Books in the Critical Studies in Latin American Culture S. series

"Misplaced Ideas" spans the 19th and 20th centuries, and examines the life and work of Brazil's most influential novelist, Machado de Assis, as well as Brazilian film, poetry, theatre and music. Among the recurrent themes are the dangers of nationalism, and the notion of "Third World" literature.

A guide to the history of poetic debate and practice in 20th-century Latin America. The book argues that the possibility of universal emancipation is evoked in the transformation of language. Each chapter focuses on key texts by poets such as Cardenal, Neruda, Vallejo and the Andrades.