la realidad鈥� in Locos por las series. Editors Camilo Retana and Mar铆a
  Lourdes Cort茅s. Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica. February 2021.
   
• 鈥淕arc铆a M谩rquez: el periodismo hiperb贸lico y la invenci贸n del diarismo m谩gico鈥�.
  Peer-reviewed. Revista de Filolog铆a y Ling眉铆stica. Universidad de Costa Rica.
  January 2021.
  
• 鈥淓l espacio de las redacciones: novelando en el peri贸dico y reporteando en la novela
  de Am茅rica Latina鈥�. Peer-reviewed. Revista de Lenguas Modernas. Universidad de
  Costa Rica. December 2020.
  
• 鈥淟ima Barreto: la ficci贸n y la no ficci贸n en 鈥楨l subterr谩neo del Cerro del Castillo鈥欌��.
  Peer-reviewed. Estudios. Escuela de Estudios Generales de la Universidad de Costa
  Rica. December 2020.
  
• 鈥淟ima Barreto: un escritor brasile帽o en la favela de la Ciudad Letrada鈥�. Revista
  Estudios. Instituto Tecnol贸gico Aut贸nomo de M茅xico. Mexico City. November 2020.
  
• 鈥淯na est茅tica y una historia del sensacionalismo: el caso de Jos茅 Mar铆n Ca帽as y las
  imbricaciones entre el periodismo y la literatura en Am茅rica Latina鈥� in Or铆genes y
  consolidaci贸n del sensacionalismo period铆stico en Iberoam茅rica: M茅xico, Argentina y
  Costa Rica. Editor Francesc A. Mart铆nez Gallego, Madrid, Fragua, 2020, pp. 241-257.
   
• 鈥淟a lucha (de clases) de la cocina: los alimentos y la dial茅ctica de la apetencia en la
  novela Mamita Yunai de Carlos Luis Fallas鈥�. Peer-reviewed. October 2018. Published
  in: Revista de Filolog铆a y Ling眉铆stica. Universidad de Costa Rica. No. 44, Volume 2,
  Year 2018.
  
• 鈥淓l cuerpo en latinoam茅rica hace cultura: 脕ngel 鈥楥huco鈥� Quintero鈥�. Interview. Revista
  Istmo: revista virtual de estudios literarios y culturales centroamericanos. ISSN: 1535-
  2315. No. 31, July-December 2015.
  
• 鈥淐atastrophe in Latin American Literature: A Review of 脡picas ordinarias: espacios de
  cat谩strofe y discursos intelectuales en M茅xico, Puerto Rico y Chile (1985-2005), by
  Judith Sierra-Rivera鈥�. Review. Dissertation Reviews, March 30, 2015.
  
• 鈥淗istoria de una elecci贸n con un final inesperado鈥�. Special report. Perspectivas.
  Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). Colombia. No. 4, August 2014.
   
• 鈥淟as exageraciones en el periodismo de Garc铆a M谩rquez鈥�. BBC Mundo. Special report.
  April 17, 2014.
   
• 鈥淓l pa铆s con la menor participaci贸n ciudadana de Am茅rica Latina鈥�. BBC Mundo.
  Special report. October 28, 2013.
   
• 鈥淎rturo Ripstein: 鈥楽iempre pretend铆 filmar como escrib铆a Faulkner鈥欌��. Interview.
  Semanario Universidad. San Jos茅 Costa Rica. July 31, 2013.
  https://historico.semanariouniversidad.com/suplementos/forja/arturo-ripsteinsiempre-pretend-filmar-como-escriba-faulkner/
  Dissertation: 鈥淣ovelando en el peri贸dico y reporteando en la novela de Am茅rica
  Latina鈥�. Harvard University, May 2013. 336 pages.
• 鈥淔aces of Latin America鈥�. Photo essay. Romance Sphere. Harvard University.
  November 2011.
• 鈥淚nvestigative journalism in Latin America: The Case of Costa Rica鈥� (鈥淧eriodismo
  investigativo en Am茅rica Latina: el caso de Costa Rica鈥�). Master鈥檚 project. New York
  University. May 2005.
• Thesis: 鈥淟a historia del reportaje en Costa 搁颈肠补鈥�. Universidad de Costa Rica. San Jos茅,
  2003
• El tr贸pico seco reverdece (The dry tropics are greening). Special report. United
  Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ISBN: 9968-866-
  00-8. San Jos茅, Costa Rica. 2001.
• Los magos del vetiver (Wizards of vetiver). Special report. United Nations International
  Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ISBN: 9968-866-01-6. San Jos茅, Costa
  Rica. 2001.
• Cae la tiran铆a del monocultivo (Monoculture tyranny falls). Special report. United
  Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ISBN: 9968-866-
  05-9. San Jos茅, Costa Rica. 2001.
• Los cafetaleros ecol贸gicos (Ecological coffee planters). Special report. United Nations
  International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ISBN: 9968-866-06-0. San
  Jos茅, Costa Rica. 2001.
• Innovadores del desarrollo (Innovators of development). Special report. United
  Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ISBN: 9968-866-
  05-2. San Jos茅, Costa Rica. 2001.
• Produciendo semillas (Producing seeds). Special report. United Nations International
  Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ISBN: 9968-866-04-4. San Jos茅, Costa
  Rica. 2001.
• De pastores a empresarios (Shepherds and entrepreneurs). Special report. United
  Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ISBN: 9968-866-
  03-06. San Jos茅, Costa Rica. 2001.
• Agricultores se convierten en empresarios (Peasants and entrepreneurs). Special
  report. United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
  ISBN: 9968-866-06-7. San Jos茅, Costa Rica. 2001

