Books
The Translated World: A Postmodern Tour of Libraries in Literature. Tallahassee: Florida State UP, 1984.
"This is an original, provocative, and authoritative book, a book to study rather than merely read. It is, in fact, a sustained allegory, a meditation on the allegory of the library, the place where books come to rest within classification systems that reflect directly the myths of 'civilization'. . . . It will be read by bookish people, because it is about the obsessions of the bookish. As one of the bibiiomaniacs about whom Castillo writes so revealingly (she must be one herself), I found the book both compelling and provocative--and I suspect that my colleagues will find it so also." Hayden White.
"This is an original, provocative, and authoritative book, a book to study rather than merely read. It is, in fact, a sustained allegory, a meditation on the allegory of the library, the place where books come to rest within classification systems that reflect directly the myths of 'civilization'. . . . It will be read by bookish people, because it is about the obsessions of the bookish. As one of the bibiiomaniacs about whom Castillo writes so revealingly (she must be one herself), I found the book both compelling and provocative--and I suspect that my colleagues will find it so also." Hayden White.
Talking Back: Toward a Latin American Feminist Literary Criticism. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1992.
"in this brilliant study of criticism and literature written by Latin American women, Debra Castillo takes on with wit and grace many of the major issues in contemporary feminist criticism. A stimulating and original contribution to feminist theory" Jean Franco
"in this brilliant study of criticism and literature written by Latin American women, Debra Castillo takes on with wit and grace many of the major issues in contemporary feminist criticism. A stimulating and original contribution to feminist theory" Jean Franco
| talkingbk.intro.pdf |
Easy Women: Sex and Gender in Modern Mexican Fiction Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P., 1998.
"Debra Castillo is one of the most original and courageous scholars working in literary and cultural studies today. In this book she takes on the complexities of a textual and sexual economy that has never before been analyzed convincingly. In our time, when international sex tuorism lands on the border between Mexico and the United States, it is vital that we have studies such as Castillo's that integrate sociohistorical realities and literary representations of the 'prostitute'." Rosemary Feal
"Debra Castillo is one of the most original and courageous scholars working in literary and cultural studies today. In this book she takes on the complexities of a textual and sexual economy that has never before been analyzed convincingly. In our time, when international sex tuorism lands on the border between Mexico and the United States, it is vital that we have studies such as Castillo's that integrate sociohistorical realities and literary representations of the 'prostitute'." Rosemary Feal
| loosewomen.pdf |
Border Women: Writing from La Frontera (with María Socorro Tabuenca Córdoba) Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 2002.
It is a peculiar fact that U.S.-Mexico border theory is dominated by those who write about, not from, the border. By looking at the work of women writers from both sides of the border, Debra A. Castillo and María-Socorro Tabuenca Córdoba open border studies to a truly transnational analysis while bringing questions of gender to the fore.Border Women rethinks border theory by emphasizing women writers whose work-in Spanish, English, or a mixture of the two languages-calls into question accepted notions of border identities. These writers include those who are already well recognized internationally (Helena María Viramontes, Sheila and Sandra Ortiz Taylor, and María Novaro); those who have become part of the Chicano canon (Norma Cantú, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, and Demetria Martínez); along with some of the lesser-known, yet most exciting, women's voices from the Mexican border (Rosario Sanmiguel, Rosina Conde, and Regina Swain).
It is a peculiar fact that U.S.-Mexico border theory is dominated by those who write about, not from, the border. By looking at the work of women writers from both sides of the border, Debra A. Castillo and María-Socorro Tabuenca Córdoba open border studies to a truly transnational analysis while bringing questions of gender to the fore.Border Women rethinks border theory by emphasizing women writers whose work-in Spanish, English, or a mixture of the two languages-calls into question accepted notions of border identities. These writers include those who are already well recognized internationally (Helena María Viramontes, Sheila and Sandra Ortiz Taylor, and María Novaro); those who have become part of the Chicano canon (Norma Cantú, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, and Demetria Martínez); along with some of the lesser-known, yet most exciting, women's voices from the Mexican border (Rosario Sanmiguel, Rosina Conde, and Regina Swain).
| border.intro.pdf |
Re-dreaming America: Toward a Bilingual Understanding of American Literature.(Albany: SUNY, 2004.)
What would American literature look like in languages other than English, and what would Latin American literature look like if we understood the United States to be a Latin American country and took seriously the work by U.S. Latinos/as in Spanish? Debra A. Castillo explores these questions by highlighting the contributions of Latinos/as writing in Spanish and Spanglish. Beginning with the anonymously published 1826 novel Jicoténcal and ending with fiction published at the turn of the twenty-first century, the book details both the characters' and authors' struggles with how to define an American self. Writers from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Mexico are featured prominently, alongside a sampling of those writers from other Latin American heritages (Peru, Colombia, Chile). Castillo concludes by offering some thoughts on U.S. curricular practice.
What would American literature look like in languages other than English, and what would Latin American literature look like if we understood the United States to be a Latin American country and took seriously the work by U.S. Latinos/as in Spanish? Debra A. Castillo explores these questions by highlighting the contributions of Latinos/as writing in Spanish and Spanglish. Beginning with the anonymously published 1826 novel Jicoténcal and ending with fiction published at the turn of the twenty-first century, the book details both the characters' and authors' struggles with how to define an American self. Writers from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Mexico are featured prominently, alongside a sampling of those writers from other Latin American heritages (Peru, Colombia, Chile). Castillo concludes by offering some thoughts on U.S. curricular practice.
| redreaming.pdf |
Lecturas interculturales (with Julio López Arias). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland, 2002.
España: Lecturas interculturales presents a kaleidoscope of contemporary news articles on controversial issues from Spain's premier newspaper, El Pa¡s. A selection of excerpts from related articles broadens the context of the main topic and offers insights into the status of crucial social concerns in today's Spain, implicitly suggesting a coherent vision of this important European country. Readers will revisit many familiar issues that have been hot-button concerns in North America as well, but are presented in this reader filtered through the defamiliarizing lens of another culture. Topics include: religion in modern society, the state of the family, women's rights, sexual harassment, media influence on body image, gay marriage, drug abuse, illegal immigrants, ethnic minorities, and changing expectations about standards of living. Many excellent examples of native language illustrate its usage and grammar as they naturally occur in the articles. Chapter questions test comprehension of the article and help foster discussions that reach beyond the specific texts, often highlighting the cross-cultural comparisons that will naturally occur to readers. Translations of selected vocabulary words are provided on a chapter-by-chapter basis.
España: Lecturas interculturales presents a kaleidoscope of contemporary news articles on controversial issues from Spain's premier newspaper, El Pa¡s. A selection of excerpts from related articles broadens the context of the main topic and offers insights into the status of crucial social concerns in today's Spain, implicitly suggesting a coherent vision of this important European country. Readers will revisit many familiar issues that have been hot-button concerns in North America as well, but are presented in this reader filtered through the defamiliarizing lens of another culture. Topics include: religion in modern society, the state of the family, women's rights, sexual harassment, media influence on body image, gay marriage, drug abuse, illegal immigrants, ethnic minorities, and changing expectations about standards of living. Many excellent examples of native language illustrate its usage and grammar as they naturally occur in the articles. Chapter questions test comprehension of the article and help foster discussions that reach beyond the specific texts, often highlighting the cross-cultural comparisons that will naturally occur to readers. Translations of selected vocabulary words are provided on a chapter-by-chapter basis.