Words that Speak, Literature that Acts: Diamela Eltit's Narrative Performances By Daniella Wittern Bush M.A., Brown University, 2008 B.A., Hamilton College, 2002 Thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Studies at Brown University PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND MAY 2012 © Copyright 2012 by Daniella Wittern Bush This dissertation by Daniella Wittern Bush is accepted in its present form by the Department of Hispanic Studies as satisfying the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Date ______________ _________________________________________ Professor Julio Ortega, Advisor Recommended to the Graduate Council Date ______________ _________________________________________ Professor Patricia Ybarra, Reader Date ______________ _________________________________________ Professor Mary Beth Tierney-Tello, Reader Approved by the Graduate Council Date ______________ _________________________________________ Professor Peter Weber, Dean of the Graduate School i Curriculum Vitae DANIELLA WITTERN BUSH [email protected] phone: 617-529-8157 202 Transit St, Apt 3 daniellawittern.wordpress.com password: 2011dwb2012 Providence, RI 02906 EDUCATION Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island Ph.D., Hispanic Studies (expected May 2012; defense scheduled for Feb. 2012) A.M., Hispanic Studies (May 2008) Hamilton College, Clinton, New York B.A., Spanish and Creative Writing (May 2002) Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude, and with honors in Spanish BIOGRAPHY Born in Utica, New York, on June 23, 1980, Daniella Wittern Bush attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. In her senior year there, Daniella was awarded a competitive fellowship to spend a semester in Spain writing a bilingual novel entitled Entre lenguas. Since then, she has lived, studied, taught, and researched in Chile, Spain, Mexico, and Costa Rica. At Brown, her research has explored the relationship between literature and the visual arts, particularly with regard to performance art and film. Daniella's master thesis examined the artificiality of language in the dialogue Fernando Vallejo maintains with the picaresque genre in La virgen de los sicarios. Her dissertation proposes a Performance Studies reading of the work of contemporary Chilean author Diamela Eltit, as her narrative addresses state violence and trauma, cultural peripheries and margins, memory and neoliberalism, and the politics and justice of transition democracy. TEACHING AND RESEARCH INTERESTS Performance: Performance in the Americas Gender performances Visual culture and identity Performing transitions (from dictatorship to democracy) Performanceras: Latin American women on stage Film: Film in transatlantic dialogue Urban reels: Latin American cities in film Almodóvar and Buñuel Co-productions, neocolonialism, and the transatlantic film dialogue Literature: Women's writing in the Americas El microcuento: contemporary flash fiction Pícaros and sicarios across the Atlantic Contemporary Latin American literature and culture Violent states, violent words: twentieth century literature from the Southern Cone Digi-lit: new media, flash fiction, and other forms Contemporary Latina writing and readership Interdisciplinary: Trauma and memory studies Literature and film Border crossings and border identities: trans-national and interdisciplinary approaches Local Latino communities Hemispheric Studies Urban theory, urban representations PUBLICATIONS Peer-Reviewed Articles "Re-escribir la ciudad letrada: El padre mío y Zona de dolor, o las performances urbanas de Diamela Eltit." Actas del Congreso IILI-Georgetown 2010. Independencias: memoria y futuro. Ed. Gwen Kirkpatrick. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University. 2012. E-book. ii "Carlos Fuentes y Luis Buñuel: los diálogos cinematográficos de Artemio Cruz." Actas de La región más transparente: 50 años después. Ed. Georgina García Gutiérrez. México D.F.: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Forthcoming in 2012. Print. "Performing to Survive: A Theater of Memory in Diamela Eltit’s Por la patria." INTI: Revista de literatura hispánica. Número dedicado a letras chilenas. 69-70 (Spring-Fall 2009): 311-320. Print. "Siguiendo las huellas de una picaresca colombiana: un paseo por La virgen de los sicarios." Cine-Lit VI. Essays on Hispanic Film and Fiction. Ed. Guy H. Wood. Corvallis, Oregon: Cine-Lit Publications, 2008. 