Documents in Crisis Nonfiction Literatures in Twentieth-Century Mexico

2012 Best Book in the Humanities, presented by the Mexico Section of the Latin American Studies Assn. Examines the theory and practice of nonfiction narrative literature in twentieth-century Mexico. In the turbulent twentieth century, large numbers of Mexicans of all social classes faced crisis and catastrophe on a seemingly continuous basis. Revolution, earthquakes, industrial disasters, political and labor unrest, as well as indigenous insurgency placed extraordinary pressures on collective and individual identity. In contemporary literary studies, nonfiction literatures have received scant attention compared to the more supposedly “creative” practices of fictional narrative, poetry, and drama. In Documents in Crisis, Beth E. Jörgensen examines a selection of both canonical and lesser-known examples of narrative nonfiction that were written in response to these crises, including the autobiography, memoir, historical essay, testimony, chronicle, and ethnographic life narrative. She addresses the relative neglect of Mexican nonfiction in criticism and theory and demonstrates its continuing relevance for writers and readers who, in spite of the contemporary blurring of boundaries between fiction and nonfiction, remain fascinated by literatures of fact. “…[a] solidly informative book.” — Revista de Estudios Hispánicos “This book examines traditional ‘fact-based genres’—autobiography, chronicle essay, ethnography, memoir, testimony, and travel writing—as undertaken by some of Mexico’s best-known writers. Within a broad conceptual framework, Jörgensen engages with the work … [and] does an excellent job … Highly recommended.” — CHOICE “I can always count on Beth Jörgensen’s work for clearly written, smart analysis of the Mexican cultural scene. She is, of course, the author of an important study on Elena Poniatowska, and is known for her deep knowledge of Mexican nonfiction writers/cronistas. She brings this strength to her new book as well, where her deep familiarity and long interest in Mexican cultural forms lends her book an assured and confident grounding.” — Debra A. Castillo, author of Redreaming America: Toward a Bilingual American Culture