Tag Archives: Spain

Non-Motherhood, (In)Fertility, and Choice in Two Recent Spanish Narratives

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

This post shares my recent article, published in the Hispanic Studies Review, which analyzes two Spanish “hybrid narratives”: Míriam Aguilar’s “¿Y ahora qué?” (2024) and Paola Andrea Ghirardi’s “Diario de una bordadora” (2023), exploring non-motherhood, fertility struggles, and maternal desire. The excerpts from this article show how these writers challenge societal views on motherhood, offer alternative narratives that validate the experiences of women confronting infertility, and redefine their identity beyond motherhood. Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Literature, Spain, Women | Tagged Spain, maternity, motherhood, spanish literature, books, contemporary spanish literature, nonmotherhood, infertility, publication, maternidad, no maternidad | Leave a comment

Students’ Study Abroad Projects: Bridging Language and Research in Spain

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

First post of 2026! This year my goal is to return to posting at least once per month (*fingers crossed*). This past August 2025 I returned to my role as Associate Professor of Spanish – and Director of Graduate Studies … Continue reading →

Posted in Pedagogy, Spain, study abroad | Tagged conference, L2 Pedagogy, madrid, pamplona, Spain, student research, study abroad, study abroad program | Leave a comment

Divorce in Spain, by Carmen de Burgos (1904): An English Translation & New Spanish Edition

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

Carmen de Burgos’s works on divorce in early 20th-century Spain are now available in English and Spanish editions. The volumes capture the historic debate on divorce and its impact on the feminist movement. Burgos, a prominent early feminist, used her influence as a columnist to prompt public debate on divorce and played a pivotal role in the eventual legalization of divorce in the 1930s. Her unique approach and influence on the early Spanish feminist movement are detailed in these volumes, which are available for purchase through the MLA Bookstore. Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, First-wave spanish feminism, History, Spain, Women | Tagged books, Carmen de Burgos, divorce, early 20th century Spain, journalism, madrid, newspapers, Spain, spanish literature, women | Leave a comment

Geographies of Urban Female Labor and Nationhood in Spanish Culture (1880-1975) (review)

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

It’s been a LONG time since I wrote a new post, as the past three years have been unpredictable and anxiety-ridden, to put it mildly! I was able to take students to Spain again this summer (2022) which was so … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, History, Literature, Spain | Tagged 1920s, 1930s, 19th century, 20th century, angel del hogar, books, domesticity, gender, literature, madrid, seccion femenina, Spain, spanish literature, urban studies, women, women's history | Leave a comment

Americans in Spain (1820-1920): Traveling Women Artists and their Subjects

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

Typically some of my favorite things to blog about are trips to art museums and special exhibits that connect to my research and teaching interests on various topics related to Spanish history, culture, and literature. Taking in specially curated collections, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Spain, Women | Tagged 19th century, 20th century, art, art history, books, museo del prado, Spain, travel, velazquez, women, women's history | 1 Comment

Spanish Women’s Literature and Feminism for the L2 classroom: Tsunami, Miradas feministas (2019)

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

Since I last wrote about my favorite book from 2019, I thought it made sense to move on to one of my other top reads, which was another one of the MANY books I carried home after spending most of … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Literature, Pedagogy, Spain, Women | Tagged autobiography, books, catholicism, femininity, Feminism, L2 Literature Pedagogy, Laura Freixas, literature, Maria Sanchez, Marta Sanz, motherhood, Nuria Barrios, pedagogy, religion, rural, Sara Mesa, Spain, spanish literature, teaching | 4 Comments

María Victoria de la Fuente Alonso’s Scenes of Sleep in Galicia

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

When I was in Spain in the summer of 2018, one of my friends welcomed me to her home in Pontevedra, where I stayed for a few days to explore this region of Galicia for the first time. She was … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Spain, Women | Tagged art, galicia, Maria Victoria de la Fuente Alonso, museo de Pontevedra, museums, posguerra, Spain, women | 1 Comment

A New History of Iberian Feminisms (review)

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Dr. Rebecca Bender

REVIEW: Bermúdez, Silvia and Roberta Johnson, eds.A New History of Iberian Feminisms. U of Toronto P, 2018. 522 pp. (My full-length, non-illustrated(!) review was published with Feministas Unidas in 2018. This is simply a shortened, blog-style version of the review … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, First-wave spanish feminism, Spain, Women | Tagged book review, books, Feminism, history, Spain, women's history | 3 Comments

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

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 →