Works in Progress
Book project. Noveling in Newspapers and Reporting in Novels in Latin America. This
work investigates the imbrications and porosity between journalism and narrative
fiction in Latin America. Specifically, it examines how three Latin American journalistwriters, Afonso de Lima Barreto (Brazil), Jos茅 Mar铆n Ca帽as (Costa Rica) and Gabriel
Garc铆a M谩rquez (Colombia) write in a fluid double-sided process of textual creation
during the twentieth century. In their journalistic production, these writers include
characters or situations that are false or imagined and, at the same time, while working
in newspapers, write novels based on their journalistic reports. This discursive
dialogism results in works with different degrees of hybridity that relativize the
argument of those who see rigid boundaries between journalism and literature in Latin
America. The literary figure of the journalist-writer, who produces narrative fiction
while simultaneously working for newspapers, magazines and news services, is a
deeply rooted tradition in Latin American letters. In this study, special attention is given
to the complex deployment of reference, hyperbole, deception and lying. During the
twentieth century, when Latin American newspapers strove to appear less politicized
and more commercialized to readers, the journalist-writers continually masked their
political views under the cloak of fact-oriented journalistic discourse. The book also
analyzes genre borders and develops concepts like 鈥淔avela de las Letras鈥� (鈥淟ettered
Favela鈥�) and 鈥渄iarismo m谩gico鈥� (鈥渕agical journalism鈥�).

Book project. 颁谤贸苍颈肠补蝉. This non-fiction anthology comprises texts I wrote between
1998 and 2014 in San Jos茅 (Costa Rica), New York, and Rio de Janeiro. Divided into
three parts: interviews, profiles, and vignettes, some of these works were originally
published by the British Broadcasting Corporation, La Naci贸n, and Semanario
Universidad. Interviewees include Mexican intellectual Carlos Monsiv谩is, Argentinian
songwriter Facundo Cabral, and former Ecuadorian president, Abdal谩 Bucaram.

Article. 鈥淔ragmentos de memoria hist贸rica y literatura en Centroam茅rica: zigzagueos
entre ficci贸n y no ficci贸n鈥�. Following peace agreements of the 1990s, Central
America鈥檚 presence in the international mass media has faded progressively. Yet the
root causes of conflict and impunity remain intact. How is Central America addressing
these wounds? How are processes of social disruption and healing depicted in
literature? One literary technique of mourning is intertwining fiction and non-fiction.
Through this lens, I analyze the novels El material humano by Rodrigo Rey Rosa, and
300 by Rafael Cuevas Molina.

Article. 鈥淐entral American Journey to Healing: Movements and Displacements鈥�. In
2012, Guatemalan filmmaker Sergio Ram铆rez launched Distancia (Distance), which
recounts the journey of an indigenous peasant who reunites with his daughter after
twenty years. A survivor of Guatemala's civil war, the peasant believed his daughter
had died until he learns that she was kidnapped by paramilitary forces. This paper
explores the man鈥檚 journey as an allegory for different aspects of displacement
experienced by indigenous Guatemalans in modern history. In particular, it analyzes
linguistic, ethnic and emotional forms of distance, both physical and symbolic.

