Before I boarded my plane to Chile, I expected to go to South America and learn some more conversational Spanish, hang out with the locals and learn about literature. But I got more than just a great tan from the hostel rooftop on my study abroad trip: I got the opportunity to meet a famous Chilean author.
The three-week University of Maryland study abroad program “Chilean Literature, Democracy and Social Change” ran from January 2-22, 2011. Taught by UMD faculty Professor Vivianne Salgado, the class was exposed not only to her knowledge as a native of Chilean capital Santiago, but also her connections in the literary world.
Taking the metro, our class of 14 students was personally fed lunch by Pia Barros, a renowned Chilean short story writer and essayist. She and her husband made us lunch and invited us into their home for a traditional lunch of humitas (hot breaded corn dough sautéed with onions and spices, wrapped in corn husks), fresh fruit, bread and strawberry juice.
Barros (left) at her home with author Elizabeth Roberts.
“It was awesome how she allowed 15 students into her home and cooked us a meal,” said junior public health major Jessie Dankos. “I feel like writers in America would rarely do that.”
Salgado translated Barros’ Spanish to English, keeping the content sarcastic and direct, just how Barros started her speech to Salgado: “You start and I’ll destroy your discourse.”
Upon meeting Barros for the first time when Salgado was a teenager attending one of her writing workshops, she said to Salgado, “You don’t need to say anything. You’re the crazy one in the family, you like to write.” Barros soon became our professor’s mentor, reeling in both her creative energy and liaisons to the professional world, a network that our class also became exposed to while in Chile.
Salgado studied with Barros for five years before starting college at the University of Chicago. She calls the author her literary fairy godmother who gave her the inspiration to write. Barros calls herself a feminist writer of novel, narrative and prose. As a director of a literary workshop, she teaches six sections each week, as if being a director of a small publishing house wasn’t enough work. Barros has written 10 books total, half of which have been translated to English.
As part of the subversive culture during the 1970s and 80s, Barros wrote books about her personal opinions of the Chilean government’s inadequacy. Illustrations were made by prominent political cartoonists and were marketed secretly to the public since the production of books wasn’t allowed without government authorization.
“Throughout her speech, the importance of women in power was instilled,” said Joe Amiri, a senior government and politics major. “She talked fondly of former Chilean president Michele Bachelet and it was unique to hear about how important women really are in society while I was in the middle of a three week trip as the only male.”
Roberts with some of the women in her study abroad program.
Barros presented each member of the class with a free book, a testament to her giving nature and the all around friendly treatment we had received during our stay in Santiago. “Women were second class citizens, especially among writers,” said Barros. “Aterramiento was published in 2010. Its name comes from terror and tierra which means earth, to be mindful of the land. It’s a map, representing the center of what was most affected by the February 2010 earthquake: real people.”
This pocket-sized book immediately drew us in even before she had completed her speech. Aware and happy that we became disengaged with the lecture and more engaged with what was put right in front of us, she said, “There’s a certain amount of resistance that young people have towards reading but if it is small, then it is intriguing. Everyone is a child inside, curious, so you’re going to go find out what’s in it.”
Lindsey Frechette, a sophomore bioengineering major, found that although literature was different from her usual course material at school, she found the work interesting because Barros had the courage to express her opinions freely in a constricting environment. “I think writing and journalism are powerful professions because opinion is always incorporated and someone can always critique or disagree,” said Frechette.
While three weeks may not sound like it would gain the breadth comparatively of an entire semester abroad, it provided more than just an excursion into a different culture, it was a newly gained perspective on taking raw experiences and through writing, making them relatable to other people. Literature is a gamble that tries to make sense of inconsistencies; as college women we are used to unpredictable situations.
Talking to Barros made me realize that as women with the privilege of being enrolled in school, we have a lot of resources at our hands to become extremely powerful. Whether this is momentum put toward a social cause or simply taking control of our own lives, we owe it to ourselves to work progressively toward fulfilling our personal ambitions.