Ariel Dorfman: An Aesthetics of Hope

"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 "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