WONDER AND EXILE IN THE NEW WORLD
ALEX NAVA
WONDER
AND EXILE
IN THE
NEW WORLD
The Pennsylvania State University Press
University Park, Pennsylvania
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nava, Alexander, 1967–Wonder and exile in the New World / Alex Nava.
p. cm.
Summary: “Explores the language of wonder in the history
of the New World. Traces the preoccupation with this
concept in the history of the Americas from the colonial era
to the twentieth century, with the emergence of so-called
magical realism”—Provided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-271-05993-8 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Spanish American literature—History and criticism.
2. America—Early accounts to 1600—History and criticism.
3. America—Discovery and exploration—Spanish.
4. Baroque literature—History and criticism.
5. Wonder in literature.
6. Wonder—Religious aspects.
7. Magic realism (Literature).
8. Exile (Punishment) in literature.
9. Mysticism and literature.
I. Title.
PQ7081.N2826 2013
860.9′98—dc23
2013003232
Copyright © 2013 The Pennsylvania State University
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Published by The Pennsylvania State University Press,
University Park, PA 16802–1003
The Pennsylvania State University Press is a member of the
Association of American University Presses.
It is the policy of The Pennsylvania State University Press to use acid-free
paper. Publications on uncoated stock satisfy the minimum requirements
of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Material, ANSI Z39.48–1992.
TO MY TEACHERS, especially Robert A. Burns and David Tracy, with gratitude
CONTENTS
ONE Wonder and Exile: Mystical and Prophetic Perspectives
TWO Wanderers and Wonderers in the New World: Voices of the Dispossessed
THREE The Hidden God of the Baroque: Baroque Wonders, Baroque Tragedies
FOUR Baroque Artists in Exile: Cervantes and Sor Juana
FIVE Mysticism and the Marvelous in Latin American Literature
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
When trying to express gratitude for a book on wonder, it’s tempting to begin with the budding memories of childhood, since the aptitude for wonder seems highly developed in this early stage, only to retreat and diminish in adult years. In some cases, under the pressures and routines of the mundane, it goes into hibernation. In my case, childhood was, indeed, the wonder years, a time of fascination and exploration, when everything around me pulsed with life and seemed so remarkably strange and peculiar. I can recall, in particular, the early fascination I had for books and learning and the equal attraction for matters related to the mysterious question of God. And I came to love the rhymes and rhythms of language, especially in literature, poetry, and music. Though my first attraction to poetry occurred through the words and beats of hip-hop (perhaps a subject for another book), I soon turned to the study of literature and religion at the University of Arizona, where my professors (especially Robert Burns, Robert Gimello, and Heiko A. Oberman) fed my insatiable curiosity. I am very grateful for their formative impact on my life.
Upon graduation, I made my way to the University of Chicago, a place that offered my hunger a great banquet of ideas. Bernard McGinn, Anne Carr, David Tracy, Friedrich Katz, Homi Bhabha, and Jean-Luc Marion, among many others, gave me a wealth of knowledge and a completely new set of questions to entertain and explore. This book would not have been written without their teaching and scholarship.
Beyond my teachers in the classroom, this book is a dialogue with numerous scholars that I cite throughout my study. Hopefully my debt to them is clear, but nevertheless I would like to single out a few of them. Edward Hirsch introduced me to the wonders of poetry in his numerous studies on the subject; Roberto González Echevarría was an engaging and excellent guide to the Baroque traditions in Spain and Latin America; Stephen Greenblatt’s work on the marvel of the New World is an obvious influence on this study; and the work of Rolena Adorno, Diana de Armas Wilson, Frederick de Armas, Walter Mignolo, Ilan Stavans, and Lois Parkinson Zamora each contributed significantly to my understanding of Latin American literary and cultural traditions. In theology, the list of influences and contributors to this study is long, but at the top is David Tracy, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Enrique Dussel, Roberto Goizueta, and Benjamin Valentin.
Richard Rodriguez read an early, abridged version one of my chapters, and I was delightfully surprised by the time and care that he put into reading my work and, of course, for the valuable suggestions he gave me, especially pertaining to the writing style. Thank you.
I had the benefit of some good, tough, anonymous readers who gave me fine suggestions and feedback for improving the manuscript. And, of course, my copyeditor, Nicholas Taylor, read the manuscript with great care and helped me clarify and refine it in many ways.
Numerous friends gave me much needed support throughout the entire, long process of writing this book and deserve thanks: Michael Ferguson and Jim and Mimi Dew for the rare and enduring friendship that we have shared; Rick Duran for his friendship and never-ending wealth of humor; Fr. Bill Dougherty for his wisdom and grace; Eileen Couch for her affection and kindness during my graduate school years in Chicago; and Annie Rhodes for her vitality, craziness, and sweetness.
I am also very grateful to my second family from Somalia. They have given me so many precious gifts that it would be hard to express my gratitude in a few words. What I can say is that I have been enriched for knowing them. And my relationship with them would not be what it is if not for two friends of mine—Isabel Shelton and Brooke Sabia. Thank you Miss Isabel