Accessible and reliable introduction in English to the earliest vernacular lyric poetry in the Iberian Peninsula.

Dating to the tenth century, the earliest vernacular lyric poems in the Iberian Peninsula have been seen as evidence of an even older, oral, folk tradition and attest to the multicultural, multilingual nature of the genre from its very beginning. Primarily preserved in manuscript and printed songbooks, these poems were widely diffused across the Hispanic world.

This Companion offers an accessible, reliable introduction in English to early Iberian traditional lyrics from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective, paying special attention to their multicultural origins and their complex nature as both oral and written compositions. The opening chapters discuss the importance of understanding this dual essence in studying traditional lyrics today, provide an outline of their structure and formal features, and offer a contemporary overview of the field. The volume then examines the kharjas, the cantigas de amigo, and the tradition of Catalan lyricism before turning to a comparison of popular lyrics with the poetry of the cancioneros and romanceros and the preservation of the tradition in Sephardic ballads. The final chapters examine the survival of popular lyrics into the modern era and explore a new means of interpreting these poems through musical archaeology and musicological studies.

The first integrated overview in English of Latin American crime fiction, a flourishing genre with unique perspectives and characteristics.

Latin American crime fiction has a long and rich history, and this volume offers the first integrated overview in English of a flourishing tradition with unique perspectives and characteristics. Featuring contributions from leading scholars of a multifarious genre often shortened to neopolicíaco or neopolicial, this Companion explores noir literature in Latin America. The first part looks at the history of the novela negra and its manifestations in Mexico, Argentina, Cuba and Brazil. The second part examines patterns and trends including literary crime fiction, the narconovela, a concern for increasing racial and sexual diversity and the phenomenon of true crime. In the third part, expert analyses are given of four leading authors and their work: Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Leonardo Padura Fuentes, Claudia Piñeiro and Rubem Fonseca. The book closes with a chapter on screen adaptations of crime fiction for film and television. Overall, the Companion provides a clear and authoritative account of Latin American crime fiction, showcasing its variety, fluidity and adaptability.

How can photography enrich our knowledge of Latin America?

Photography provides unique insights into Latin America. It acts as a witness, agent, and archive - containing a wealth of knowledge about the continent, its social classes, and its multiple ethnicities. This companion introduces the reader to the role that photography plays in Latin America, offers ways in which it can be studied, and reveals how this medium can promote a deeper awareness of the region.

It reviews the history of photography in Latin America; ways in which the technology transmits distinctive information; the influence of specific photographers and their relationships with patrons, mentors, and students; the role of institutions in promoting photography; and the developing Latin American canon. The Companion to Latin American Photography also explores how the medium can shape Latin American narratives and cultural identities; assert or question power; serve as testimony and memory; and represent and empower women, children and youth, as well as marginalized groups such as the disappeared.

The study is intended not only to provide an overview of Latin American photography (including dozens of images from a vast array of photographers over the past two centuries), it also discusses innovative work taking place there. Above all, this book can be viewed as a guide to the ways in which photography can enhance and expand a viewer's knowledge of Latin America.