-2-

Hispania Features

Editorial

I want to announce in this September issue that beginning with the March 1991 issue, Hispania will be entering the Electronic Age. In order to save considerable time and money in the production phase of each issue, we shall be moving from conventional typesetting to «Desktop Publishing». What this means is that all stages of typesetting, including distribution and correction of galley proofs, will be done from our own Editorial Office.

Beginning with the March 1991 issue, all authors of articles and notes accepted for publication, and all other materials assembled for the various sections of Hispania, must be sent to the Editorial Office in the form of a computer disk produced on either an IBM compatible system or a Mackintosh. Authors of articles and section heads sending in material for publication must prepare the submission with one of the following word processing programs:

1.) PC programs and versions

1.1 WordPerfect (5.1 [saved as 5.01, 5.0, 4.2)
1.2 Microsoft Word (5.0, 4.0)
1.3 XyWrite III Plus
1.4 Nota Bene (3.0)

2.) Macintosh programs and versions

2.1 WordPerfect (1.0 through 1.03)
2.2 Microsoft Word (3.0, 4.0)
2.3 Mac Write (1.0 through 5.0); Mac Write II
2.4 Write Now (1.0, 2.0)

You may use either 5^1/4 or 3^1/2 inch diskettes for PC and PC-compatible computers, and 3^1/2 inch Macintosh diskettes. Please send them in a protected special mailing envelope to the Hispania Editorial Office at USC.

NOTE:

For Nota Bene and other similar programs which hide the endnotes in a delta, be sure to print out one copy before sending the material on diskette; this is necessary in order for the endnotes to appear electronically on the diskette you are submitting.

Those who wish to submit articles and notes to our journal are also encouraged to do so in the same manner as outlined above.

Invito a los lectores a leer la «Carta al director» del profesor Guillermo Latorre, en la siguiente sección de este número. Aunque la política de nuestra revista es aceptar entregas en español, inglés y portugués (y sobre lengua y cultura catalana, gallega y euskera), como el profesor Latorre explica en su carta, la inmensa preponderancia de materia publicada en Hispania está en inglés. Los no nativos del español y del portugués que preferimos escribir en nuestras «segundas lenguas» solemos pedir la colaboración editorial de un colega nativo en el idioma en cuestión. Pero a pesar del esfuerzo adicional que dicha colaboración entraña, creo que vale la pena, porque el escribir en español o portugués nos abre a los hispanistas norteamericanos una posibilidad de comunicación e impacto en los mundos hispánicos y luso-brasileiros que de otra manera no tendríamos.

Letters to the Editor

In the May issue (73.2: 1990), Pedagogy: Secondary Schools, in the Article «IDEAS: ser versus estar» the term 'mnemonic' was consistently misspelled... Of greater interest might be an observation I made five weeks ago while I was in Madrid. In my conversation with cab drivers, teachers, and with government employees, I found a definite favoring of ser in describing the location of street addresses and particular buildings:

I heard these phrases used many times during my two-week stay. I never heard estar used in those situations. When I pointed this out to two native speaking teachers in Madrid, one from Sevilla and the other from Galicia, both agreed that estar could have been used. Both of them favored the use of ser, as did others whom I met.

My point is that mnemonic devices are all well and good, (and the specific one shown, P. L. A. C. E., is simple and convenient), but we should be careful not to surrender reality to the convenience of a simple memory-aiding contrivance.

Jeff F. Segall

Coordinator, Foreign Language Department

High School for the Humanities (N. Y. C.)

En mi calidad de miembro de reciente ingreso a la AATSP me ha llamado la atención el papel preponderante del inglés como lengua de comunicación entre hispanistas. [...] Naturalmente entiendo algunas razones que los hispanistas puedan aducir para esta preferencia por el inglés. Sin ir más lejos, se puede invocar un deseo de poner las investigaciones sobre hispanística al alcance de especialistas no hispano-hablantes. A su vez, la abrumadora preponderancia del inglés en lingüística hispánica podría deberse a la falta de un vocabulario técnico castellano más o menos normalizado. Tales justificaciones son discutibles. En relación con la primera, no parece válido eximir del manejo del español a investigadores en otras disciplinas humanísticas. Si trabajamos para que nuestros alumnos aprendan idiomas extranjeros, con mayor razón debemos esperarlo de nuestros colegas en áreas afines. En cuanto a la falta de un léxico sobre lingüística, suponiendo que éste no exista, el español tiene sobrada capacidad para expresar todo concepto por especializado que sea. Es cuestión de que exista el ánimo de los expertos para llegar a acuerdos básicos sobre la materia.

Las cifras... indican una situación paradojal: las asociaciones hispanísticas en Estados Unidos... deploran el tozudo monolingüismo norteamericano, promueven enérgicamente el castellano y el portugués en todos los niveles, y al mismo tiempo relegan a dichos idiomas a un papel subordinado como medios de comunicación erudita. Este hecho no contribuye a afianzar nuestras credenciales como hispanistas y probablemente tiende a alienarnos del resto del mundo luso-hispánico.

Reconozco que el inglés es inevitable en muchas actividades de la AATSP. No se trata de proscribirlo enteramente de nuestros trabajos y deliberaciones, pero sí de ser consistentes con nuestra vocación... De otro modo, estaremos aportando no digo nuestro grano de arena sino un peñasco a reducir el rango comunicativo de aquellas lenguas que nosotros mismos nos hemos propuesto difundir.

Guillermo Latorre

University of Southern Indiana

The President Corner

We are in an era of far-reaching political changes that affect all the countries of the world. A consequence of these changes is to point up the value of being proficient in a foreign language. The international political situation calls for greater knowledge of the languages of other nations, both for diplomacy and for staying competitive in business.

To meet its needs for translators and interpreters, our government at present is often forced to look to other countries for competent personnel. We do not train enough people in these fields, but it is not only language expertise that is lacking. Anyone preparing to enter the field of translation or interpretation must also have a strong back ground in another area. Translators and interpreters -whether they are self-employed, work for the government, or are connected with an agency that deals with all types of translation and interpretation work- should have some training in one or more areas besides the foreign language itself. Beyond language expertise, court interpreters need legal training, translators of health information should have a science background, people working in import/export or international trade need business courses, and those in government will profit from a background in political science. It is to be noted that when law, the health field, and government are of primary interest to students, proficiency in Spanish will increase the job seeker's employability.

To make students aware of all their options, instructors on both the secondary and college levels should be prepared to do some counseling on careers that require knowledge of a foreign language. The AATSP provides help through its Career Education Service. Its new director, Dr. Ronald Cere, will answer mail or telephone inquiries on any aspect of careers. He can be reached at the Department of Foreign Languages and Bilingual Studies, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197; (313) 487-0130.

One of the most helpful services to students is a Career Conference. Experts from different professions that use foreign language skills can be invited to speak to either secondary school or college students -the earlier in their schooling the better. Suggestions for planning such an event can be found in the 1986 edition of the AATSP Career Handbook. Choosing a date, time, and format for the conference, obtaining speakers, generating publicity, making arrangements, composing a Speaker Guidelines sheet, and more, are all discussed in the Handbook. For a copy of this or other editions of the Career Handbook through the current year, write to Dr. Cere at the address given above, enclosing a self-addressed envelope with postage for two ounces.

