Disaster Writing: The Cultural Politics of Catastrophe in Latin America

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In the aftermath of disaster, literary and other culturalrepresentations of the event can play a role in the renegotiation of politicalpower. In "Disaster Writing, " Mark D. Andersonanalyzes four natural disasters in Latin America that acquired national significanceand symbolism through literary mediation: the 1930 cyclone in the DominicanRepublic, volcanic eruptions in Central America, the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, and recurring drought in northeastern Brazil. Taking a comparativeand interdisciplinary approach to the disaster narratives, Anderson exploresconcepts such as the social construction of risk, landscape as political andcultural geography, vulnerability as the convergence of natural hazard and socialmarginalization, and the cultural mediation of trauma and loss. He shows how thepolitical and historical contexts suggest a systematic link between natural disasterand cultural politics.