212-223. Print. Editorial Work Assistant Editor: Una familia lejana. In Fuentes, Carlos. Obras reunidas, tomo IV. Ed. Julio Ortega. México D.F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica. In press. Corrected the text across editions; translated quotations from French to Spanish; wrote footnotes and epilogue; compiled bibliography. PRESENTATIONS Professional Conferences "Reescribir la ciudad letrada: las performances urbanas de Diamela Eltit." Session titled, "Trans-incisiones de Santiago de Chile (1980-2000)." XXXVIII Congreso del Instituto Internacional de Literatura Iberoamericana: "Independencias: memoria y futuro." Georgetown University, Washington, DC. (June 2010) "Carlos Fuentes y Luis Buñuel: los diálogos cinematográficos de Artemio Cruz." Session titled, "Reinsicripciones de la narrativa de Carlos Fuentes: diálogos interdisciplinarios." "La región más transparente: 50 años después." Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF. (Nov. 2008) "Siguiendo las huellas de una picaresca colombiana: un paseo por La Virgen de los Sicarios." Session titled, "Carnaval, sicaresca y subdesarrollo en el cine hispano." CineLit Six: "An International Conference on Hispanic Film and Literature." Portland State University, OR. (Feb. 2007) Graduate Student Conferences "Performing to Survive: A Theater of Memory in Diamela Eltit’s Por la patria." Session titled, "Embodying Memory: Reflections on Southern Cone Dictatorships." University of Pittsburgh Department of Hispanic Languages and Literatures 2nd Biennial Graduate Student Conference: "(Des) articulaciones: in/with Latin American and Caribbean Cultural Processes: Memory and Transgression." University of Pittsburgh, PA. (Oct. 2009) "La imagen ausente de la historia: (des)aparición de la Virgen de Guadalupe en Glorias de Querétaro." Session titled, "Silencio y ausencia." Boston College Graduate Student Conference in Romance Studies: "For the Record: Historical Fiction and Fictionalized History." Boston College, MA. (April 2009) "La presencia ausente: fragmentos de un ¿ensayo? buñueliano." Session titled, "Visual Spain." 17th Annual Columbia/NYU Graduate Student Conference on Hispanic and Lusophone Literatures and Cultures: "Zonas de contacto/Contact Zones." Columbia University, NY. (April 2008) iii Local Invited Lectures "Jamás el fuego nunca, o la performance de la desilusión política." Colloquium in honor of Diamela Eltit. Given in the Department of Hispanic Studies, Brown University, RI. (Dec. 2010) "What I Study: The Challenges and Intrigues of Performance Research." Panel titled "Incorporating Performance Topics into Your Teaching and Scholarly Work." Given to The Slavic Studies Graduate Student Colloquium, Brown University, RI. (Oct. 2010) "On Studying Latin American Performance." Given to the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Departmental Undergraduate Group, Brown University, RI. (Oct. 2009) "Diálogos con Luis Buñuel: La muerte de Artemio Cruz." Colloquium on Carlos Fuentes. Brown University, RI. (April 2009) TEACHING EXPERIENCE Part-time Lecturer, Fourth Semester Spanish. Boston University, Boston, MA. (Fall 2011- Present) Create and implement all lesson plans for language course with literature, film, and culture components. Design multi-media activities, write all essay prompts and exams, hold weekly office hours, and grade all papers. Instructor, Mujeres Malas. Co-taught with Prof. Julio Ortega, Brown University. (Fall 2010) Co-instructor of undergraduate literature course. Independently planned and taught four complete classes, ran weekly conversation sections. Coordinated visits of invited scholars, artists, and writers; distributed course materials; organized and maintained course records and website. Senior Teaching Consultant. Sheridan Center, Brown University. (Fall 2007-Present) Mentor peers and faculty from all disciplines by observing and providing feedback on classes and presentations; facilitate teaching certificate discussions; lead pedagogy workshops. Teaching Fellow, Basic Spanish I, Intermediate Spanish II, Advanced Spanish II: Composition. Brown University. (Fall 2007-Fall 2008, Spring 2011) Full instructor of a section in a multi-section course: created and implemented all lesson plans and daily course material. Graded all papers, quizzes, and exams; held weekly office hours. Mentored new TAs by sharing course materials and advice; filled in for other instructors as needed. Ensured smooth running and coherency of all sections of course. Teaching Assistant, Basic Spanish I & II. Brown University. (Fall 2006, Spring 2007) Full instructor of a section in a multi-section course: created and implemented all lesson plans and daily course material. Graded all papers, quizzes, and exams; held weekly office hours. PEDAGOGICAL TRAINING Certified D.E.L.E. (Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language) Oral Examiner. (Nov. 2009) Six-and-a-half hour course through Instituto Cervantes New York. Yearlong Teaching Certificate Programs, Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, Brown University: Certificate IV: Teaching Consultant Program. (2009-2010) Professional training in peer observation