Required reading

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Permalink Reply by Fly Brother on February 10, 2009 at 8:43am

Well, I wouldn't lay all of Latin America's woes on the lap of the US. The greed of the ruling classes can't ever be understated. That being said, of course Latin America's a huge geographical area...what places, specifically, are you interested in? Here's some of my favorite works, just off the top of my head:

For the Dominican Republic, there's Junot Díaz's stellar, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," which melds fictional narrative with socio-historical commentary.

Peter Robb's "A Death in Brazil" is a phenomenal non-fiction text about the shady inner-workings of Brazilian politics and the rich, potent cultural forces that surround them.

For engrossing pan-Latin American sociocultural discourse vis-a-vis the region's literature, check out "The Repeating Island" by Cuban writer Antonio Benítez-Rojo.

As for movies, if you liked "City of God," then I'd recommend "Secuestro Express," set in Caracas. It's off the hook.

I can probably come up with more titles later, but I think these can get you off to a good start.

-E

Permalink Reply by Julie Schwietert Collazo on February 10, 2009 at 9:30am

Secuestro Express and City of God-- both great.

Carandiru and Pixote (though this second film is a bit obscure and tough to find) are two really gritty, tough-to-watch films from Brazil (especially when you read about the back stories of these films).

Craig--Now that I read the others' responses, a couple of ideas did come immediately to mind. Duke University in the US has put out a series of incredible "readers" about a few Latin American countries, including Cuba, Brazil, and Mexico. These aren't good for the backpack types of books, as they're thick anthologies, but they cull together some of the most seminal writing--poems, fiction, but mostly excerpts from each country's important historical documents--and put them in a single accessible volume. You can read them chronologically or just flip through and pick and choose. I've found these invaluable resources for getting a panoramic overview of countries in Latin America.

Permalink Reply by Craig Martin on February 10, 2009 at 4:51pm

"what places, specifically, are you interested in?"

Everywhere. The current plan is to travel through South and Central America for 3-5 years; money and visas permitting.

Permalink Reply by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates on February 10, 2009 at 9:22am

Hi Craig,
Fly Brother has given some informative examples of Latin American expression although I don't know if Junot's "Wondrous Life" is all that accessible if you don't know anything about the Dominican Republic. My favorite author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is considered the master of Latin magic realism and all of his books weave Colombia'a political history with symbolic meaning. I'd suggest "One Hundred Years of Solitude" as well as Gabo's autobiography, "Living To Tell The Tale" to get an inkling obout Columbia's political and social history. Isabel Allende is also an important Latin American author, I'd recommend her"The House of Spirits," which is a novel based upon her family's experience in Chile and the political change that resulted from the assasination of her uncle, who was Chile's president. Also, Julia Alvarez's "In The Time of Butterflies" is a Latin American classic about the true story of three sisters who were murdered for trying to overthrow the Dominican Republic's Trujillo dictatorship. Lastly, Jorge Amado is Brazil's ultimate storyteller, anything by him, especially 'Gabriela Clove and CInnamon" will give you insight into Brazil's Bahian culture. Hope that's enough to keep you occupied!

Permalink Reply by Jessie Kwak on November 6, 2009 at 10:09am

Fantastic suggestions! Some of these I've previously loved (anything by Isabel Allende!), and some I'm definitely going to check out. Thanks!

Permalink Reply by Julie Schwietert Collazo on February 10, 2009 at 9:26am

Craig-

Fantastic questions--and a really ideal way to use this forum.
I've actually been working on a list of Latin American films that are must-sees, and I'll be sure to post those here. Let me think of some books for you--I tend to read memoirs, travelogues, and academic histories, so I've got to think a bit on that topic! :)

Julie

Permalink Reply by Craig Martin on February 10, 2009 at 4:52pm

Thanks for the ideas so far; I'll be doing a library run this weekend. I've got about 6 library memberships around the world...I guess I'm starting a collection :)

Permalink Reply by Gennaro on February 24, 2009 at 11:38am

Here are a few interesting reads:

Pablo Neruda's poetry (The Captain's Verses) or one his biographies (fascinating life tied to politics too).
Salman Rushdie's The Jaguar Smile (Nicaragua)
Ronald Wright's Time Among the Maya: Travels in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude

Permalink Reply by Stephen on February 25, 2009 at 9:37am

I second Pablo Neruda's poetry and biography, he lived during a very interesting time.

Permalink Reply by whammer on February 25, 2009 at 10:28am

My Central America interests and travels have been to Guatemala, thus this book might interest you.

"Guatemala Journey" by Steven Connely Benz (1996). "BENZ brings the reader face to face with the landscape, the people, and the institutions of Guatemala. I am convinced that his book will appeal to a general audience, to students entering the field of Latin American studies, and even to people planning a trip to that country. His insights into and observations of Guatemalan society are invariably accurate and engaging. -- Pablo Medina"

The book covers his 2-year journey in Guatemala as a Fulbright Scholar Program grantee. While it describes his travels and places, he does put forth his perspective of the civil war, modern culture and international influences. My own travel in and appreciation of Guatemala have been richly enhanced by what I've learned from this book.

Permalink Reply by Jessie Kwak on November 6, 2009 at 10:18am

Everyone's been so thorough!

I would add:

The works of Eduardo Galeano, particularly Open Veins of Latin America (a lyrical economic history of Latin America) and the Memory of Fire trilogy (an even more lyrical recounting of the events that shaped the Americas).

Alma Guillermoprieta has written a ton of essays on various aspects of Latin American history and current events, quite detailed but readable.

Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala, by Stephen E. Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer--fascinating account of the 1954 coup.

More Terrible Than Death: Drugs, Violence, and America's War in Colombia, by Robin Kirk--another well-written and powerful account.

Man, I'm really missing my bookshelves (there are so many other books I would recommend) and Seattle Public Library card! I don't think I can find anyone's other suggestions in Huanchaco--but maybe on Audible?