The Career Handbooks, which appear annually, all contain an annotated bibliography designed to assist the school or college library, the foreign language department, and individuals in choosing the most helpful career materials. Each issue also contains job outlook information, material on specific areas where foreign languages are used, such as translation and interpretation, plus career activities in Spanish for beginning through advanced secondary school and college classes.

Undoubtedly the career activity from which students will learn the most is an internship at a site where Spanish or Portuguese is an integral part of the work. Internships can vary in duration. One, in which high school students get a brief introduction to jobs where language skills are needed, lasts only a day. More common are summer or one semester internships. These are usually for college or graduate students, but there are also some for high school students. Two programs, one for undergraduate college students and the other for high school students, are described in depth in the 1986 Career Handbook. Important features to be considered in establishing an internship program are the academic credit or stipend allotted, the amount of time to be spent at the workplace, and the responsibilities of the intern, the school or college instructor/supervisor, and the host sponsor.

Once in the workplace, students will learn much more than pertains to the actual work involved, for example, how to get along with other employees and with one's superiors, how to dress, and what competencies and behavior employers value. One skill that is fast becoming a requirement in almost any type of work is computer literacy. Knowing how to use a computer is so important today that we should all urge our students to become familiar with these remarkably versatile machines before entering the workforce.

In our ever more complicated world, careers using foreign languages are increasing in number and importance. Demographers tell us that the pool of workers with the education to handle most jobs will decrease during the next decade. With the proper guidance, students will be prepared to fill that gap while enjoying interesting and fulfilling careers.

Professional News

These days more and more attention is being turned to the need for translators and interpreters. In recent months, articles on the profession have appeared in numerous journals and newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, and Annals. One reflection of the growing recognition of the profession in the United States can be seen in the growth of a number of professional associations devoted to translators and interpreters.

Among the AATSP membership, and that of other foreign language associations, the translator and interpreter associations fill a special need. In the first place, the number of introductory, certificate and degree programs in translation and interpretation being offered by American universities is increasing steadily. Many professors find that they need to be able to teach their students, or provide them with more information, about the status of the profession today and opportunities for those with the appropriate skills. In addition, many foreign language teachers are showing an interest in becoming translators at least part time, if not full time, upon retirement from the education profession. Here too the translator associations can be of great value. It might be added that, although most foreign language organizations with a broad membership of teachers, such as AATSP, have one or two sessions or workshops on translating at their annual conference, for in-depth sessions covering practically every aspect of the profession, it is necessary to attend conferences sponsored by translator and interpreter associations.

It would be impossible to describe all the translator and interpreter associations in the United States in a relatively short paper. It can be said, however, that most provide regular publications and hold annual meetings. Some have a broad-based membership and others a narrower one. This paper will mention several of the largest groups, with references to some local groups.

By far the largest association dedicated strictly to translators and interpreters is the American Translators Association. Founded 31 years ago, ATA has a membership of over 3,000, with members in 49 states and many foreign countries. Active nationally and internationally, ATA is the only U. S. translator association that is a member of the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL), and it is the American affiliate of the International Federation of Translators (FIT). Under the auspices of FIT, ATA is also a part of the Regional Center for North America, composed of the FIT affiliates of Mexico, Canada, and the U. S.

Membership in ATA is quite diversified. Many of the members are free-lance scientific-technical translators of numerous languages. Others are dedicated to literary translation. In recent years the number of interpreters and of university professors of translation has grown dramatically. A significant number of the members are in-house translators for the U. S. Government or private enterprise. As diverse as the membership may be, however, ATA pursues goals aimed at improving the situation of all translators and interpreters. Such goals include the dissemination of information; definition and maintenance of professional standards in the areas of ethics, business practices and linguistic competence; support for training of translators and interpreters, and provision of a medium for cooperation among translators and persons in related professions.

ATA publishes a monthly 30-page newsletter, The ATA Chronicle, as well as a 600-page set of proceedings from each Annual Conference, and a membership directory. Other publications include a survey of the universities in the U. S. which offer programs in translation and interpretation, with a description of each. The «Profile of the American Translator», a «Code of Ethics», and Model Contract are also available from ATA headquarters. Through the auspices of SUNY Binghamton, ATA also has an ATA Scholarly Monograph Series. One volume is published per year, the most recent one being on facets of the interpretation profession. This year ATA will also publish the 1990 edition of the Translation Services Directory, with names and biographical information on translators around the country, accessible by area of specialization and geographic area.

To meet the specialized needs of some of the membership, ATA has several divisions, each of which produces its own newsletter and offers special services to its members. The newest division is the Portuguese Language Division, which, by

––––––––   690   ––––––––

all indications, will prove to be a very active one. The others are the Literary Division, the Sci-Tech Division, and the Japanese Language Division.

A major activity of ATA is accreditation of translators in major language pairs, one language of the pair being English. Combinations include into and from both Spanish and Portuguese and, in fact, the tests most often taken are the Spanish combinations. With an overall passage rate of under 40%, the exam is a challenge and those who become accredited can proudly display their accreditation certificate. Exams are given locally throughout the country, with new passages being implemented every fall. A brochure on the accreditation program is available from ATA headquarters.

The Annual Conference is the other major activity of the Association. Last year's conference in Washington, D. C. had a record registration of 842, a very significant percentage of the membership. With seven concurrent sessions daily Thursday Saturday, all-day pre-conference seminars, job exchange and book exchange rooms, exhibits and a foreign film festival, there was something for every one. This year's conference, «Looking Ahead to 1992», will be in New Orleans, October 17-21. Information can be obtained from the Conference Chairman, Prof. A. Leslie Willson, ATA President-Elect, P. O. Box 26673, Austin, TX 78755.

In recent years the number of ATA Chapters has grown significantly. Membership is open to both members and non-members of ATA. The local chapters all meet regularly, holding seminars, workshops and other informative meetings. They produce a newsletter regularly, administer accreditation exams, and publish a local translation and interpretation services directory. The chapters are as follows:

· Intermountain Chapter of ATA (ICATA), María Vance-de-Vries, President, 2646 W 119th Ave., Westminster, CO 80234.

· Mid-America Chapter of ATA (MICATA), Doris Ganser, President, 8301 E. 166th St., Belton, MO 64010.

· National Capital Area Chapter of ATA (NCATA), P. O. Box 65200, Washington Square Station, Washington, DC 02235-5200.

· New York Circle of Translators (NYCT), P. O., Box 6547, FDR Station, New York, NY 10150.

· Northeastern Ohio Translators Association (NOTA), Ms. Waltraud Knudsen, President, 31299 White Road, Willoughby Hills, OH 44092.

· Northern California Translators Association (NCTA), P. O. Box 200, San Francisco, CA 94101-0200.

