Literature and Politics in Latin America: Money, Power, Language

In Latin America, writers have a special relation to politics: some (Sarmiento) ruled their countries; others, like Mario Vargas Llosa, tried to become presidents; some, like García Márquez, cultivated friendships with powerful leaders like Fidel Castro; almost all writers have used the novel form to analyze, discuss, and question their country's political history, including the darkest episodes of dictatorship and repression. We will read a selection of authors who have played key roles as politicians, either formally or informally, and who have written stories that encapsulate the complex tangle linking money, power, and language.