Megan DeVirgilis (Morgan State University)

The Gothic is having a moment, as it tends to do in times of collective panic and uncertainty. Even Latin America, whose geographical, linguistic and historical distinctiveness have supported its all-but-exclusion from global Gothic Studies, has experienced a rise in scholarship on contemporary Gothic horror—from studies on the double and hybridity to zombies and cannibals, among others. In support of the idea that there is a meaningful Gothic tradition unique to Latin America, this panel will explore how Latin American authors have adapted European and North American modes to express tensions particular to the colonized and Othered region. Of particular interest are theoretical approaches that revisit modernista, romantic and fantastic literature through a Gothic lens, and comparative approaches to European, North American, and Latin American Gothic production. Collectively, this panel will deepen scholarship on the dialectics at the heart of cultural production in the region: civilization/barbarity, indigenous/European, monstrous/homogenous, human/non-human, etc.

In support of the idea that there is a meaningful Gothic tradition unique to Latin America, this panel will explore how Latin American authors have adapted European and North American modes to express tensions particular to the colonized and Othered region. Of particular interest are theoretical approaches that revisit modernista, romantic and fantastic literature through a Gothic lens, and comparative approaches to European, North American, and Latin American Gothic production. Collectively, this panel will deepen scholarship on the dialectics at the heart of cultural production in the region: civilization/barbarity, indigenous/European, monstrous/homogenous, human/non-human, etc.