Article. 鈥淓l monstruo y la postmemoria en la pel铆cula Nuestras Madres de C茅sar D铆az鈥�.
In The Monster as a War Machine, critic Mabel Mora帽a writes that monstrification is
鈥渁 two-way street, a dialectic without synthesis, a way of asymmetrically representing
the symbolic exchanges that integrate and shape the social鈥�. For Mora帽a, the
construction of the 鈥淥ther鈥� hides complex developments crossed by ambiguity and
paradox, where extremes are contaminated. In the film Nuestras Madres (Our
Mothers), debut feature by Guatemalan filmmaker C茅sar D铆az, the young
anthropologist, Ernesto, seeks the remains of his father, a slain guerrilla fighter who he
never met. His search is marked by the identity he has constructed of his father (and
himself) through the memory of his mother, a former political activist and survivor of
violence. In the process, an unexpected truth emerges that impacts Ernesto鈥檚 notions of
himself. This book chapter will explore monstrification鈥檚 dialectic without synthesis
in Central American violence and the unstable terrain of post-memory in the
construction of identity.

Book project. Introduction to Central American Literature. In collaboration with
Professor Werner Mackenbach of the University of Costa Rica, I am developing an
introductory anthology of Central American literature for American university
students. While general books on Latin American literature abound, there is a dearth of
books on literature of the Central American isthmus. Thanks to works such as Popol
Vuh, and core Central American authors such as Rub茅n Dar铆o and Miguel 脕ngel
Asturias, some Central American works are included in most literary anthologies on
Latin America. Nonetheless, mainstream attention to Central American literary
production 鈥� its history, context, and main authors of the 19th to 21st centuries, is
lacking. This project aims to fill that gap. It will contain a selection of major works by
Central American authors, a brief biography on each writer with historical, social, and
cultural context, a selection of representative texts, and a series of questions and
exercises.

• 鈥淓l centro perif茅rico: naturaleza y producci贸n cultural en Am茅rica Central鈥�.Colloquium Central America Today: Literature, Film, Society, Politics. University of Costa Rica, San Jos茅. June 21, 2024.
• 鈥淓l centro perif茅rico: naturaleza y producci贸n cultural en Am茅rica Central鈥�. University of Guadalajara, Mexico. June 12, 2024.
• 鈥淟as crisis ambientales de Centroam茅rica afrontadas desde el cine y la literatura鈥�. RiceUniversity. Houston, Texas. October 20, 2023.
• 鈥淓l monstruo y la postmemoria en la pel铆cula Nuestras Madres del director guatemalteco C茅sar D铆az鈥�. Texas Christian University. Fort Worth, Texas. April 18,2023.
• 鈥淕arc铆a M谩rquez鈥檚 literary smuggling in The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor鈥�. Conference of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). Virtual Congress. May 5, 2022.
• 鈥淓l monstruo y la postmemoria en la pel铆cula Nuestras Madres del director guatemalteco C茅sar D铆az鈥�. International Bicentennial Congress: challenges and prospects for the future of Central America. 鈥淐ongreso Internacional del Bicentenario: retos y perspectivas del futuro de Centroam茅rica鈥�. San Jos茅, Costa Rica. September 29,2021.
• 鈥淪ubjetividad contempor谩nea y emociones colectivas鈥�. Round table with professors Marta Rizo Garc铆a (Mexico-Spain), Lisbeth Araya (Costa Rica), and Mar铆a Aparecida Ferrari (Brazil). Virtual talk. July 8, 2021.
• 鈥淐laudia Hern谩ndez: affections and disaffections in the novel of a Central American.鈥� Conference of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). Virtual Congress. May 28, 2021.
• 鈥淩a铆ces y rizomas en las literaturas caribe帽as鈥�. Virtual interview with Dr. Werner Mackenback. 鈥淐onnected Worlds: The Caribbean, Origin of the Modern World鈥�. Project of the European Union. Red TransCaribe. CIHAC. February 4, 2021.
• 鈥淕uerra, violencia y paz en la literatura centroamericana contempor谩nea鈥�. Colloquium Representaciones de la violencia en la literatura centroamericana, University of Costa Rica. Centro de Investigaciones Hist贸ricas de Centroam茅rica (CIHAC). San Jos茅, Costa Rica. June 14, 2019.
• 鈥淢igrando hacia la memoria hist贸rica: tr谩nsitos y dislocaciones en la pel铆cula guatemalteca Distancia de Sergio Ram铆rez鈥�. Conference of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). Boston, Massachusetts. May 26, 2019.
• Teaching Squares, 吃瓜网. Faculty exchange on best teaching practices. Irving, Texas. March 2019.
• 鈥淐ities and Favelas: The Case of Lima Barreto鈥�. Fourth Annual Colloquium: Instituto Tecnol贸gico Aut贸nomo de M茅xico / University of Dallas. The City: Ancient Roots and Contemporary Realities. Irving, Texas. November 1-2, 2018.
• 鈥淟a ficci贸n de la historia y la historia de la ficci贸n: una relectura del cl谩sico de la literatura Mamita Yunai de Carlos Luis Fallas鈥�. University of Costa Rica. Casa de las C谩tedras Internacionales. San Jos茅, Costa Rica. June 15, 2018.
• 鈥淢emoria hist贸rica y literatura en Centroam茅rica: zigzagueos entre ficci贸n y no ficci贸n鈥�. Conference of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). Barcelona, Spain. May 23, 2018.
• 鈥淐icatrices en la Centroam茅rica del siglo XXI en la prosa de Miguel Huezo Mixco y Maurice Echeverr铆a鈥�. Conference of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). New York, New York. May 27, 2016.
• 鈥淰iolencia y memoria en Centroam茅rica: la ficci贸n y la no ficci贸n entrelazadas en El material humano de Rodrigo Rey Rosa鈥�. Conference of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). Chicago, Illinois. May 22, 2014.
• 鈥淓l diarismo m谩gico o el uso de la hip茅rbole en el periodismo de Garc铆a M谩rquez鈥�. XII Coloquio Literario de la Feria Internacional del Libro de Monterrey on Gabriel Garc铆aM谩rquez, Monterrey, Mexico. October 17, 2014.
• 鈥淓l periodismo hiperb贸lico o el diarismo m谩gico en Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez (Hyperbolic journalism or magical journalism in Gabriel Garc铆a M谩rquez). Post Graduate Seminary. King鈥檚 College, London, United Kingdom. February 27, 2013.
• 鈥淧errozompopo: non-conformist migrant music after the Sandinista Revolution鈥�. Conference Narratives of Migration and Exile. King鈥檚 College, London, United Kingdom. February 21, 2013.
• 鈥淓l contrabando literario entre fronteras nebulosas: periodismo y literatura en Am茅rica Latina鈥� (鈥淟iterary contraband between nebulous frontiers: journalism and literature in Latin America鈥�.) Post-Graduate Seminary. King鈥檚 College, London, United Kingdom.October 24, 2012.
• 鈥淓l surgimiento de un nuevo intelectual: periodismo y literatura en Am茅rica Latina鈥�. Conference of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. June 14, 2009.
• 鈥淓l escritor Miguel 脕ngel Asturias y su hijo el guerrillero Rodrigo Asturias: Hombresde ra铆z鈥�. 32nd Annual Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association. Bahia, Brazil. May 28, 2007.

