John Kraniauskas – författare

Carlos Monsiváis is one of Latin America's most prescient and prolific social commentators. In this, the first English translation of his work, he presents an extraordinary chronicle of contemporary life south of the Rio Grande, which ranges over pop music, Latino hip hop, film stars such as Cantinflas and Dolores del Rio, the writer Juan Rulfo, life on the border with the United States, boleros and melodrama.Monsiváis's chronicles are theoretically informed but are crammed with people rather than abstractions. They make points of deadly seriousness in a voice which is laconic, satirical and humorous, and which is often written in the register of his subjects. Monsiváis draws on a deep understanding of Mexico's cultural histories-popular, mass and high-and notes the fascinating ways in which they interact to transform each other. The conflicts between Mexican and North American culture and between modern and traditional ways of life are constant themes of his investigations.A dazzling mixture of reportage, narrative and biting social criticism, Mexican Postcards is certain to establish Monsiváis's rightful place in the pantheon of Latin America's greatest writers.

Capitalism and its Discontents presents a series of interpretative essays on a number of key modern and contemporary Latin American novels and films. The overarching theme in the essays is the relation between such textual materials and their regional contexts.

Capitalism and its Discontents presents a series of interpretative essays on a number of key modern and contemporary Latin American novels and films. The overarching theme in the essays is the relation between such textual materials and their regional contexts.

Esta obra analiza las posibles relaciones entre la crítica de Walter Benjamin y la experiencia cultural del capitalismo en América Latina; la hipótesis de que, vista desde la perspectiva de la producción cultural, la experiencia histórica latinoamericana del capitalismo ha estado sobredeterminada por lo político; y que la violencia constituyente que define la "acumulación originaria" no sólo precede al capitalismo, sino que lo acompaña de forma siempre como su condición de existencia y reproducción.Este libro reúne nuevas lecturas contextuales, es decir, sociales, de una parte fundamental del archivo cultural latinoamericano.