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Dan Russek, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies

Prof. Dan Russek, a native of Mexico, has taught at UVic since 2004 (as Lecturer, from 2005 as assistant professor). He earned a B.A. (Philosophy) and an M.A. (Comparative Literature) from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). He completed his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at the University of Chicago, specializing in modern and contemporary Latin American literature and visual arts. His fields of research include the links between literature and the visual arts and media, urban studies and aesthetics.

He is currently finishing a book manuscript that explores the relations between 20th century Latin American literature and photography. His new research project explores the relations between modern technology, culture and literature, and centers on the notion of epiphany and the phenomenon of light.

Prof. Russek regularly teaches a survey course on modern and contemporary Latin American literature (SPAN 385) and a course on Latin American film (SPAN 485B). He has taught courses on Latin American literature and the visual arts, and monographic courses on Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar and Octavio Paz.

Prof. Russek was Treasurer of the Canadian Association of Hispanists (2008-2011) and has coordinated the Department’s annual Latin American and Spanish Film Week (http://web.uvic.ca/hispanital/latin/film_series_2011.htm).

Besides his academic publications, Prof. Russek has published literary essays and a book of poetry in Spanish (Tornasol. México: El Tucán de Virginia, 1993). He continues developing his lyrical vein by exploring in a series of essays the links between urban aesthetics, poetry, photography and mysticism.

Among the things that give meaning to his life (besides friendship and loveâ€¦), he counts running, Rec centers, classical music, jazz, world music, photography, structures, textures, stunning sunsets and generally clouds...

EDUCATION

Ph.D., University of Chicago, Comparative Literature

M.A., Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Comparative Literature

B.A., Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Philosophy

TEACHING AND RESEARCH INTERESTS

- XXth and XXIst C. Latin American Literature

- Literature and Visual Arts

- Aesthetics and Urban Studies

- Literature and Philosophy

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

- “El momento epifánico en Luz silenciosa (2007) de Carlos Reygadas”. Proceedings of Cine-Lit VII: An International Conference on Hispanic Film and Fiction. Guy H. Wood, ed. Corvalis, OR: Cine-Lit Publications (Forthcoming).

“Photographing Christ: Technology and Representation in Rubén Darío’s ‘Verónica’.” Revista Canadiense de Estudios Hispánicos. 34.2 (2010) 359-378.

“Borges‘ Photographic Fictions.” Hispanic Journal. 31.2 (2010): 67-80.

- “Rulfo, Photography and the Vision of Emptiness.” Chasqui: revista de literatura latinoamericana. 37.2 (2008) 15-27.

- “An Aesthetics of Reticence: Borges and the Films of Lucrecia Martel.” Proceedings of Cine-Lit VI: An International Conference on Hispanic Film and Fiction Guy H. Wood, ed. Corvalis, OR: Cine-Lit Publications, 2008, 54-64.

-“Ekphrasis and the Contest of Representations in La Novela de Perón (1985) by Tomás Eloy Martínez.” Double Exposure: Photography and Literature in Latin America, New Mexico University Press, edited by Marcy Schwartz and Mary Beth Tierney-Tello, 2006, 173-191

- “ Literature and Photography: Parallel Crafts. An Interview with Elena Poniatowska,” included in the volume Double Exposure: Photography and Literature in Latin America, edited by Marcy Schwartz and Mary Beth Tierney-Tello, 2006, 242-249.

- “Verbal/Visual Braids: on the Photographic Medium in the Work of Julio Cortázar,” Mosaic 37.4 (2004) 71 - 86.