· Southern California Translators and Interpreters Association (SCATIA), Hope Heaney, President, 266 S. Arden Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90004.

Dues for active or associate membership in ATA are $50 a year, student-associate membership is $25, institutional $65, and corporate membership, $125. Application forms can be obtained from ATA, 109 Croton Avenue, Ossining, NY 10562.

The other organization in the U. S. which is dedicated to translators is the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA). Founded 13 years ago, ALTA has a nationwide membership of 1,200, including a chapter in Washington, D. C. Goals of ALTA include promoting the quality of literary translations in the English-speaking world, expanding the market for such translations published in English, bringing literary translators together to exchange ideas on all aspects of literary translation, and focusing on translation as an art that enriches the study of Humanities.

The society produces a quarterly journal called Translation Review, which contains book reviews of literary translations, as well as essays about publishers of translations, translations and original authors, listings of journals publishing translations, dictionaries and reference materials, and other useful information for the literary translator. Twice a year ALTA publishes a literary newsletter, with timely information on scholarships and awards.

ALTA's Annual Conference is normally in November. This year's Conference will be held in San Diego, November 14-17, with the theme «Crossing Borders». Information on the Conference can be obtained from Dr. Gustavo Segade, San Diego State University.

Dues for membership in ALTA are $30, students $20. Inquiries should be addressed to the University of Texas at Dallas, Box 830688, Richardson, TX 75083-0688.

Several organizations emphasize the interpreting profession, although members also include translators. A prominent example is the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT). Founded in 1978 under the name of Court Interpreters and Translators Association (CITA), its name was changed in 1989. Its goals include achieving wider recognition for the profession of judiciary interpreting and translating and making the public and judicial community aware of the unique role and function of a judiciary interpreter and translator. Because Spanish court interpreters at the federal level must be certified, it is perhaps no surprise that the Spanish speakers are prominent in this organization.

NAJIT holds an Annual Meeting to address issues of central concern to the profession's growth and development. This year the meeting will be in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The topic under consideration at the time that this article went to press was «Uniformity in Working Conditions for the Profession from Coast to Coast».

NAJIT publishes a newsletter called Citations and it offers a number of publications including Introduction to Judiciary Interpreting (a training manual); Primer for Judiciary Interpreters (an introduction to the profession); Glossary of Federal Court Terminology; and Key Verbs for Court Interpreters

––––––––   691   ––––––––

(a handbook for the legal profession).

Membership categories are active, for those with three or more years of professional experience, associate for those with less than three years of experience, student, and institutional. Dues are $35 for Active and Associate, $15 for students, and $100 for institutions. Correspondence to the President should be sent to Janis Palma, President, Calle 27, Pt278, Urb. Ponce de Leon, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico 00657. Membership and general requests for information should be addressed to Secretary Mary Ellen Pruess, 12298 West Connecticut Drive, Lakewood, CO 08228.

Other associations with a smaller membership can be found at local and national levels. Examples include:

· The American Association of Language Specialists (TAALS), which is for interpreters who must have a great deal of experience and impeccable credentials. Its aims are to represent language specialists working at the international level, either in conferences or in permanent organizations and to determine their qualifications and standards. Qualified conference-level language specialists are eligible for membership. Information can be obtained from TAALS at 1000 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC. 20036.

· The American Society of Interpreters (ASI), which is primarily for conference interpreters. They publish an annual directory and promulgate contract guidelines. Information can be obtained from AEI, P. O. Box 5558, Washington, DC 20016.

· The California Court Interpreters Association (CCIA) has chapters throughout California. Each chapter holds regular meetings and sponsors training activities.

· Local translator/interpreter groups, most of which hold regular meetings, produce a newsletter and a translation services directory, and offer ATA accreditation exams including the following:

-Association of Professional Translators, 601 Grant Street, Suite 1350, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

-Atlanta Association of Interpreters and Translators, 2873 Wiltshire Drive, Decatur, GA 30030

-Austin Area Translators and Interpreters Association, 7305 Onion Crossing Road, Austin, TX 78744

-Carolina Association of Translators and Interpreters, Dr. William Park President, 6639 Bruning Glen Court, Charlotte, NC 28215

-Chicago Area Translators and Interpreters Association, 10000 S. Claremont, Chicago, IL 60643

-Delaware Valley Translators Association, P. O. Box 941, Valley Forge, PA 1980-0941

-Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society, P. O. Box 25301, Seattle, Washington 98125-2201

-Translators of Western New York, c/o Grace Tillinghast, Eastman Kodak Company, 343 State Street, Rochester, NY 14650

Deanna L. Hammond is a long-time member of AATSP. Holding a Ph. D. in Spanish from Georgetown University, she has taught Spanish at the high school and university levels. Most recently she has taught Spanish translation. Since 1977 she has been the head of Language Services of the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, which provides the translations for the U. S. Congress. She is also currently President of the American Translators Association.

Deanna L. Hammond

Established to provide a major stimulus to Portuguese studies in the United States, the Camōes Center is located at the International Exchange at Columbia University. In addition to support from the university, the Center is also funded by the U. S. Federal government and the Gulbenkian, Ford and Tinker Foundations.

The Center has two broad goals: (1) focus on the role of Portugal as a mediator in first oceanic contacts between Europe and the rest of the World, and (2) special emphasis on Portugal, Brazil and the Portuguese speaking countries in Africa. Kenneth Maxwell, the director of the Center, best sums up his organizations purpose. «A very fundamental task I think is to integrate Portuguese concerns into a broader context, to make sure that where comparative questions are discussed the Portuguese point of view or historical experience is considered. This is one of the aims of our historical component at the Center -to create an Environment where Portuguese experience can be integrated into the scholarly mainstream».

Perhaps the best way to meet Maxwell's goal is through the Camōes Center Quarterly whose several issues give an idea of the Center's focus». Articles include «The Burning of Brazil», «The Future of Portugal's First M. B. A. Program», «The Portuguese Presence in Western India», «Camōes in Macau», «The Centennial of the Brazilian Republic, 1889-1989», etc. Along with articles of this nature, the quarterly has interviews with personalities from the Portuguese world and also publishes a calendar of events. Info: Camōes Center, Research Institute on International Change, Columbia University, 420 West 118th Street, New York, NY 10027; (212) 854-4672-4638.

The centenary of Brazilian modernist writer and intellectual Oswald de Andrade (1890-1954) at the University of Texas at

––––––––   692   ––––––––

Austin (January 25-27, 1990), organized by K. David Jackson, was highlighted by a spontaneous memoir of the man and his times by Brazilian art historian Aracy Amaral, who opened the conference with a presentation on visual arts in early modernism, including previously unknown photographs of Oswald de Andrade and painter Tarsila do Amaral. Brazilian scholars who presented new studies of Oswald de Andrade also included Benedito Nunes (UF Para), Raul Antelo (UFSC), Dilea Zanotto Manfio (UNESP-Assis), Vera Chalmers (UNICAMP), and Antonio Carlos Secchin (UFRJ).

