Description
Book SynopsisDiscusses 15 works of Latin-American playwrights. This book highlights the problems inherent in writing under politically repressive governments. It also illustrates through the writers' experiences that gender difference entails both loss and profit.
Trade ReviewReflecting the burgeoning interest in Hispanic women writers, this volume focuses on a group of writers who have only recently been accorded the attention they so richly deserve. The editors organize the essays under four broad thematic headings: Theatrical Self—Consciousness, Politics, History, and Feminist Positions. Though playwrights included range from the recognized—such as Gámbaro (Gambaro) and Garro—to lesser—known yet nonetheless remarkable dramatists—e.g., Serebrisky—the volume would have profited from a broader geographic distribution: each chapter deals with one woman playwright, but 10 of the 15 come from either Mexico or Argentina. The editors concentrate on dramatists writing in the second half of the 20th century: the oldest author discussed was born in 1920, the youngest in 1960. All chapters follow an identical format: an introduction to the playwright . . . a description of her work in the theater . . . a more substantive analysis . . . of at least one specific text. This thoughtfully crafted book with its insightful and informative studies elucidates an overlooked, essential component of the Latin American literary canon. Recommended for courses supporting work at the upper—division undergraduate level and above.
-- F. Colecchia * Choice *
