Tag Archives: books

Food, Art, and Eroticism? Gala’s Meals in Salvador Dalí’s Cookbook

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

Still looking for the perfect gift for someone who appreciates cooking and cookbooks, art and photography, or somewhat obscure Spanish cultural history? Good news! Just this October I learned that Taschen would publish a new edition of Salvador Dalí’s Rare, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Spain, Surrealism | Tagged 1940s, 1970s, books, Dalí, erotica, food, Salvador Dali, sexuality, Spain, surrealism | 5 Comments

“Celebración Cervantina / Cervantes Celebration” at K-State

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

2016 – This year marks the 400th anniversary of the deaths of two extremely influential literary figures: renowned English playwright William Shakespeare and celebrated Spanish playwright and novelist Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, who most know best as the author of … Continue reading →

Posted in Language, Literature, Spain | Tagged 17th century, books, Cervantes, Don Quixote, Golden Age, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, novel | Leave a comment

Discovering “The Soul of Spain”… in Kansas!

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

Since my hectic, teaching-heavy spring semester is finally over, I now have some time to start easing back into a few of my research projects. But first, of course, I needed some time to relax and not think about anything … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, History, Literature, Spain, Women | Tagged books, Eugenics, gender, goya, Havelock Ellis, sevilla, sexuality | 4 Comments

Following the Footsteps of a Literary Hero: Personal Histories of Place

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

This summer I had several projects to work on, including an article on urban Madrid, two new syllabi to prepare, and a conference presentation in Salamanca on the film Las 13 Rosas. But I also took on another smaller project … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Spain, Spanish Civil War | Tagged books, fiction, Franco, hero, history, journey, Laurie Lee, Spain, spanish civil war, travel | Leave a comment

Women of the Second Republic (Spain 1931-39)

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

While I was in Spain last summer (2014), I was able to attend the “Feria del libro” (Book Fair) that takes place annually in Madrid’s central park, El Retiro. According to the Feria del Libro’s (FLM) website, its goals are … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Feminism, First-wave spanish feminism, History, Spain, Women | Tagged 1930s, books, Dalí, feria del libro, gender, las 13 rosas, madrid, mallo, Second Republic, spanish civil war, women | 6 Comments

Bicycles, typewriters, and sex!?!? Cultures of the Erotic in early 20th Century Spain

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

Among the many articles and books I consulted for my last article on La Venus mecánica, Maite Zubiaurre’s Cultures of the Erotic in Spain, 1898-1939 (from Vanderbilt UP, 2012) was by far my favorite. Not only does Prof. Zubiaurre‘s monograph … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Literature, Modernity, Spain | Tagged 1920s, art, books, erotica, Eugenics, gender, Hildegart Rodríguez, literature, madrid, modernity, pseudoscience, sex, sexuality, Spain, spanish art, spanish literature | 6 Comments

The Red Virgin: Motherhood and Power Dynamics

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

“I shall do as you request, and tell you everything about myself […] You may like me, but I am not alive.” –Hildegarte, played by Ivana Baquero in The Red Virgin “I will do as you ask and tell you … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, First-wave spanish feminism, History, Pedagogy, Science and Medicine, Spain, Women | Tagged 1920s, Aurora Rodriguez, Birth Control, books, Eugenics, Family Planning, film, first-wave spanish feminism, Gregorio Marañon, Havelock Ellis, Hildegart Rodríguez, madrid, maternity, medical history, motherhood, pedagogy, Red Virgin, sexuality, Spain, teaching spanish, women | 7 Comments

Picasso on Maternity and Motherhood

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

A few weeks ago, students in my Hispanic Women’s Literature course turned in their first paper on Carmen de Burgos’ La rampa. Part of their assignment was to include an image with their essay. One student selected the following painting, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Spain, Women | Tagged 1920s, art, art history, books, femininity, maternity, Mother and Child, mother-child relationship, motherhood, Pablo Picasso, picasso, Spain, spanish art, women | 9 Comments

The Dalí Triangle: A Surrealist’s Take on the Catalonian Landscape

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

Lately I’ve been writing recommendation letters and filling out language evaluation forms for many of my students who are planning to study abroad during the upcoming academic year. Costa Rica… Ecuador… Argentina… Spain… with each request I find myself wishing … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Spain | Tagged 1920s, art, books, Catalonia, Dalí, Dalí paintings, Figueras, Fundación Gala-Salvador Dalí, photography, Portlligat, Salvador Dali, Spain, spanish art, study abroad, surrealism, teaching spanish | 10 Comments

Exploring Female Identities in Carmen de Burgos’ “La rampa”

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

One of the first novels to spark my interest in early twentieth-century Spanish women’s literature was Carmen de Burgos’ La rampa (1917). As an urban novel, the narrative explores the effects of modernity not only on the residents of and … Continue reading →