In keeping with the conference subtitle «One Hundred Years of Invention: Oswald de Andrade and the Modern Tradition in Latin American Literature» there were two dozen papers by colleagues from around the country on Oswald de Andrade (Charles Perrone, Vicki Unruh, Hector Olea), as well as writers Patricia Galvao (K. David Jackson), Murilo Mendes (Elizabeth Jackson), Clarice Lispector (Manta Peixoto), Manuel Bandeira (Seth Wolitz). Mário de Andrade and Miguel Ángel Asturias (Leo Bernucci). Contributions of plastic arts and music to the Semana de Arte Moderna were explored also (Gerard Behague, Nancy Deffebach).

A concert by the UT Brazilian Music Ensemble added to the festive atmosphere of this cannibal convention, which closed with a lively debate on Oswald de Andrade's contributions to Latin American literature and suggestions for the future direction of literary studies. Further celebrations of Oswald de Andrade's centenary are planned for later this year in Brazil.

McGill University played host to Dr. José Luis Abellán, distinguished Spanish historian of philosophy in the Hispanic world. Professor Abellán has written voluminously on the history of ideas, with specific reference to diverse periods in his own country, as well as the intellectual relationships between Spain and Spanish America. Dr. Abellán lectured under the auspices of the Department of Hispanic Studies during the week of March 12-15, 1990, on the following topics:

The Spanish Exile of 1939: Its Cultural and Political Consequences.

The Spanish Renaissance.

Philosophy of Hispanic Modernism.

He also delivered a lecture on «The Intellectual Generations in Twentieth-Century Spain», sponsored by the Department of Philosophy.

The University of Colorado is awarding an honorary degree to Professor Ricardo Gullón because of his status as a prestigious world researcher in the field of Hispanic studies, his many accomplishments as a professor primarily in the United States, his stature as a humanist and his many contacts with the University of Colorado. In the 1960s, he was a Visiting Professor at CU during several summers. In addition, he functions as an Advisory Editor to a professional periodical housed in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and is an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Spanish and Spanish-American Studies. His library collection is currently housed at Norlin.

Colorado's recognition is only the latest, for throughout his career Professor Gullón has received many awards (including a Guggenheim, honorary memberships in the Hispanic Society of America and the Society of Spanish and Spanish American Studies, the prestigious Prince of Asturias Prize, and membership in the Spanish Royal Academy).

Active in scholarly publishing since 1929, he has written 28 scholarly books, over 300 articles, hundreds of journalistic essays on literature and other related areas, and many prologues. In addition, he has prepared 26 critical editions and has translated several volumes. The quality of his work is such that to a large extent he has defined the discipline insofar as the late nineteenth and twentieth-century Spanish literature are concerned as stated by several distinguished colleagues external to CU.

Another aspect of Professor Gullón's research concerns his interest in British, American and other European literatures and how he has introduced Spain to many of the best English-speaking writers of the twentieth century. Furthermore, he has taught Spaniards the new critical methods being used in the United States. All of this was done by Professor Gullón at a critical time in Spanish history, the dictatorship of General Franco. During many of these years, Spain lived in virtual cultural isolation as the repressive Spanish regime in power refused to allow the Spanish people access to international intellectual currents. Through his publications and his intense association with periodicals, Professor Gullón was able to pen the cultural horizons of his fellow Spaniards. In so doing, he is a contributor to the democratic environment currently prevailing in Spain and to the good relationship which exists between that nation and the United States.

Because of problems with the Franco regime, Professor Gullón emigrated to the Americas in the 1950s to become Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Puerto Rico and to head the Jiménez Library in that institution. Subsequently, he became a Distinguished Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. From there, he went as Professor of Spanish to the Universities of Chicago and California.

Professor Gullón's students view him as a generous man, one willing to give of himself at all times. In sum, he is without a doubt an extraordinary teacher who helped several generations of American scholars reach their potential.

Luis González-del-Valle

University of Colorado at Boulder

Con fecha 21 de diciembre de 1989 Ricardo Gullón ha sido elegido para ocupar el sillón «c» minúscula de la Real Academia Española de la Lengua. Merecida distinción a quien ha dedicado largas horas de su vida tanto al estudio como a la enseñanza de la literatura en lengua española.

La literatura de un pueblo es su lengua puesta al mejor uso, y enseñarla es enseñar a hablar, a pensar, a sentir y a ser en ella. Es lo que sus discípulos aprendimos de Ricardo Gullón. Yo fui de los primeros, pues asistí de oyente a la primera clase que dictó en la Universidad de Texas en Austin en el otoño de 1960. Fue un seminario sobre Unamuno que me hizo adicta a la literatura modernista. Hoy, después de tantos años, cuando corrijo alguna composición o algún trabajo de mis alumnos, les repito la consigna orteguiana que tantas veces le oí citar: «la claridad es la cortesía del escritor». Y aún conservo el primer borrador de mi tesis con las correcciones al margen porque todavía me sorprende la transformación que se operaba en el manuscrito al pasar por las manos del maestro. De él aprendí a eliminar adjetivos no sólo en el papel sino también en la cabeza, de él aprendí a agarrarme al texto para no hacer afirmaciones gratuitas, de él aprendí que un crítico literario no es más que un lector profesional, es decir que de él aprendí a pensar con rigor, a expresarme con claridad y a encontrar el tiempo para no dejar de leer.

Si la función de la Real Academia de la Lengua es, como yo creo, fomentar el buen decir y el buen escribir en español, nadie tiene mayor derecho a uno de sus sillones que Ricardo Gullón. Espero con entusiasmo su discurso de ingreso que indudablemente será una lección más sobre Juan Ramón Jiménez, español de tres mundos como lo es también Ricardo Gullón.

Adelaida López de Martínez

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The members of the Society of Spanish and Spanish-American Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder, have bestowed the Society's highest distinction on the Spanish writers José María Guelbenzu, Juan José Millás and Gonzalo Sobejano and on the Cuban novelist Reynaldo Arenas. These four have been declared Honorary Fellows of the Society. As a result of this award, they have been presented diplomas.

Luis González-del-Valle

University of Colorado at Boulder

The Council for International Exchange of Scholars has announced the opening of competition for 1991-92 Fulbright grants in research and university lecturing abroad.

The awards for 1991-92 include about 1,000 grants in research and university lecturing for periods ranging from three months to a full academic year. There are openings in over 100 countries and, in many regions, the opportunity exists for multicountry research. Fulbright awards are granted in virtually all disciplines, and scholars in all academic ranks are eligible to apply. Applications are encouraged from retired faculty and independent scholars. Info: Council for International Exchange of Scholars, 3400 International Drive, Suite M-500, Washington, DC 20008-3097; (202) 686-7866.

As part of the activities leading up to the Quincentennial of the Discovery of America (1492-1992), the Sociedad Estatal del Quinto Centenario, in conjunction with the Fundación José Ortega y Gasset in Madrid and the University of Minnesota, has made this program available for the second and third years and will continue through the summer of 1992. This program has been officially endorsed by His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain and therefore the Fellowships carry his name. The University of Minnesota is the credit granting institution for the program.

