  -2-
  Hispania Features
  Editorial
Theodore Alan Sackett
Hispania will shortly enter the
Electronic Age
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:
You may use either 51/4 or 31/2 inch diskettes for PC
and PC-compatible computers, and 31/2 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.
Utilización
del español y del portugués en
Hispania
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
Mnemonic Devices for Teaching
Ser vs. Estar
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:
|
Debe de ser por
aquí.
Es por aquí.
Es muy cerca de
aquí.
|
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.)
Sobre el empleo del inglés en
Hispania
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
Ruth L. Bennett
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
Translations
Translator and Interpreter
Associations in the United States
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
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
(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
News Items
Camōes Center Established in New
York
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.
Centenary of Oswald de Andrade at
University of Texas at Austin
The centenary of Brazilian modernist writer and
intellectual Oswald de Andrade (1890-1954) at the University of Texas at
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.
Dr. Abellán at McGill
University
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.
Awards and Honors
Colorado Honors Ricardo
Gullón
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
Ricardo Gullón,
Académico de la Lengua
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
Colorado Honors Spanish
Writers
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
Fulbright Scholar Awards,
1991-92
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.
Quincentennial Summer Program in
Spain
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
Recent Publications
Renaissance Drama: Call for
Essays
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
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
Feminism and Foreign Language
Teaching
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.
A Must Reading for Spanish
Teachers
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
New Portuguese Publication
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
Book for Linguists
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.
Forthcoming Events
1990 Calendar
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,
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
1991 Calendar
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,
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
1992 Calendar
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
1993 Calendar
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
We Rememer
Joaquín Casalduero
(1903-1990)
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
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
Teresa Bolet Rodríguez 110
Literature. Arts, and Society
Publicidad, premios y erotismo en
la narrativa española actual
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
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
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
Nuria Espert to Demonstrate Her
Theatrical Prowess as an Actress and Director in Spain and Abroad in
1990
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
El legado Dalí se divide
entre Madrid y Cataluña
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]
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