A Report on a Concert

A short story

Rethinking the social impacts of the arts

The paper presents a critical discussion of the current debate over the social impacts of the arts in the UK. It argues that the accepted understanding of the terms of the debate is rooted in a number of assumptions and beliefs that are rarely questioned. The paper goes on to present the interim findings of a three‐year research project, which aims to rethink the social impact of the arts, with a view to determining how these impacts might be better understood. The desirability of a historical approach is articulated, and a classification of the claims made within the Western intellectual tradition for what the arts “do” to people is presented and discussed

Borges and the Third Man: Toward an Interpretation of ‘Unánime noche’ in “The Circular Ruins”

I aim to show how the enigmatic phrase 'Unánime noche' in the famous first sentence of “The Circular Ruins” is inextricably linked to the story’s last words. Toward this purpose, I argue—against plausible foundational interpretations of the story—for a nonfoundational reading of the text and, moreover, that Borges’s use of ‘unánime’ (one soul) can be understood as one character or one form; namely, as an archetype of “Dreamanity” that leads to a vertiginous Third Man regress

Aesthetic Value, Artistic Value, and Morality

This entry surveys issues at the intersection of art and morality. Particular emphasis is placed on whether, and in what way, the moral character of a work of art influences its artistic value. Other topics include the educational function of art and artistic censorship

The Argentine Writer and Tradition

In a landmark lecture of 1951, Borges maintained that Argentine writers have legitimate access to a multiplicity of cultural traditions, rejecting as parochial the view that an authentic Argentine literary expression should adhere to the stylistic and thematic norms of Gauchesque literature. Regarding the Western tradition, he reorganized its canon by subverting the hierarchical conventions of literary history, as well as bringing to the forefront a number of non-Western traditions both secular and religious. His approach to questions of language changes over the decades. ’Death and the Compass’ arguably captures a moment of tension between the past and the present in which a new artistic expression comes to life

The Canon is el Boom, et. al., or the Hispanic Difference

In his article, Gene H. Bell-Villada\u27s The Canon is el Boom, et. al., or the Hispanic Difference, argues that the rich, globally acclaimed, foundational yet contestatory prose literature produced in Latin America allows teachers and scholars of Spanish to teach what is essentially the canon via work that is still fresh, yet historically provocative. Bell-Villada argues that in a time of reconsidering the importance of literature in literature programs, programs of Spanish language and culture should continue to teach this rich cultural legacy. The average U. S. student\u27s condescension toward Spanish and Latin American culture can be transformed to respect after an encounter with writers like García Márquez, Borges, and similar writers of acclaim and when students encounter Nobel Prize winning authors in a course on Latin America their understanding of the region moves beyond the Taco Bell stereotype. Focusing courses on the great works of literature also allows students to rediscover the pleasure in the text making course material accessible and appealing. Further, Bell-Villada suggests that these texts allow us to include material on such topics as U.S. imperialism, race issues, political oppression, and world-system structures of power. For these reasons alone, literature is essential to a project dedicated to teaching students the ways that Hispanic culture is both different and intellectually valuable