Chicano and Chicana Literature
Otra voz del pueblo
By Charles Tatum
Dean

The literary culture of the Spanish-speaking Southwest has its origins in a harsh frontier environment marked by episodes of intense cultural conflict, and much of the literature seeks to capture the epic experiences of conquest and settlement. The Chicano literary canon has evolved rapidly over four centuries to become one of the most dynamic, growing, and vital parts of what we know as contemporary U.S. literature. In this comprehensive examination of Chicano and Chicana literature, Charles M. Tatum brings a new and refreshing perspective to the ethnic identity of Mexican Americans. From the earliest sixteenth-century chronicles of the Spanish Period, to the poetry and narrative fiction of the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century, and then to the flowering of all literary genres in the post-Chicano Movement years, Chicano/a literature amply reflects the hopes and aspirations as well as the frustrations and disillusionments of an often marginalized population. Exploring the work of Rudolfo Anaya, Sandra Cisneros, Luis Alberto Urrea, and many more, Tatum examines the important social, historical, and cultural contexts in which the writing evolved, paying special attention to the Chicano Movement and the flourishing of literary texts during the 1960s and early 1970s. Chapters provide an overview of the most important theoretical and critical approaches employed by scholars over the past forty years and survey the major trends and themes in contemporary autobiography, memoir, fiction, and poetry. The most complete and up-to-date introduction to Chicana/o literature available, this book will be an ideal reference for scholars of Hispanic and American literature. Discussion questions and suggested reading included at the end of each chapter are especially suited for classroom use.

The Elephant's Child
By Steve Orlen
Professor of Creative Writing

“Steve Orlen is a poet bent on finding connections—with others, with himself, with history—while acknowledging all the obstacles to such a project and refusing to reach any position that has not slowly evolved from his own experience. As a result he creates work of peculiar honesty and intimacy. The poems often begin in reminiscence, but the narratives of the past serve mainly as starting points for the narrative enacted before us in the present as the poet follows out the emotional logic of association, an open, inclusive process that that leads casually, without strain, to surprising discoveries.“ — Carl Dennis

Traces in the Way: Michi in the Writings of Komparu Zenchiku.
By Noel J. Pinnington
Associate Professor of Japanese Literature
Cornell East Asia Program (2006)

“An exemplary and exhilarating piece of scholarship. Offers a critical and revisionist interpretation of the theoretical writings of Noh playwrights and actors Zeami and Zenchiku. . . . In its bracing critical and incisive approach, clarity of presentation and originality, this book is a major contribution to medieval Japanese cultural history and to the study of traditional Japanese drama and aesthetics. It should be widely read by all interested in those fields.” — James McMullen, University of Oxford

Not a Matter of Love (Many Voices Project)
By Beth Alvarado
Lecturer in English

"Beth Alvarado's splendid first book burns with the landscape of the Southwest and the quiet passions of its characters. Potent and darkly beautiful, these are unforgettable stories that haunt us long after the book is closed. Not a Matter of Love is a marvelous debut!"-Karen Brennan, author of Being With Rachel and The Garden in Which I Walk.

"This is serious, beautiful work." — Antonya Nelson, author of Female Trouble and Living to Tell Here

History Lesson for Girls
By Aurelie Sheehan,
Professor, Department of English and Director, Creative Writing Program
Penguin Group ( USA ), 2006
Fiction

Publisher comments: Combining social satire and a moving personal story, History Lesson for Girls, is the history of a friendship between two thirteen -year old girls, who create a private world for themselves as a way to survive the excesses of the 1970s. As the lives of two troubled families intertwine, it becomes clear that both girls will not survive the weight of their personal history despite the power and strength of their friendship and the stories they create together. History Lesson for Girls is an enchanting tribute to the lingering influence of friendship and significance of personal history.

Sexuality in Greek and Roman Culture
By Marilyn Skinner
Professor, Department of Classics
Blackwell Publishing, 2005
Non-Fiction

Publisher comments: Sexuality in Greek and Roman Culture is the first comprehensive survey of ancient Greek and Roman sexuality. Drawing on literary, artistic, and archaeological evidence, as well as on scholarly sources, it covers a wide range of subjects, including Greek pederasty and the symposium, ancient prostitution, representations of women in Greece and Rome , and the public regulation of sexual behavior. Different class and gender perspectives are taken into account as far as they can be recovered. The book also introduces the bitter theoretical battles that have been fought over ancient sexuality, particularly regarding what ancient societies believed about sex and sexual orientation. The author draws comparisons between ancient sexual ideology and contemporary culture, encouraging readers to understand the relationship between social institutions and personal sexual conduct. Designed for a general audience, Sexuality in Greek and Roman Culture is written in an elegant and accessible style. It offers sophisticated insights into complex social issues.

Tropic of Fear
By Ron Terpening
Professor, Department of Italian
Stuyvesant & Hoagland, 2006
Fiction

Publisher comments: Tropic of Fear is a political thriller, a tale of high adventure, and a powerful dramatization of the lust for power. This is a riveting novel from a writer praised for his memorable characters, his atmospheric settings, and the breathtaking pace of his plots.