If you were a fan of R. L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” series growing up, a Missouri State University professor has just the book for you. Associate professor Dr. Heidi Backes recently published a book on gothic fiction. The title is a mouthful: “Spectral Spain: Haunted Houses, Silent Spaces and Traumatic Memories in Post-Franco Gothic Fiction,” but Backes promises it will give you … [Read more...] about The tangled history of Spanish women and haunted houses
News stories about the United States’ southern border with Mexico are making headlines almost daily. However, little is said about those migrants and their journeys through Mexico. Dr. Judith Martínez is an associate professor in the department of languages, cultures and religions at Missouri State University. Her research focuses on forced migration and violence. She … [Read more...] about Understanding the forced migration of Central Americans
Television shows like Ozark, the Queen of the South, Narcos and Breaking Bad exist to entertain us. For many people in Central America and Mexico, these narratives of drug cartel culture are less than glamorous. These forms of literature reflect unnerving realities of violence and crime, forcing many to migrate to the United States to escape the dangers they face. Some never … [Read more...] about Exposing what was once invisible