One of the goals of this program is to increase U. S. teachers' awareness of the myriad of changes that are occurring in contemporary Spain. The program will seek to integrate language study, culture courses and the development of curricular materials for classroom use. The courses are designed for those who need graduate level credits for recertification or who are currently enrolled in a graduate program. Participants may take 9 semester credits or 13.5 quarter credits.

Info: Quincentennial Program, 202 Wesbrook Hall, University of Minnesota, 77 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455; (612) 626-7134.

Luis A. Ramos-García

Program Director

We are seeking work that analyzes the relationship of Renaissance dramatic traditions to their precursors and successors; has an interdisciplinary orientation; explores the relationship of the drama to society and history; and examines the impact of new forms

––––––––   694   ––––––––

of interpretation on the study of Renaissance plays.

Renaissance Drama conforms to the stylistic conventions outlined in the most recent MLA Style Manual. Please submit essays with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Mary Beth Rose, The Newsberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., Chicago IL 60610. The deadline for Volume XXII is December 1, 1990.

Modern Language Journal

The Feminist Foreign Language Teaching Collective (FFLTC) seeks feminism and foreign language teaching at all levels of instruction (primary and secondary). Topics include, but are not limited to, teaching non-European languages (Asian, Slavic, African, Arabic); pidgins and creoles; black and hispanic English dialects and language standardization; bilingualism and biculturalism; Classics. Essays which also include analysis of race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation and other forms of diversity are particularly encouraged.

Deadline for manuscripts: December 31, 1990. Info: Melanie Hawthorne, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843.

Town and Country magazine has dedicated most of its April, 1990 (Volume 144, No. 5119), issue to Spain. Topics include Spanish wines, calendars, royalty, cooking, nightlife, minorities, media, and celebrities. Illustrations are lavish and this issue is a superb addition to any teacher's collection of samples of the culture. Info: P. O. Box 5, Pennsburg, PA 18073.

Modern Language journal

Availability of the proceedings of the first Conference on Portuguese Language Testing and Teaching has been announced by the University of Texas. Entitled, Negotiating for Meaning: Papers on Foreign Language Teaching and Testing, the volume includes work by Sandra Savignon, Bill Van Patten, Elaine K. Horowitz, and James F. Lee, among others. It is available for $6.50 postpaid from Elizabeth Anne Jackson ALCANCE, Brazilian Portuguese Development Project, SRH 1.310, Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX 78712-1155.

Modern Language Journal

The Society of Federal Linguists, Inc., P. O. Box 7765, Washington, DC 20044, announces the publication of its second and revised edition of Career Opportunities for Linguists in the Federal Service. A copy is available for $4.00 from Úrsula Gedra, treasurer of the Society.

International Society for the Study of European Ideas: Comparative History of European Nationalism, 3-8 September, Catholic Univer. of Louvain. Info: Ezra Talmor, ISSEI Conference, Kibbutz Nachshonim, D. N. Mercaz 73190, Israel.

Responsibilities for Literacy, 13-16 September, Pittsburgh. Info: David Laurence, MLA, 10 Astor PI., New York, NY 10003-6981

Pennsylvania Foreign Language Conference, 21-23 September, Duquesne Univ Info: Gregorio C. Martin, Dept. of Modern Languages and Literatures, Duquesne Univ., Pittsburgh, PA 15282

Southeastern Medieval Association, 27 29 September, Raleigh. Info: Brent A. Pitts, Dept. of Foreign Languages, Meredith College, Raleigh, NC 27607-2598

Popular Culture Association in the South American Culture Association in the South, 4-6 October, Montgomery. Info: Lewis Moore, PCAS-ACAS Program Chair, 3856 Porter St. NW, Washington, DC 20016

Iowa Foreign Language Association, 5-6 October, Sioux City. Info: Dave McAlpine, Morningside College, Sioux City, IA 51106

Research and Perspectives in Adult Language Learning and Acquisition (RP-ALLA) (in conjunction with American Association of University Supervisors and Coordinators), 10-13 October, Columbus. Info: Ohio State Univ. Foreign Language Center, 155 Cunz Hall, 1841 Millikin Rd., Columbus, OH 43210; (614) 292-4361

European Studies Conference, 11-13 October, Omaha. Info: Bernard Kolasa, Political Studies, Univ. of Nebraska at Omaha 68181; (402) 554-3617

Nineteenth-Century Studies, 11-13 October, Norman. Info: Keith Busby, Modern Languages, Kaufman 202, Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman 73019

The University of Illinois at Chicago will host the El Español en los Estados Unidos XI conference, 11-13 October. The conference provides linguists, anthropologists, sociologists and language scholars with the opportunity to present papers on original research, written in Spanish or English, on the subject of Spanish in the United States. Info: Spanish in the United States XI, c/o Dr. Lucía Elías-Olivares, Conference Chair, Dept. of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese, University of Illinois at Chicago, M/C 315, Box 4348, Chicago, IL 60680; (312) 996-0125

Purdue University Conference on Romance Languages, Literatures and Film, 11-13 October, W. Lafayette. Info: Anthony Tamburri,

––––––––   695   ––––––––

Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Stanley Coulter Hall, Purdue Univ., W. Lafayette, IN 47907; (317) 494-3827

American Translators Association, 11-14 October, New Orleans. Info: American Translators Association, 109 Croton Ave., Ossining, NY 10562

Minnesota Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 18-19 October, Bloomington. Info: Lyle B. Gilbertson, St. Thomas Academy, 949 Mendota Heights Rd., St. Paul, MN 55120

Midwest Regional TESOL Conference, 18-20 October, St. Paul. Info: Lynne Ackerberg, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105

Texas Foreign Language Association, 18-20 October, Fort Worth. Info: Eugenia Simmons, 1320 Modiste Dr, Houston, TX 77055; (713) 468-4959

Foreign Language Association of North Carolina in conjunction with AATSP-NC, AATF-NC, AATG-NC, and the North Carolina Classical Association; 19-20 October, Omni Durham Hotel, Durham, NC. Info: Wayne Figart, Executive Director, 204 North 16th Street, Wilmington, NC 28401; (919) 763-4009

Advocates for Language Learning (ALL), 18-22 October, Portland. Info: Advocates for Language Learning, P. O. Box 4964, Culver City, CA 90231

The 15th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development, 19-21 October. Info: Conference on Language Development, Boston University, 138 Mountfort Street, Boston, MA 02215

Foreign Language Association of North Carolina, 19-20 October, Durham. Info: Wayne Figart, 204 N. 16th St., Wilmington, NC 28401

Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 24-28 October, Chicago. Info: Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, P. O. Box 5633, Springfield, IL 62705; (217) 782-2826

Sixteenth-Century Studies Conference, 25-27 October, St. Louis. Info: Elisabeth Gleason, History Dept., Univ. of San Francisco, CA 94117

South Central Modern Language Association, 25-27 October, San Antonio. Info: Richard Critchfield, Dept. of English, Texas A & M Univ., College Station 77843

Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 26-27 October, Youngstown. Info: Foreign Language Conference, Dept. of Foreign Languages, Youngstown State Univ., Youngstown, OH 44555; (216) 742-3461

Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association, 26-27 October, Indianapolis. Info: Harry Reichelt, Indiana Univ., Dept. of German, Cavanaugh Hall, 425 Agnes St., Indianapolis, IN 46202

Kansas Foreign Language Association, 26-27 October, Shawnee Mission. Info: Jim Bartelli Girard High School, 401-15 Summit, Girard, KS 66743

Midwest Modern Language Association, 1-4 November, Kansas City. Info: María A. Duarte, 302 English and Philosophy Bldg., Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City 52242-1408

Massachusetts Foreign Language Association, 2-3 November, Burlington Info: Robert E. Courchesne, Conference Coordinator, 56 Stage-coach Dr., Marshfield, MA 02050

Wisconsin Association of Foreign Language Teachers (WAFLT), 2-3 November, Annual Conference. Paper Valley Conference Center, Appleton, WI. Contact: Irene Kraemer (414) 652-9982

Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association, 2-3 November, Nashville. Info: Becky Gibson, Hume Fogg Academic High School, 700 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers, 3 November, Denver. Info: Ron Walker, 2312 Valley Forge Ct., Fort Collins, CO 80526-1652; (303) 221-4991

International Conference on Translation, 16-18 November, New York. Info: Serge Gavronsky, Dept. of French, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), 17-19 November, Nashville. Pre-conference workshops 16 November. Post-conference workshops 19-20 November. Info: ACTFL, 6 Executive Plaza, Yonkers, NY 10701 -6801; (914) 963-8830; FAX (914) 963-1275

Southern Council on Language Teaching (SCOLT) [in conjunction with ACTFL], 17-19 November, Nashville. Info: C. Lee Bradley, Valdosta State Univ., Valdosta, GA 31698; (912) 333-7358

Modern Language Association, 27-30 December, Chicago. Info: MLA, 10 Astor Pl., New York, NY 10003-6981

Translation East and West: A Cross-Cultural Approach, 7-11 January. A Joint Venture of the College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature University of Hawaii at Manoa and the Institute of Culture and Communication of the East-West Center. Info: Conference Coordinating Committee, College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature, Webster Hall 203, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822

Symposium on Spanish and Portuguese Bilingualism, 24-26 January, Coral Gables. Info: Ana Roca, Dept. of Modern Languages, Florida International Univ., Miami, FL 33199; (305) 554-2851

«Social and Political Change in Literature and Film» is the topic of the Sixteenth Annual Conference on Literature and Film to be held at Florida State University, 31 January to 2 February. Info: Richard Chapple, Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, 362 Diffenbaugh Building, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1020; (904) 644-3727

Australasian Universities Language and Literature Association, 4-8 February,

––––––––   696   ––––––––

Australia. Info: R. White, Dept. of French, Univ. of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

Cultural Conflict in Contemporary Literature, 14-16 Feb., Univ. of Puerto Rico. Info: Roberta Orlandini, Humanities Dept., Univ. of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez 00709

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers, 28 February-2 March, Colorado Springs. Info: Ron Walker, 2312 Valley Forge CT, Fort Collins, CO 80526-1652; (303) 221-4991

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, 9-13 March, New York. Info: TESOL, 1118 22nd St., Ste. 205, Washington, DC 20037 (SCOLAS)

Illinois Foreign Language Teachers Association, 14-16 March, Schaumburg. Info: IFLTA, P. O. Box 2244, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 21-24 March, Indianapolis. Info: Jody Thrush, Madison Area Technical College, 3550 Anderson St., Madison, WI 53704; (608) 246-6573

Northeast Modern Language Association, 5-7 April, Hartford. Info: Daniel Walden, Dept. of English, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park 16802

Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 25-28 April, New York. Info: Northeast Conference, P. O. Box 623, Middlebury, VT 05753-0623

Southwest Conference on Language Teaching (SWCOLT), [in conjunction with California Foreign Language Teachers Association], 25-28 April, Anaheim. Info: Jan Herrera, 13355 Albion Circle, Thornton, CO 80241

National Association for Foreign Student Affairs, 24-27 May, Boston. Info: Sherie L. Voland-Koob, NAFSA, 1860 19th St. NW, Washington, DC 20009

Seventeenth World Congress of the FIPLV, Theme: Foreign Language Learning and Lifelong Education, 10-14 August, Pécs. Info: P. Basel, National Center for Foreign Language Teaching of T. I. T., XI., Bocskai ut 37, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary

International Comparative Literature Association, 23-28 August, Tokyo. Info: Dept. of Comparative Literature and Culture, Univ of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153, Japan

Foreign Language Association of North Carolina (FLANC) [in conjunction with SCOLT], 24-26 October, Raleigh-Durham Info: Wayne Figart, 204 N. 16th St., Wilmington, NC 28401

Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) [in conjunction with FLANC], 24-26 October, Raleigh-Durham. Info: Lee Bradley, Valdosta State College, Valdosta, GA 31698; (912) 333-7358; FAX 333-7405

Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association, 25-26 October, Indianapolis. Info: Harry Reichelt, Indiana Univ., Dept. of German, Cavanaugh Hall, 425 Agnes St., Indianapolis, IN 46202

Midwest Modern Language Association, 14-16 November; Chicago. Info: Maria A. Durate, 302 English and Philosophy Bldg., Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City 52242-1408

Modern Language Association, 27-30 December, San Francisco. Info: Modern Language Association, 10 Aston PL, New York, NY 10003-6981

The Southwest Council of Latin American Studies (SCOLAS) and the Texas Tech Comparative Literature Symposium will meet jointly, 14-16 March at Texas Tech, Lubbock, Texas. The theme of the meeting will be «Climate and Literatures». Info: Janet Pérez, Texas Tech University, Box 4460, Lubbock, TX 79409-1033

Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 9-12 April, Dear born. Info: Jody Thrush, Madison Area Technical College, 3550 Anderson Ave., Madison, WI 53704; (608) 246-6573

International Association of Literary Semantics, 31 July - 2 August, Univ. of Kent, Canterbury. Info: Trevor Eaton, Ed., Journal of Literary Semantics, Honeywood Cottage, 35 Seaton Ave., Hythe, Kent CT21 5HH, England

Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 25-28 March, Des Moines. Info: Jody Thrush, Madison Area Technical College, 3550 Anderson Ave., Madison, WI 53704; (608) 246-6573

D. Joaquín Casalduero, maestro de varias generaciones de hispanistas por medio de sus clases y publicaciones eruditas, falleció en su domicilio madrileño el 20 de febrero de 1990. Nació en Barcelona en 1903, recibió su primer título universitario en 1918, la Licenciatura en Filosofía y Letras en 1923 y el Doctorado en Filosofía y Letras en 1927. Posteriormente recibió varios títulos de Doctor en Letras Honoris Causa, entre otros, el de Middlebury College y el de la Universidad del Sur de California. Fue lector de español en Strasbourg, Marburg y Cambridge entre 1923 y 1931. Fue catedrático en varias universidades norteamericanas desde 1931, entre otras, Smith College, University of Wisconsin, New York University, Hunter College, CUNY Graduate Center y University of California, San Diego. Desde 1970 dictó clases para varios

––––––––   697   ––––––––

programas norteamericanos en el Instituto Internacional en Madrid, en la misma calle de su domicilio, Miguel Ángel.

