CLCS Awards in the Public Humanities 2022/2023 Cohort: Fernando Duran

Central American Literature: Environment, Archive, and Access

Project Description:

This project creates an archive of Central American literature, music, and film for all ages. This canon not only brings together Central American literary voices from across the globe, but also provides a way for Latinx and Central American people to reflect on these texts and the environments we navigate, both in Central America and here in Prince George’s County. As such, the Central American community will create a canon of transnational environmental knowledge. Several events will highlight local environmental concerns and issues of access to outdoor spaces.

Bio:

Fernando is a Doctoral Candidate in English at the University of Maryland. He studies Latinx literature and culture. His research examines the relationship between Central American literature and the environment, with a focus on how Central American writers reimagine literary genres as a means of environmental critique during the rise of multinational agribusiness, war and armed conflict, and migration from and within Central America.