This America We Dream of

Jose Enrique Rodo (1871-1917) is a key figure in the history of Latin American culture. His best known work is 'Ariel', an influential essay published a hundred years ago in his native Montevideo. Partly inspired by Spain's defeat over Cuba and Puerto Rico two years earlier, 'Ariel' is the subcontinent's foremost call for a concerted Latin Americanism to counter the cultural impact of the United States, and has influenced later interpretations of that relationship. The essays gathered in this volume provide a complex view of Rodo and make a significant contribution to the current renewal of interest in the work of a writer whose message is likely to need further reinterpreting efforts well into the second centenary of 'Ariel'. Contributors include: Iain A.D. Stewart, University of St. Andrews; Jason Wison, University College, London; Gordon Brotherston, Stanford University; Stephen M. Hart, University College, London; Stephen G.H. Roberts, University of Nottingham.