Joaquín Casalduero publicó más de 20 libros sobre casi todos los campos de la literatura española y centenares de artículos en revistas eruditas del hispanismo mundial. Sus principales estudios, cimientos básicos de la erudición en estos campos de investigación, incluyen Sentido y forma del Quijote, Sentido y forma de las 'Novelas Ejemplares, Sentido y forma de los trabajos de Persiles y Segismunda, Sentido y forma del teatro de Cervantes, Forma y visión de 'El Diablo Mundo' de Espronceda, Espronceda, Vida y obra de Galdós, Estudios sobre el teatro español y Estudios de literatura española, que incluyen importantes análisis de obras de Bécquer, Espronceda y Guillén, entre otros.

Además de su extraordinaria obra crítica, Casalduero fue también autor de libros de poesía como Por fin, sin esperanza (1971) y Esfumadas lejanías y presentes (1972).

Publicó varios artículos en Hispania y en 1984 recibió el título de «Honorary Fellow» de la AATSP. Poco después de su jubilación como catedrático en la University of California, San Diego, Rizel Pincus Sigele y Gonzalo Sobejano editaron un Homenaje a Casalduero. Crítica y poesía, ofrecido por sus amigos y discípulos (Madrid: Gredos, 1972). Le sobreviven como discípulos, entre otros parientes, su sobrino Joaquín Gimeno Casalduero y su esposa, Rosalie Gimeno, destacados hispanistas y dignos herederos de su tradición erudita.

Aunque yo no tuve el honor de estudiar con él, fue mi maestro, al igual que todos los galdosistas, por medio del magisterio de sus escritos. Después, durante los últimos 20 años de su vida, tuve el privilegio de ser su amigo e incluso su colega cuando dictó una clase para el programa de USC en el Instituto Internacional de Madrid. Por eso conservo dos clases de recuerdos de D. Joaquín Casalduero. De la primera, la memoria de un verdadero gigante de la erudición hispánica, un poderoso y original pensador, un fecundo incitante de ideas. De la segunda, guardaré siempre recuerdos de un amigo gentil y caballeresco, físicamente frágil pero mentalmente vivaracho, con un picante sentido del humor y una irónica visión de nuestro imperfecto mundo.

Theodore A. Sackett

University of Southern California

The Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian World

Los narradores se ponen cada vez más de moda en España. El protagonismo de que disfrutaron el ensayo y las memorias durante los años de la transición posfranquista, ha cedido el paso a un decisivo predominio de la literatura de ficción, y en particular de la novela, como género reinante. Esto ya se veía venir por lo menos desde 1985, pero se ha hecho especialmente evidente durante los dos últimos años de la década que acaba de concluir.

Aparte de que el lector español parece haber desarrollado un genuino y voraz apetito por la literatura narrativa, el auge de ésta sin duda es beneficiario de la creciente eficiencia empresarial que ha venido mostrando la industria editorial de la nación. La novela que se publica tiende a ser corta -a menuda apenas pasa de las cien páginas-, editada en rústica a un precio accesible al gran público -entre las 900 y las 1,200 pesetas- y con una atractiva presentación que suele incluir sabiamente escogidas portadas a todo color y tipografía impecable. Un muy mejorado sistema de distribución y de promoción publicitaria permite ya a los narradores españoles más exitosos competir mano a mano, dentro de España, con los John Le Carré o los Umberto Eco. Uno de los novelistas más estimados y vendidos de los últimos años, Antonio Muñoz Molina, tuvo no hace mucho dos de sus novelas, El invierno en Lisboa (1987) y Beltenebros (1989), incluidas simultáneamente en la lista española de los diez mayores best sellers. Alfaguara, Anagrama y, en menor medida, Seix Barral, continúan funcionando como las más prominentes plataformas de lanzamiento editorial de los nuevos narradores.

Algo curioso es que este resurgir de la literatura narrativa se ha producido a modo de progresiva marea de creciente calidad media, más bien que a

––––––––   698   ––––––––

hombros de seis o siete formidables hitos literarios, como sucedió con el boom hispanoamericano. Por otra parte, si es cierto que la nueva ola de narradores tiende a plegarse a las demandas publicitarias de los medios de comunicación (entrevistas de prensa, frecuentes apariciones televisadas, etc.), no parece justificado el cargo que a veces se les ha hecho de cultivar una literatura light con el oído demasiado atento al mercado editorial. Dan, más bien, la impresión de ser una generación poco dispuesta a hacer demasiadas concesiones al gran público en sus obras. Algunos de ellos parecen incluso complacerse en poner a prueba la paciencia del lector con novelas breves pero extraordinariamente densas en el moroso discurrir de su detallismo psicológico -e. g., Alejandro Gándara en Punto de fuga (1984) o José María Guelbenzu en La mirada (1987)-; aun los más inclinados a lo episódico, como Muñoz Molina o Juan José Millás, suelen hacer de la peripecia argumental parte integrante de un complejo juego introspectivo.

Lo que sí no ha cambiado es la importancia que tienen los principales premios literarios como promotores de saludables ventas y valiosa publicidad; además, parece continuar la tendencia de los últimos años a que los de más fuste sean frecuentemente ganados por narradores ya conocidos o incluso consagrados. En 1988, por ejemplo, el Premio Nacional de la Crítica le fue concedido a Antonio Muñoz Molina, el Herralde a Vicente Molina Foix y el Planeta a Gonzalo Torrente Ballester; el Nadal del propio año, por su parte, le fue otorgado a un narrador de nombre ya familiar, Juan Pedro Aparicio, y el del año siguiente a una de las estrellas de la nueva novela, Juan José Millás. El Nadal conserva sin duda su prestigio, pero su relativamente modesta dotación ha cedido terreno publicitario al Premio Planeta, con sus veinte millones de pesetas y primera edición de 200,000 ejemplares. A la ganadora del Planeta de 1989, Soledad Puértolas otro nombre bien conocido -le bastaron unos pocos días para situar a su novela galardonada, Queda la noche, en la lista de los best sellers, apenas un escalón por debajo de El péndulo de Foucault.

