Ithaca College

Maria DiFrancesco (Associate Professor, Spanish) presented on a panel called, “(Dis)covering Identity: Marginalized Citizens during Times of Transition” (Chairs: Jill Gonzalez, Boston University; Safiya Maouelainin, Johns Hopkins University) at the 2012 NEMLA conference in Rochester, NY.

DiFrancesco's paper, entitled, “Reading the Liminal Space of Pregnant Bodies in Nieves García Benito’s Por la vía de Tarifa, ”examines the uncomfortable “middle space” of the maternal body. The mothers depicted in her stories not only speak of the geo-political realities of Spain's past, but of the present geo-political realities that shape, and that will continue to inform, Spain’s future.

DiFrancesco also chaired a panel entitled, “La Mujer y la Nación: Woman as Nation Builder in the Spanish-Speaking World.” The purpose of the panel was to interrogate the history of feminism, feminist activism and women’s movements as they have informed, and have been portrayed within, Spanish narrative, film, and television. Panelists looked at the diverse roles Spanish-speaking women have played in forging the notion of ‘nation’ and ‘empire.’