The Writing of Elena Poniatowska: Engaging Dialogues

Elena Poniatowska is one of Latin America’s most distinguished and innovative living writers. Advocacy of women and the poor in their struggle for social and economic justice, denunciation of the repression of that struggle, and a tendency to blur the boundaries between conventional literary forms characterize her writing practice. Asserting that Poniatowska’s writing has been uniquely shaped by her experience as a journalist and interviewer, Beth Jörgensen addresses four important Palabras cruzadas (interviews), Hasta no verte Jesús mío (testimonial novel), La noche de Tlatelolco (oral history), and La “Flor de Lis” (novel of development). She also treats related pieces, including Lilus Kikus (short fiction), De noche vienes (short stories), Fuerte es el silencio (chronicles), and several of Poniatowska’s essays. Her readings incorporate a variety of critical approaches within a feminist framework.