Following the defeat of the Second Spanish Republic, María Zambrano (1904–1991) and Rosa Chacel (1898–1994), two of Spain’s most gifted intellectuals and writers, wrote compelling meditations on the meaning of confession in life and literature. Noël Valis and Carol Maier provide the first complete English-language translations of these essays. Zambrano and Chacel were friends, if not always amicably so; supporters of the Republic; and exiles. Both disciples of the philosopher Ortega y Gasset, they were nevertheless able to establish their own creative independence in their writing. Not only do the essays address national issues centered on Spanish literature, culture, and history, they also offer a unique philosophical-spiritual and literary approach to confession within the areas of philosophy, literature, religion, autobiography, women’s and gender studies, and cultural studies. The translators’ introduction, afterword, and meticulous annotations supplement the texts.
Table of Content
Introduction
Noël Valis
Confession
María Zambrano
Confession
Rosa Chacel
Afterword:
Pieces of a Scattered Puzzle
Carol Maier
Annotations
Index
About the author
Noël Valis is Professor of Spanish at Yale University, and her many books include the award-winning translation of Noni Benegas’s poetry,
Burning Cartography.
Carol Maier is Professor Emerita of Spanish and Translation Studies at Kent State University and the translator of several books, including the award-winning translation of Rosa Chacel’s
Memoirs of Leticia Valle and María Zambrano’s
Delirium and Destiny: A Spaniard in Her Twenties, also published by SUNY Press.