Winner, Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize, Modern Language Association, 2010

The Spectacular City, Mexico, and Colonial Hispanic Literary Culture tracks the three spectacular forces of New World literary culture-cities, festivals, and wonder-from the sixteenth to the seventeenth century, from the Old World to the New, and from Mexico to Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. It treats a multitude of imperialist and anti-imperialist texts in depth, including poetry, drama, protofiction, historiography, and journalism. While several of the landmark authors studied, including Hernan Cortes and Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, are familiar, others have received remarkably little critical attention. Similarly, in spotlighting creole writers, Merrim reveals an intertextual tradition in Mexico that spans two centuries. Because the spectacular city reaches its peak in the seventeenth century, Merrim's book also theorizes and details the spirited work of the New World Baroque. The result is the rich examination of a trajectory that leads from the Renaissance ordered city to the energetic revolts of the spectacular city and the New World Baroque.

"A scholarly tour de force... Stephanie Merrim is one of the most respected colonial scholars in the Americas, and this book will only add another well-deserved star to her crown." -- Nina M. Scott, Professor Emerita of Spanish, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

About the Author

Stephanie Merrim is Royce Family Professor of Comparative Literature and Hispanic Studies at Brown University. Her previous books include Early Modern Women's Writing and Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz.

Awards
Winner of Modern Language Association Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize 2010.



Book Information
ISBN 9780292737464
Author Stephanie Merrim
Format Paperback
Page Count 377
Imprint University of Texas Press
Publisher University of Texas Press
Weight(grams) 454g