How did Brazilian theatre survive under the military dictatorship of 1964-1985? How did it change once the regime was over? This collection of new essays is the first to cover Brazilian theatre during this period. Brazilian scholars and artists discuss the history of a theatre community that not only resisted the regime but reinvented itself and continued to develop more sophisticated forms of expression even in the face of competition from television and other media. The contributors recount the struggle to stage meaningful plays at a time when some artists and intellectuals were exiled, others imprisoned, tortured or killed. With the return of democracy other important issues arose: how to ensure space for different practices and for regional theatre, and how to continue producing international plays that could be meaningful for a Brazilian audience.

Noted scholars of Latin American and Spanish literature here explore the literary history of Latin America through the representation of iconic female characters. Focusing both on canonical novels and on works virtually unknown outside their original countries, the essays discuss the important ways in which these characters represent nature, history, race and sex, the effects of globalization, and the unknowable ""other."" They examine how both male and female writers portray Latin American women, reinterpreting the dynamics between the genders across boundaries and historical periods. Supported by recent theories in literary criticism, gender, and Latin American studies, this compendium provides a deep understanding of the role of women as conduits for the appreciation of their countries and cultures.

Latin American Women Writers: An Encyclopedia presents the lives and critical works of over 170 women writers in Latin America between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. This features thematic entries as well as biographies of female writers whose works were originally published in Spanish or Portuguese, and who have had an impact on literary, political, and social studies. Focusing on drama, poetry, and fiction, this work includes authors who have published at least three literary texts that have had a significant impact on Latin American literature and culture. Each entry is followed by extensive bibliographic references, including primary and secondary sources. Coverage consists of critical appreciation and analysis of the writers' works. Brief biographical data is included, but the main focus is on the meanings and contexts of the works as well as their cultural and political impact. In addition to author entries, other themes are explored, such as humor in contemporary Latin American fiction, lesbian literature in Latin America, magic, realism, or mother images in Latin American literature. The aim is to provide a unique, thorough, scholarly survey of women writers and their works in Latin America. This Encyclopedia will be of interest to both to the student of literature as well as to any reader interested in understanding more about Latin American culture, literature, and how women have represented gender and national issues throughout the centuries.

A panorama of literature by Latinos, whether born or resident in the United States. This volume, documenting the linguistic and cultural diversity of Latino literary output in the United States, offers an exciting introduction for non-specialist readers. Unique in its scope and perspective, it focuses on variousliterary genres, and cinema, related to Latinos. Each essay considers not only Latino writers who were born or raised in the United States, but also Latin American writers who took up residence in the United States but may also beconsidered part of the literary scene of their countries of origin. Rather than follow one specific mode of organization and presentation, each contributor has offered his or her original perspective on the subject matter or theme. The result is an inclusive spectrum of the voices of the U.S. Latin American diaspora, illuminating the rich and complex culture of Latinos. Carlota Caulfield is Professor of Spanish and Spanish-American Studies at Mills College, California. Darien J. Davis is Associate Professor of History and Latin American Studies at Middlebury College, Vermont. CONTRIBUTORS: Eva Bueno, Carlota Caulfield, Elizabeth Coonrod Martinez, DarienJ. Davis, Jorge Febles, Lydia Gil, Armando Gonzalez-Perez, Patricia M. Montilla, Vincent Spina, Antonio Tosta, Sergio Waisman

How can artists in a developing country be able to dedicate themselves to the laborious task of creating art when there are few resources? How can the government and intellectuals support artists without imposing a centralized idea of national culture? This book explores these questions and others, focusing on lived experience in the ABC region of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Beginning with two lectures by two renowned professors and activists of the Brazilian solidarity movement, Ladislau Dowbor and Celio Turino de Almeida, the book then opens up space for artists from diverse areas to speak about their experience in real life and real time. This work functions partly as a testimonial narrative and partly as an opportunity for those giving testimony to interact with culture managers, university professors, public intellectuals and other artists who struggle to ensure that their work reaches the most distant areas of the city. Because Sao Paulo is still considered a cultural center of Brazil, the experiences and reflections appearing in this book will serve as guide and inspiration to others - artists, culture managers, intellectuals - not just in Brazil, but throughout the world as well.