Research Grants

• Senior Fellow, Maria Sibylla Merian Center for Advanced Latin American Studies
  in the Humanities and Social Sciences (CALAS)., Academic Year 2023-24. San Jos茅,
  Costa Rica.
• Faculty Travel Grant, 吃瓜网. January 2022, February 2020, May 2018.
• King/Haggar Scholar Award, 吃瓜网. 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
• Jorge Paulo Lemann Fellowship for research in Brazil, Harvard University. USD
  18,000. Academic year 2009-2010.
• David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies Summer Research Travel
  Grant (Brazil), Harvard University. 2008 and 2010.
• Nancy Clark Smith Fund, Harvard University. Summer research in Brazil. 2006,
  2007 and 2010.

Honors

• Anacapa Scholar at The Thacher School. Ojai, California. February 2017.
• Distinction in teaching of Communications, Literatures and Cultures, University of
  Costa Rica. Academic years 2014 and 2015.
• Teaching Prize. Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard
  University. 2012.
• Certificate of Distinction in Teaching to Undergraduates, Bok Center for Teaching
  and Learning, Harvard University (awarded to Teaching Fellows with average
  evaluation scores over 4.5/5). Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 (Spanish Teaching); Fall
  2011 and Spring 2012 (Portuguese Teaching).
• Inter American Press Association Fellowship (IAPA) Annual Scholarship, 2003.
  Granted to one Latin American to study for one year in the United States. USD
  13,000.
• LASPAU-Organization of American States Scholarship. Granted for completion of a
  master鈥檚 program in the United States, 2003 鈥� 2005.
• Foundation of New Ibero-American Journalism Fellowship. Writing workshop with
  Alma Guillermoprieto. M茅xico City. October, 1997.
• Instituto Oficial de Radio y Televisi贸n Espa帽ola (IORTV). Fellowship to study radio
  broadcasting. Madrid, Spain. January 鈥� February 1996.