Writings from the Abyss: Andean Women Authors Between Territory, Memory, and Body
SPAN 240
Spring 2026
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01
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This course explores literature written by Andean women through a lens that centers the body, gender, and territory as key axes of resistance writing. We will ask ourselves how authors from regions such as Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador -- from the mid-20th century to the present -- articulate their experiences and genealogies from positions that engage with ancestral knowledge, Indigenous worldviews, Andean spiritualities, and political memory. The selected texts highlight representations of the female body as a site of conflict, pleasure, maternity, trauma, and rebellion. Topics will include the coloniality of gender, state violence, language and orality, racialization, and sexual dissidence. The course is organized thematically and combines literary analysis with approaches drawn from cultural studies, Andean feminisms, and decolonial theory. Readings will include texts written in Spanish as well as bilingual or translated works from Quechua, Aymara, or Kichwa, alongside visual materials, interviews, and digital archives when relevant. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Hispanic Literatures and Cultures)(Latin American Studies) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Literary and critical texts include authors such as: Clorinda Matto de Turner, Gloria Mendoza Borda, Blanca Varela, Domitila Barrios de Chungara, Ch'aska Anka Ninawaman, Samay Cañamar, Gabriela Wiener, Giovanna Rivero, Liliana Colanzi, Mónica Ojeda, Daniela Alcívar Bellolio, Gabriela Ponce, Carla Badillo Coronado, Rita Segato, María Lugones, Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui, Irene Silverblatt.
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Examinations and Assignments:
TBD |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This class fulfills one requirement for the POST-1800 LATIN AMERICA category. This class is intended for students who have completed SPAN 221 with a B- or better. Students who have not done so should consult with the professor before preregistering. Readings, written assignments, and class discussions will be in Spanish. Only COL students may take this course CR/U. Students are expected to be active/informed participants in class discussions, further developing their spoken Spanish skills. |
| Instructor(s): Armijos,Andrea Times: .M.W... 10:50AM-12:10PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 8 | JR major: 2 | | |
| Seats Available: 15 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 1 | JR non-major: 1 | SO: 2 | FR: 1 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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