Fall 2009 Course Syllabus:
Latin American Jewish Writers
SPN 352 (Unique 48170) JS 363 (Unique 40670) LAS 370S (Unique 40920)
Meets in: BEN 1.124, MWF 11:00-11:50
Language of Instruction: Spanish
Instructor: Prof. Naomi Lindstrom
voice mail: 232 4527
e-mail: lindstrom@austin.utexas.edu
office: BEN 4.116, M 2:30-3:30, W 2:30-3:30, Th 3-4
Required Texts:
Should be at University Co-op. In addition, there is a course packet. You must purchase the packet because it contains required readings. It is at Jenn’s Copy & Binding, 2200 Guadalupe Street, Austin 78705, tel. 473 8669, fax 476 6505, or jenns@io.com.
Timerman, Preso sin nombre, celda sin número
Gerchunoff, Los gauchos judíos
Shúa, El libro de los recuerdos
Freilich, Cláper (University Co-op will have bound photocopies of this novel)
Steimberg, Músicos y relojeros
Grading Criteria: proposal for term paper, 15%, due Wed., Oct. 7
midterm examination, 27.5%, Fri., Oct. 23
final version of term paper, 22.5%, due Fri., Dec. 4
quizzes and participation 5%
final examination 30%, Wed., Dec. 9, 7:00-10:00p
Attendance Policy: Attendance is a requirement. Four cuts permitted; subsequent unexcused absences result in 1% grade reduction each. An excused absence is an absence satisfactorily explained by a note.
The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with some of the outstanding Jewish writers from Latin America, with special emphasis on those who portray in their work the situation of the Jewish communities of their respective cities and countries. The readings will include works by both Ashkenazic and Sephardic writers and from a range of Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, along with one Brazilian author and several who represent U.S. Latino Jewish writing in English. Another topic will be the Jewish themes that appear prominently in some of the writings of a non-Jewish author, the renowned Jorge Luis Borges.
One of the requirements of the class is to write a term paper of at least 1700 words (approximately 6-7 pages in normal-size type) on a topic not covered in the syllabus. Each student will need to analyze literary works that are not in the course readings, although other writings by the same author may appear in the syllabus. Any student with a reading knowledge of Portuguese is welcome to write his or her term paper on a Brazilian Jewish writer. The alternative to writing a literary analysis for the term paper is to research and write a paper on a Latin American Jewish creative figure working in some other medium, such as a painter or film director. Please note that the term paper must be on a cultural topic and not on non-cultural themes, such as Jewish education or problems in estimating the population of Jewish communities in Latin America. Your topic must be approved by the instructor for you to receive credit for this assignment,
Any student who requires accommodation because of a disability may request
it. He or she may be asked to present a note from the Office of Services for
Students with Disabilities specifying the accommodations needed. Students in this course are expected not to disrupt the normal progress of the class. Any student who persists in being disruptive will first receive a warning letter from the instructor. If the problem persists, it will be reported to the Dean of Students.
The course syllabus indicates what you should have read ahead of time to
prepare for that day’s class. In some cases a media activity, such as showing of clips from a film, is planned for that class session. You do not need to study for such a session beforehand.
August
26 general introduction to course
28 historical background to Jacobo Timerman’s story; begin reading
Preso sin nombre, celda sin número
31 Timerman, Preso sin nombre
September
2 Timerman, Preso sin nombre
4 historical background on Jewish immigration to Argentina and
Alberto Gerchunoff; Gerchunoff, Los gauchos judíos
7 Labor Day, University closed
9 Gerchunoff, Los gauchos judíos
11 Gerchunoff, Los gauchos judíos
14 Carlos M. Grünberg, “Un esposo” from Cuentos judíos (in packet)
Mordejai Alperson, “El coronel Goldsmid” from Colonia Mauricio (in packet)
16 Margo Glantz, excerpt from Las genealogías (in packet)
18 Glantz, second excerpt (in packet)
21 Background on Ana María Shua; Shua, El libro de los recuerdos
23 Shua, El libro de los recuerdos
25 Shua, El libro de los recuerdos, information on term paper proposal
28 scenes from film Legado (Yom Kippur; attendance will not be taken)
30 Victor Perera, “Guatemala I,” from The Cross and the
Pear Tree (in packet)
October
2 Perera, “Guatemala II” (in packet)
5 Leo Spitzer, “Rootless Nostalgia: Vienna in La Paz, La Paz
in Elsewhere” (in packet)
more about topics for term paper
7 Marjorie Agosín, “Osorio,” “My Husband,” both excerpts from A Cross and a Star:
Memoirs of a Jewish Girl in Chile (in packet)
DUE DATE, proposal for term paper
9 Jacobo Fijman, “Canto del cisne” (in packet)
Edna Aizenberg, “How a Samovar Helped Me Theorize Latin American
Jewish Writing” (in packet)
12 Teresa Porzecanski, “Rojl Eisips” (in packet)
José Luis Nájenson, “Una parábola neojasídica” (in packet)
14 Introduction to Isaac Goldemberg; poems by Goldemberg (in packet)
16 Moacyr Scliar, “El ejército de un solo hombre” (in packet)
19 Glusberg, “Mate amargo”, Marcos Aguinis, “Profeta en Níneve” (in packet)
21 review session for midterm
23 midterm examination in regular classroom
26 scenes from Adió Kerida
28 Freilich, Cláper
30 Freilich, Cláper
November
2 Freilich, Cláper
4 Jorge Luis Borges, “Emma Zunz,” “El Golem” (in packet)
6 Borges, “La muerte y la brújula” (in packet)
Introduction to Alicia Steimberg
9 Steimberg, Músicos y relojeros
11 Steimberg, Músicos y relojeros
13 Steimberg, Músicos y relojeros
16 Ruth Behar, “Juban American” (in packet)
18 Ilan Stavans, “Lost in Translation” (in packet)
20 Isaac Chocrón, excerpt from Rómpase en caso de incendio (in packet)
More on final version of term paper
23 scenes from documentary film Havana Nagila
25 question and answer session
27 day after Thanksgiving, University closed
30 Ariel Dorfman, “The Discovery of Life and Language at an Early Age”
(in packet)
December
2 Ricardo Feierstein, “Judíos latinoamericanos: una nueva forma del
mestizaje” (in packet)
4 last class day; term paper due; review for final examination
***FINAL EXAMINATION***
*** WED., DEC. 9, 7:00-10:00 p.m. ***