Latin America’s New Authors Cover Spectrum

Today, whether highbrow works of art or bestsellers, Latin American prose and poetry by women shine more broadly and brightly than ever before. A full list of established and emerging women authors in the region would go on and on. But a sampling, as described by experts, indicates how widely they range over the regional map and the literary spectrum:

* Argentina: Luisa Valenzuela has won critical acclaim and publishing success in the United States with her sensual, “hormonal” novels that are often critical of political repression in Latin America. Olga Orozco’s meditative poetry, with themes such as obsession and madness, has established her as a major Argentine poet. Griselda Gambaro is an internationally known playwright whose work examines violence and cruelty.

* Brazil: Lygia Fagundes Telles is well known for the disciplined prose and social content of her novels, including “The Naked Hours.” Nelida Pinon’s novels often debunk male dominance while exploring religiosity, sex and the concept of sin. Marilene Felinto’s novels, including “The Women of Tijucopapo,” speak of ethnic roots, poverty and alienation.

* Central America: Honduran-born Argentina Diaz Lozano has won the top national literary prizes of both Honduras and Guatemala. Nicaraguan Gioconda Belli’s exuberant and erotic poetry celebrates the body and the Sandinista revolution.

* Chile: Elena Castedo’s psychological novel “Paradise,” about a girl’s wrenching adventures in South America, was a 1990 finalist for the U.S. National Book Award. Novelist Ana Maria del Rio’s erotic fantasy “Seven Days of Mrs. K.” is a recent bestseller in Chile. Pia Barros’ more intellectual fiction sometimes draws parallels between sexual and political repression. The experimental feminist poetry of Elvira Hernandez is concerned with popular culture, repression and suffering.

* Mexico: Novelist Angeles Mastretta’s gossipy page-turners have been publishing successes. Emerging poet Coral Bracho has been writing about gender identification. Sabina Berman is a prominent Mexican playwright.

* Puerto Rico: Ana Lidia Vega’s playful short stories revel in the hybrid nature of Caribbean culture and reveal the contradictions in Puerto Rican identity. Rosario Ferre, daughter of former Puerto Rican Gov. Luis Ferre, has won critical acclaim with her innovative short stories and her novel “Sweet Diamond Dust,” about materialism and miscegenation in a sugar baron’s family.