Synopses & Reviews
"... a diverse collection of translations of 20th-century Catalan prose writings... This exploration reveals the achievements of a distinct culture flourishing within Spain and introduces to English readers the work of Catalonia's modern writers.... This title is an entertaining and well-conceived introduction to a relatively unknown culture." --Library Journal
"Those seeking direct access to the region's literary culture should turn to Catalonia: A Self-Portrait..." --The Philadelphia Enquirer
Some of this century's greatest names in Western art have been Catalan: architect Antoni Gaudí, painters Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró, cellist Pablo Casals, and singer Victoria de los Angeles, to name just a few. Catalonia's writers, however, are little known beyond the borders of the country, even though they are comparable in stature to their colleagues in the other arts. Catalonia, A Self-Portrait narrates a tale of extraordinary literary and artistic achievements by a minority culture that thrives within the larger, dominant cultures of Spain and Europe. The selections, twentieth-century Catalan classics, deal with contemporary Catalonia and its people, including some of the outstanding figures named above.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [221]-223 and index.
About the Author
JOSEP MIQUEL SOBRER, Associate Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University, is author of L'epica de la realitat, La doble soledat d'Ausias March, and El libre dels oracles, and co-editor of The Singers' Anthology of 20th-Century Spanish Songs.
Table of Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments
Plan of Barcelona
Map of Catalonia
Introduction by J.M. Sobrer
I. Place
Carles Soldevila 15 The Art of Showing Barcelona
Joan Amades 38 Stones and the Cult of the Dead
Quim Monzo 55 Barcelona Beat
Merce Rodoreda 71 Two Stories
II. Time
Baltasar Porcel 83 A Succinct Explanation of Catalonia for Castilians
Jaume Vicens I Vives 95 The Catalans and the Minotaur
Joan Fuster 106 Maragall and Unamuno, Face to Face
Montserrat Roig 127 Catalans in Nazi Death Camps
Salvador Espriu 146 Two Parables
III. People
Josep Pla 157 Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926)
Joseph Palau I Fabre 191 Picasso and Catalonia
J.V. Foix 202 Three Painters and Four Colors
Pere Calders 214 Two Stories
Bibliography
Index of Proper Names and Terms