Un premio que ha ascendido vertiginosamente en fama y, sobre todo, en respetabilidad es el de La Sonrisa Vertical que otorga la Editorial Tusquets, pues se trata del galardón emblemático de una narrativa erótica que se ha puesto muy en boga en España. El tolerante aperturismo sexual de los ochenta ha ido despojando a este género de su tradicional marginalidad y hoy los escritores y escritoras de más prestigio no vacilan en contribuir a sus listas. Un buen ejemplo de ello es la reciente antología Cuentos eróticos (Barcelona: Grijalbo, 1988), que alcanzó tres ediciones en un solo año y a la que contribuyeron nombres tan de primera línea como los de Alejandro Gándara, Juan García Hortelano, Javier García Sánchez, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Lourdes Ortiz, Javier Tomeo y Gonzalo Torrente Ballester. Fresco, por supuesto, está todavía en la memoria el inesperado giro de Mario Vargas Llosa hacia este género con su Elogio de la madrastra (Barcelona: Tusquets, 1988), un resonante éxito editorial que sin duda ha ayudado a consolidar la respetabilidad de esta modalidad narrativa.

Irónicamente, la corriente central de la reciente narrativa española muestra poca inclinación hacia lo erótico, lo que equivale a decir que no se ha apartado perceptiblemente de la inveterada renuncia de la ficción hispana a embarcarse en el tratamiento explícito de los temas sexuales; sólo que ahora no parece tratarse tanto de un problema de represión o de timidez expresiva como del cariz de los ambientes en que suele moverse la nueva narrativa. Con el eclipse del realismo social, en efecto, el personaje marginal, rural o urbano, ha sido en buena medida reemplazado por entes de ficción mucho más afines a una arena novelística de superior nivel intelectual y social, casi invariablemente urbana e inequívocamente rezumante a modernidad; un tipo de entorno, esto es, cuyo usual refinamiento psicológico no se aviene muy bien a admitir el puro juego lúbrico. La expresión de lo erótico, que por otra parte no podía faltar en el clima relajado y lúdico de la intelectualidad actual, ha ido a refugiarse más bien, con un irónico sentido de ejercicio retórico, en los supercodificados dominios de la antigua «novela galante». Se ha tratado, podría tal vez argüirse, de la manifestación de un sentido de libertad que incluye el derecho a retar el concepto tradicional de lo trivial a través de un ejercicio gozosamente gratuito protagonizado por personajes concebidos en papier-mâché.

Es posible, por otra parte, que este género, al enriquecerse, haya comenzado ya a desarrollar diferentes modalidades. José Luis Muñoz, el más reciente ganador del premio La Sonrisa Vertical, por ejemplo, se declara cultivador de la vertiente «dura» de la presente narrativa erótica española, aunque tal calificativo no parece centrarse en la índole más o menos explícita de la narración. La distinción entre «blanda» y «dura», que Muñoz no llega a aclarar, queda ejemplificada, según él, por otras dos recientes ganadoras de dicho premio: Ligeros libertinajes sabáticos (1986) de Mercedes Abad («blanda») y Las edades de Lulú (1989) de Almudena Grandes («dura») [véase El País, 30 de enero de 1990, 27]. Con independencia de lo que dicho novelista tenga exactamente en mente, estas dos obras representan aproximaciones distintas a lo erótico. Los diez cuentos que componen el libro de Mercedes Abad pertenecen al enfoque predominantemente lúdico que, como antes apuntábamos, ha tendido a imponerse hasta ahora e incluye, entre otros rasgos, un tono típicamente cerebral que en todo momento mantiene un apreciable distanciamiento emocional de su tema, un escenario usualmente escapista, a menudo exótico, y un lenguaje culto y decadente, capaz de regodearse en las descripciones más explícitas sin perder por ello el

––––––––   699   ––––––––

control de su relajado pulso; su cínico humor se halla ideológicamente instalado en las antípodas de la retórica reivindicativa de la crónica social. En contraste con todo ello, la novela de Almudena Grandes representa un erotismo que abandona la enrarecida atmósfera de decorado interior y se instala en el espacio social de una realidad contemporánea, la de las calles de Madrid, en busca de los submundos sexualmente marginales de su vida nocturna. Tal realidad, por otro lado, es explorada desde la perspectiva de un cinismo poco risueño, adepto al tono de descreído desparpajo y tácitamente liberado de mostrar su rechazo o su adhesión a canon alguno. Tal enfoque -tan extraño al escapismo lúdico como a la preceptiva del realismo social- parece enraizado en la escéptica democracia axiológica de una era que empieza a ser calificada de posmoderna.

Arturo A. Fox

Dickinson College Carlisle, PA

1990 will undoubtedly prove to be a hectic but professionally gratifying year for the Spanish female actress/director Nuria Espert. She is expected to direct Strauss's Electra and Verdi's La traviata in Spain, first at the Liceo de Barcelona and then, in Madrid, at the Teatro de la Zarzuela. Following a five year absence from the stage, Espert is slated to return in the title role of a work by the Japanese playwright Inoue, translated into Spanish as Maquillaje. The play will be directed by Koichi Kimura and is scheduled to open in Spain, this spring. In August, in Japan, she will direct Lorcás La casa de Bernarda Alba, in Japanese with an oriental cast. Finally, Espert will return to London where her past efforts as a director have been well received. There she will direct Joan Plowright, Laurence Olivier's widow, in a new version of La Celestina. Looking beyond what should prove to be a fruitful year, the Spanish actress/director will then begin work on a production of Bizet's Carmen, for London's Covent Garden, with Zubin Mehta as orchestra director.

John P. Gabriele

The College of Wooster

Se anunció el lunes 29 de enero el acuerdo del ministro de Cultura, Jorge Semprún, y el conseller de Cultura de la Generalitat, Joan Guitart, sobre el legado de Dalí alcanzado por ambas administraciones. La obra pictórica resultó dividida en dos bloques, uno para el Centro de Arte Reina Sofía de Madrid, y el otro a repartir entre Barcelona y Figueres. Van a Madrid 56 obras, 23 de las cuales son anteriores a 1950 (la época más apreciada de la producción datiana). Entre ellas figuran los cuadros más destacados de la época de apogeo surrealista de Dalí, como Gran arlequín y pequeña botella de ron (1925), Academia neocubista (1927), Bodegón al claro de luna (1927), El Gran Masturbador (1929), El hombre invisible (1930), El enigma sin fin (1938), El enigma de Hitler (1939) y Atómica melancolía (1945). Además de estas obras, van destinadas al Centro de Arte Reina Sofía otras piezas reconocidas como Paisaje de Cadaqués (1923), Autorretrato cubista (1923) y Monumento imperial a la niña-mujer (1929). Se incluyen en el bloque madrileño varias obras de los últimos años de la actividad creativa del artista, entre las cuales figura Cama y dos mesitas de noche atacando violentamente a un violonchelo (1983), considerado su último cuadro. La parte catalana del legado se compone de 134 obras, 24 de ellas anteriores a 1950. Se destacan entre ellas Retrato de mi padre (1922), Bodegón al claro de luna malva (1925-26), Maniquí barcelonés (1926-27), El caballero de la muerte (1934) y Galarina (1945). Entre las obras fechadas con posterioridad a 1950, figuran La búsqueda de la cuarta dimensión (1979), Los tres enigmas gloriosos de gala (1982) y Cola de Milano y guitarra (1983). [El País, 30 de enero de 1990]