• Associate Professor of Modern Languages

    Blake A, 200
    (434) 223-6335
    avarona@hsc.edu


  

Education

Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 2009

M.A., University of Texas at El Paso, 2003

M.M., University of Texas at El Paso, 1997

B.M., University of Texas at El Paso, 1994

Research Interests

  • 20th and 21st-century Latin American Theatre and narrative (emphasis on Mexican Women Authors and Mexican Contemporary Playwrights )
  • Mexican Cinema (emphasis on 1930's - 1950's)

Publications

Book Chapters
"De Antonieta Rivas Mercado a Rosario Castellanos: Teoría feminista, literatura y política." Transgresoras. Catorce escritoras mexicanas (1893-1939). Ed. Patricia Rosas Lopátegui. (Accepted))   

Journals
"La muerte (anti)trágica de Fedra en un texto de Ximena Escalante." Gestos. Revista de Teoría y Práctica de teatro hispánico 56 (Nov 2013): 77-92.

"El arte y la subversión del falogocentrismo en Yo también quiero un profeta, de Ximena Escalante." Revista de Literatura Mexicana Contemporánea 53 (Apr-Jun 2012): 57-64

"El poema épico Historia de la Nueva México y la (re)construcción de la tradición literaria chicana." Taller de Letras, Journal of Universidad Pontificia Católica de Chile 50 (2012): 11-25.

"El discurso patriarcal sublimado: AguaSangre, de Estela Leñero." Homo Ludens, Journal of Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León 1.2 (Jan-Jul 2011): 27-31.

Interviews
Latin American Theatre Review

"Entrevista a  Sabina Berman." 47.1 (Fall 2013): 133-144

"Entrevista a Estela Leñero." 47.2 (Spring 2014): 81-89

"Entrevista a Ximena Escalante." 48.1 (Fall 2014): 131-142

"Entrevista a Carmina Narro." 48.2 (Spring 2015): 107-118

"Entrevista a Elena Guiochins" 50.1 (Fall 2016): 263-277

"Entrevista a Mario Cantú Toscano" 50.2 (Spring 2017): 187-199

"Entrevista a Edgar Chías" 51.2 (Fall 2018): 173-188

In progress
Del melodrama a la posmodernidad: Dramaturgia mexicana feminista, 1923-2012 (Book project: focusing at the moment on Conferences and Journal Essays related to the topic)

"Dama de corazones y Parece mentira de Xavier Villaurrutia: dos versiones del mismo texto." (Journal article)

Courses taught at H-SC

SPAN 101 - 102 Introduction to Spanish

SPAN 103 Intensive Beginning Spanish

SPAN 201 - 202 Intermediate Spanish

SPAN 201 - 202 Intermediate Spanish (Summer Abroad)

SPAN 304 Latin American Culture & Civilization (Summer Abroad)

SPAN 305 Advanced Conversation and Grammar Review

SPAN 306 Advanced Composition and Grammar Review

SPAN 302 Survey of Latin American Literature

SPAN 405 Latin American Theatre

Recent Service to College and Community

Organized Film Festivals:

Mexican, a selection of eight contemporary films. Fall 2019 – Spring 2020
French, a selection of eight contemporary films. Fall 2017 – Spring 2018
Colombian, a selection of four contemporary films. Fall 2017
Argentinian, a selection of eight contemporary films. Fall 2016 – Spring 2017

Participated in May Term Abroad program at Mendoza, Argentina in 2015 & 2017 (Program Director on 2017)

Member of Steering Assessment Committee, Fall 2016 - Spring 2017 (one-year sabbatical replacement). Elected for Fall 2017 - Spring 2019 (Humanities Division)

Member of H-SC Men's Chorus. Fall 2013 - Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016 (returning: Fall 2017!)

Personal Interests

Reading (on paper, e-ink, computer/tablet screen; preference for Literature & History, Art, Arquitecture, and News)

Listening to podcasts (preference for news and French language)

Reading Comics (definitely only on paper!)

Drinking coffee (both in company or on my own; can & should intersect with any of the previous activities listed!)