Ricardo Chávez Castaneda
Visiting Lecturer in Spanish
Email: rchavez@middlebury.edu
Phone: work802.443.5020
Office Hours: Mon & Wed 12:15-1:45 pm
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Ricardo Chavez Castañeda, from Mexico, is a novelist, short-story writer and essayist, with 25 published works of fiction. He is one of the founding members of the Crack, a literary movement that made its debut in the Mexican literary scene during the 1990s. He has received many national and international prizes for his novels, short stories and books for children. In 1999 he received an honorable mention for the prestigious Premio Casa de las Américas. His novels El día del hurón and El final de las nubes have been finalists for the Premio Internacional de la Novela Negra Dashiel Hammet in Gijón, Spain (1998 and 2000). He has been a guest speaker and has participated in readings, conferences and creative writing workshops at prestigious universities in Mexico, Spain and the United States. Professor Chávez Castañeda received his B.A. in Psychology from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and his Master's Degree in Latin American literature from New Mexico State University. He is currently a Visiting Professor at Middlebury College
Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
SPAN 3405 - Creative Writing
In this course we will focus on creative writing as a way to develop a deeper understanding of the Spanish language. We will achieve this goal by using the language and our imagination to tell stories. This course will also provide the opportunity to read and discuss present literary works of important Hispano-Americans authors (Onneti, Borges, Rulfo, Cortázar, Méndez,etc) We will also read theoretical texts by Francisco Guzmán Burgos, Pablo Fernández, Alex Grijelmo, Ricardo Piglia, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Juan Bosch, Mempo Giardinelli, Rosario Ferré, Guillermo Samperio, Hernán Lara Zavala, Enrique Anderson Imbert, Anibal Ponce, Alberto Manuel, etc. (1 unit)
Required Text: Material in electronic format will be made available upon arrival at Middlebury.
Summer 2009, Summer 2010, Summer 2011, Summer 2012
SPAN 3412 - Childhood Through Culture
The objective of this course is to analyze childhood as a social construction, as a period of psychological development, as a horror story, as a time when lessons about human nature become formative tests, and as a stage when myths, for example as created by children’s literature, trigger certain imaginary beliefs. Through theoretical and literary texts, students will reflect on these aspects and their pedagogical possibilities. (1 unit)
Required Text: Material in electronic format will be made available upon arrival at Middlebury.
Summer 2009, Summer 2010, Summer 2011, Summer 2012
SPAN 0102 - Beginning Spanish II
Beginning Spanish II
This course is a continuation of SPAN 0101. (SPAN 0101)
Winter 2011
SPAN 0103 - Beginning Spanish III
Beginning Spanish III
This course is a continuation of SPAN 0102. Intensive reading, writing, and oral activities will advance students' proficiency in Spanish in an academic setting. (SPAN 0102) 5 hrs. lect./disc.
Spring 2009, Spring 2011
SPAN 0105 - Accelerated Basic Spanish
Accelerated Basic Spanish
This accelerated course is designed to reinforce, in one semester, the basic linguistic structures that students need in order to reach the intermediate level of proficiency in Spanish. Strong emphasis will be given to reading and composition. SPAN 0105 is designed specifically for students with 2-3 years of high school Spanish, but who have not yet achieved intermediate proficiency. (Placement test required) 5 hrs. lect./disc.
Spring 2012, Fall 2012
SPAN 0210 / SPAN 0220 - Intermediate Spanish I ▲
Intermediate Spanish I
A course designed to consolidate the skills attained in SPAN 0101, SPAN 0102, and 0103 or the equivalent (0105). A grammar review will accompany an intensive component of readings, discussions, and compositions. (SPAN 0103, SPAN 0105, or placement) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2013, Fall 2013
SPAN 0300 - Intro to Hispanic Literature
An Introduction to the Study of Hispanic Literature
This course in literature and advanced language is designed to introduce students to literary analysis and critical writing. The work will be based on the reading of a number of works in prose, drama, and poetry. Frequent short, critical essays will complement readings and provide students with practice in writing. This course is required for Spanish majors. (SPAN 0220 or placement) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
SPAN 0313 - Hispanic Short Story ▲
The Hispanic Short Story
In this course we will study the main literary, sociopolitical, and cultural issues in a selection of short stories from the Hispanic world. Emphasis will be on the close reading of texts with the purpose of developing critical vocabulary and writing skills. Authors may include: Pardo Bazán, Valle Inclán, Palma, Borges, Rulfo, Corázar, Quiroga, Matute. (SPAN 0220 or placement) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Fall 2009, Fall 2013
SPAN 0320 - Hispanic Creative Writing
Hispanic Creative Writing
In this course we will focus on creative writing as a way to develop a deeper understanding of the Spanish language. We will achieve this goal by using the language and our imagination to tell stories. This course will also provide the opportunity to read and discuss literary works of important Hispano-American authors including Onneti, Borges, Rulfo, Cortázar, and Méndez. We will also read theoretical texts by Francisco Guzmán Burgos, Pablo Fernández, Alex Grijelmo, Ricardo Piglia, Jorge Luis Borges, among others. (SPAN 0220 or placement exam). 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2013
SPAN 0325 - Childhood Through Culture
Childhood Through Culture
In this course we will analyze childhood as a social construction: a time of psychological development, a stage when myths trigger certain imaginary beliefs, and a phase when children learn lessons about human nature. We will read theoretical and literary texts about childhood and its development, and we will reflect on how human beings are created through mythological, literary, scientific, and pedagogic productions of our culture. We will read theoretical works by Agnes Heller, Boris Cyrulnik, Steven Pinker, Lloyd deMause, Bruno Bettelheim, and fictional works by Ulises Carrión, Marta Traba, Juan Carlos Botero, Juan José Millás, Juan Rulfo, Julio Cortázar, Juan Tovar, Elvira Navarro, Horacio Quiroga. (SPAN 0220 or placement exam at 0300 level).
Spring 2012
SPAN 0500 - Independent Study ▲ ▹
Independent Study
The department will consider requests by qualified juniors and senior majors to engage in independent work. (Approval only)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
SPAN 0705 - Senior Honors Thesis ▲ ▹
Senior Honors Thesis
The department will award honors, high honors, or highest honors on the basis of a student's work in the department and performance in SPAN 0705. (Approval only)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014