Comparative studies have revealed uncanny similarities between the theatrical cultures of Shakespearean England and Golden Age Spain, and in particular between the Elizabethan amphitheaters and the Spanish corrales de comedia (courtyard playhouses). Contrary to conventional wisdom, however, Spain’s (and, in particular, Madrid’s) courtyard the…[Read more]

Going to the theater was one of the most distinctive-as well as conspicuous-cultural activities to take place regularly in early modern european cities. Precisely because so many people from all walks of life partook of this highly visible pastime, public theaters became spaces wherein social and cultural boundaries between spectators were easily…[Read more]

One of the major differences between the otherwise very similar commercial theatrical cultures of early modern Spain and England was that, whereas in England female roles were performed by young, cross-dressed boys, in Spain female performers were prominent in their industry. indeed, actresses in Spain played an active role in the creative process…[Read more]

En su edición del Romancero del Cid de 1871, un compendio de todos los romances del Cid disponibles en versiones impresas de los siglos XVI y XVII, Carolina Michaëlis incluyó un apéndice para demostrar la vitalidad de la tradición cidiana en pleno siglo XIX. Michaëlis escribe: “Para muestra del género de romances populares que aun hoy dia en A…[Read more]

El Cid Campeador, obra teatral de Antonio Enríquez Gómez (1660-1663), se publicó reiteradamente a lo largo del siglo XVIII y los primeros años del XIX. La obra, casi desconocida hoy en día, gozó de una popularidad enorme entre 1700 y 1830, tanto en el teatro como en la imprenta, debido en parte a su tema histórico y el estilo barroco, tan de gus…[Read more]

This paper is the project narrative for a grant proposal submitted in February 2019, that resulted in funding from two different sources to cover travel expenses in support of archival work in Spain (summer 2019). I share this project narrative to encourage others who are considering similar proposals, or who may be thinking about the scholarly…[Read more]

Have you ever thought about the language you speak? If the answer is yes, surely you might have wondered: Where does my language come from? How does it change? What are its relationships with other languages? How do its literary and cultural production reflect such evolution and connections? In this course we will approach classic works of Spanish…[Read more]

371 is an introduction to canonical works of Early Modern Spanish. This semester, we take a novel approach to the reading and interpretation of masterpieces of Spanish literature to revisit the notion of canon, and to challenge standard disciplinary approaches that constrain Spanish and Portuguese within the boundaries of national literary and…[Read more]

Spanish 260.001 is a methodological introduction to Hispanic Literature. We focus on three specific genres, Narrative, Poetry and Drama, and the course’s goal is to equip the student with the practical abilities to analyze a literary text in Spanish as well as with a basic knowledge of the major historical trends in Hispanic literature from its o…[Read more]