Post-Columbus Syndrome

Fabienne Viala is Associate Professor of Hispanic and Caribbean Studies at the University of Warwick, UK.

"Fabienne Viala's book is a study in breadth, depth, and virtuosity. Covering an astonishingly wide range of subjects, genres, writers, and theories, and delving thoughtfully into the underlying myths and beliefs of three different linguistic areas of the Caribbean, she succeeds spectacularly in finding something new to say not only about some of the Caribbean 'giants' of thinking about identity, but, as few observers of the modern Caribbean can, also about a common cultural identity, based on her genuinely original interpretation of the contested and always complex notion of cultural memory. It is a joy to read." - Antoni Kapcia, Professor of Latin American History, University of Nottingham, UK "A significant work of comparative Caribbean cultural studies. Fabienne Viala demonstrates an impressive ability to move between different Caribbean contexts to offer insight into the processes of memory and memorialization throughout the region. The Post-Columbus Syndrome is an important contribution to understanding hemispheric culture." - Raphael Dalleo, Associate Professor of English, Florida Atlantic University, USA "The Post-Columbus Syndrome is a very important book for Caribbean Intellectual History. Within most recent trends in Cultural Studies, Fabienne Viala examines the links between the multiple variants of relevant writings in the region, shifting between non-fiction essays to fiction, including both poetry and narrative. These are studied in their geo-political context, and corresponding cultural policies around the 500th Anniversary of Colombus' 'discovery of the New World.' The book is, thus, valuable not only for its research, arguments, and analysis, but also for its novel approach. I strongly recommend its use for university courses, for academic discussions, and for general readers interested in Caribbean identities." - A.G. Quintero-Rivera, Professor at the Social Science Research Centre, University of Puerto Rico

• Introduction: The Post-Columbus Syndrome: A Comparative Approach to Caribbean Memory in the Longue Durée PART I: POST-COLUMBUS SYSTEMS OF MEMORY: RECYCLING HERITAGE IN THE CARIBBEAN 1. Transculturation as Commemoration: Fernando Ortiz, the Cuban Longue Durée, and the Role of Columbus 2. Edward Kamau Brathwaite and Transnational Anamnesis: Creolising Columbus in the English Caribbean Collective Memory 3. The Snake, the Shore, and Columbus: Edouard Glissant's Anamnesis of the French département d'outre-mer 4. Anamnesis, Chaos, and Columbus: Antonio Benítez Rojo and the Caribbean 'feedback-machine' PART II: ANAMNESIS CARIBENSIS: COLUMBUS IN 1992 5. Columbus, the Memorious: Commemorations of the 500th Anniversary of the Discovery of the New World in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic 6. Christopher Columbus in the English Caribbean: Commemoration and Performance in Jamaica 7. Columbus in Martinique and Guadeloupe: Amnesia and Commemoration in the French Outremer 8. Columbus, theScapegoat, and the Zombie: Performance and Tales of the National Memory in Haiti Conclusion: Towards an Archipelagic Memory