Preface  ix

Acknowledgments  xvii

Note on Citations and Translations  xxi

1. The Political is Personal  1

2. On Becoming a Storyteller: Dorfman's Literary and Cultural Influences  31

3. An Aesthetics of Hope  60

4. Anything Else Would Have Tasted Like Ashes: From Popular Unity to Exile (1797090)  93

5. I am A Liar Who Always Tells the Truth: From Exile to Diaspora (19902005)  152

6. Creative Criticism/Critical Creativity: Media Criticism and Cultural Journalism  244

Conclusion. One among Many  280

Appendix 1: An Ariel Dorfman Chronology  285

Appendix 2: An Ariel Dorfman Bibliography  295

Notes  333

Works Cited  349

Index  361

“Controversial, relentless, provocative, and astoundingly creative, Dorfman has been the most single-minded culture critic of the latter part of the 20th century. McClennen’s critique is, in turn, an exemplary analysis of Dorfman’s remarkable practice of thinking through crisis. An invaluable addition to the literature on literary and cultural studies. Essential.”—K. M. Sibbald, Choice

“[T]his remarkable study makes a valuable contribution for those interested in Dorfman's life and works and for anyone considering the difficult questions of how literature can effectively engage with the world in which we live, of what role more experimental art can play in the age of mass media, and of how language can engage with trauma and memory.”—Victoria Garrett, Hispania

“[A] welcome overview of Ariel Dorfman’s huge corpus of literary, journalistic, cinematographic, and critical work. . . . McClennen's book . . . makes the reader aware of the monumental and diversely composed project that is Dorfman's corpus. . . .”—Robert F. Barsky, Modern Drama

“While much has been written about [Dorfman’s] work, this is the first book-length English-language work to focus on the writer. McClennen rises to the occasion, producing a valuable addition to the field of cultural and literary studies. . . . Extremely well written, this book is a lyrical and well-reasoned invitation to glimpse the creative space of a fully engaged global citizen.”—Adriela Fernandez, Latin American Perspectives

“Controversial, relentless, provocative, and astoundingly creative, Dorfman has been the most single-minded culture critic of the latter part of the 20th century. McClennen’s critique is, in turn, an exemplary analysis of Dorfman’s remarkable practice of thinking through crisis. An invaluable addition to the literature on literary and cultural studies. Essential.”—K. M. Sibbald, Choice

“[T]his remarkable study makes a valuable contribution for those interested in Dorfman's life and works and for anyone considering the difficult questions of how literature can effectively engage with the world in which we live, of what role more experimental art can play in the age of mass media, and of how language can engage with trauma and memory.”—Victoria Garrett, Hispania

“[A] welcome overview of Ariel Dorfman’s huge corpus of literary, journalistic, cinematographic, and critical work. . . . McClennen's book . . . makes the reader aware of the monumental and diversely composed project that is Dorfman's corpus. . . .”—Robert F. Barsky, Modern Drama

“While much has been written about [Dorfman’s] work, this is the first book-length English-language work to focus on the writer. McClennen rises to the occasion, producing a valuable addition to the field of cultural and literary studies. . . . Extremely well written, this book is a lyrical and well-reasoned invitation to glimpse the creative space of a fully engaged global citizen.”—Adriela Fernandez, Latin American Perspectives

“Ariel Dorfman: An Aesthetics of Hope is a complete life-and-works study of Dorfman, one of the premier Latin American writers. Surprisingly, it is the first full-length English-language study of the author. I learned a great deal from this rich and compassionate text. Sophia A. McClennen approaches Dorfman with measured affection and a sharp critical eye. She has written a model study: the biographical information provides context for the creative work, and her analysis of the creative work avoids excessive plot summary, while still giving the reader unfamiliar with a given text enough information to understand the argument.”—Debra A. Castillo, author of Redreaming America: Toward a Bilingual American Culture

“Sophia A. McClennen is a writer of extraordinary gifts and one of our most promising intellectuals. In Ariel Dorfman: An Aesthetics of Hope, she not only gives human form to a poetics and politics of hope, but also offers us a brilliant and compelling narrative of Ariel Dorfman’s work and life, revealing the courage and costs involved in taking risks, embracing civic courage, addressing the suffering of others, and living in a world in which democracy must never be taken for granted. Beautifully written and brilliantly argued, this is a book for everyone who believes that hope is the poetry of politics.”—Henry A. Giroux, author of Hearts of Darkness: Torturing Children in the War on Terror

Permission to Photocopy (coursepacks)

If you are requesting permission to photocopy material for classroom use, please contact the Copyright Clearance Center at copyright.com;

If the Copyright Clearance Center cannot grant permission, you may request permission from our Copyrights & Permissions Manager (use Contact Information listed below).

Permission to Reprint

If you are requesting permission to reprint DUP material (journal or book selection) in another book or in any other format, contact our Copyrights & Permissions Manager (use Contact Information listed below).

Images/Art

Many images/art used in material copyrighted by Duke University Press are controlled, not by the Press, but by the owner of the image. Please check the credit line adjacent to the illustration, as well as the front and back matter of the book for a list of credits. You must obtain permission directly from the owner of the image. Occasionally, Duke University Press controls the rights to maps or other drawings. Please direct permission requests for these images to permissions@dukeupress.edu.
For book covers to accompany reviews, please contact the publicity department.

Subsidiary Rights/Foreign Translations

If you're interested in a Duke University Press book for subsidiary rights/translations, please contact permissions@dukeupress.edu. Include the book title/author, rights sought, and estimated print run.

Disability Requests

Instructions for requesting an electronic text on behalf of a student with disabilities are available here.

Rights & Permissions Contact Information

Email: permissions@dukeupress.edu

Email contact for coursepacks: asstpermissions@dukeupress.edu

Fax: 919-688-4574

Mail:
Duke University Press
Rights and Permissions
905 W. Main Street
Suite 18B
Durham, NC 27701

For all requests please include:

1. Author's name. If book has an editor that is different from the article author, include editor's name also.

2. Title of the journal article or book chapter and title of journal or title of book

3. Page numbers (if excerpting, provide specifics)

For coursepacks, please also note: The number of copies requested, the school and professor requesting

For reprints and subsidiary rights, please also note: Your volume title, publication date, publisher, print run, page count, rights sought