“Queer transpositions in New York, Paris and Havana: Ena Lucía Portela re-writes Djuna Barnes”
Seminar with Dr. Natasha Tanna
Lecturer in Philology – University of Cambridge (UK)
The International Institute and American Space Madrid, together with the Department of Romance Languages at Cornell University, invite you to participate in a seminar given by Dr. Natasha Tanna from the University of Cambridge. In this talk, our guest will present her latest research on contemporary Cuban writer Ena Lucía Portela and her novel Djuna and Daniel (2008). In the text, Portela takes up the figure of the American author Djuna Barnes, focusing on her classic lesbian cult text nightwood (1936). During the seminar, Tanna will explore queer literary exchanges between New York, Havana, and Paris that span multiple time periods and written works. In doing so, she will describe what she calls "the strange act of reading as rewriting," which arises through translation, citation, and even plagiarism of literary voices.
The seminar will be held in English.
“Queer Transpositions in New York, Paris, and Havana: Ena Lucía Portela rewrites Djuna Barnes”
Seminar with Dr. Natasha Tanna
Lecturer in Spanish – University of Cambridge (UK)
In collaboration with the Department of Romance Languages at Cornell University, the International Institute and American Space Madrid, invite you to participate in a seminar with Dr. Natasha Tanna from the University of Cambridge. In this talk, Dr. Tanna will present her latest research on the contemporary Cuban writer Ena Lucía Portela and her novella Djuna and Daniel (2008). In the work, Portela revisits the figure of American author Djuna Barnes, focusing on her classic lesbian cult text nightwood (1936). During the seminar, Tanna will explore queer literary exchanges between New York, Havana, and Paris that span multiple time periods and her written works. In doing so, she will describe what she calls “the queer act of reading as rewriting” that emerges through the translation, citation, and even plagiarism of literary voices.