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Without Hatreds or Fears Jorge Artel and the Struggle for Black Literary Expression in Colombia Laurence E. Prescott

Without Hatreds or Fears is a study of Tambores en la noche (1940 ed.; 1955 ed.), two volumes of verse by Jorge Artel (1909-94), the principal poet of black expression in twentieth-century Colombia. Analyzing Artel's work within the context of Colombian history and culture, modern Spanish American literature, and the poet's own career, this study both elucidates the artistry and thematic concerns of a noted yet unjustifiably underrated writer and explains the various factors that have rendered Afro-Colombian authors virtually invisible in their homeland and excluded from the Spanish American literary canon. Laurence E. Prescott illuminates the impact of geography, regionalism, slavery, mestizaje, race relations, and the publishing industry on literary production in Colombia. His study uncovers the Afro-Colombian writers' struggle to reclaim their African heritage, to affirm blackness, and to inscribe themselves—without enmity or apprehension—into the national culture.

"This work is meticulously documented and eloquently written with passion. Translations are sensitive and capture accurately the message the poetic voice is trying to convey. This study is theoretically grounded and, through the intrinsic examination of texts, represents cultural criticism at its best." — Marvin A. Lewis, University of Missouri-Columbia Laurence E. Prescott is an associate professor of Spanish and African American studies at the Pennsylvania State University. Choice Outstanding Academic Title

African American Life Series $44.95s cloth / ISBN 0-8143-2751-6 $22.95s paper / ISBN 0-8143-2878-4 384 pages 2000 contents > introduction > extract > index >