CRW 170 - Special Topics in Creative Writing

S’24 SECTION .01 LATINE MYTHOLOGY: SPEAKING TO ANCESTORS

In this class we will study how Latine texts speak to each other across time. In the 16th century, as part of its genocidal mission, the Spanish empire attempted to systematically destroy the intellectual and cultural richness of Indigenous nations in what is now called Latin America. We will ask how Latine writers have grappled with this loss, and explore how they are attempting to dismantle white supremacist logics through reclamation. In unit one, we will read sacred texts and codices produced by the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas. Alongside these texts, we will read the work of contemporary writers who reach back across the violent rupture of colonization to speak to their ancestors-both Indigenous and Spanish. In unit two, we will read short Latine novels that explore the concepts of home, alienation and belonging. We will use these texts as jumping off points for our own writing, which will include a letter to an ancestor, an interview with an elder, a testimonio, and a personal essay. Students can write in English, Spanish, or both. At the end of the semester, having generated a substantial body of writing, students will work one-on-one with the professor to revise their work and submit it to a literary journal for publication. 

This class counts as one of the introductory courses toward the Creative Writing major and minor, and also counts toward the Latin American and Latinx Studies concentration.

Prerequisites: IDND 018 or VE placement.

Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually