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ELBA D. BIRMINGHAM-POKORNY, Ph.D

PROFESSOR OF SPANISH

Photo taken in San Francisco, California

Second from left to right: Dr. Elba D. Birmingham-Pokorny

  Elba D. Birmingham-Pokorny is a Professor of Spanish in the English and Foreign Languages Department at Southern Arkansas University. She teaches Spanish language, culture, and literature courses at all levels.   Dr. Birmingham-Pokorny has presented papers at numerous regional, national, and international conferences.  In addition, she is founder, organizer, and coordinator of an annual Afro-Hispanic Literature and Culture Conference, as well as editor of Diáspora  (a journal of Afro-Hispanic Literature and Culture).  Her literary articles, reviews, and translations have appeared in various scholarly books and journals, among which are Confluencia, Journal of Caribbean Studies, Callaloo, and others.

 Degrees:

• Ph.D. University of Washington

• M.A. University of Washington   
• B.A. Portland State University

 

Research Interests:

• Latin American Women Writers

• Peninsular Women Writers 

• 20^th Century Spanish and Latin American Prose and Poetry

• Popular Cultures

• Caribbean Literature  

• US Latino Literature

• Afro-Hispanic Studies

• Issues of Gender, Culture, and Identity in Literature 

Abbreviated List of Recent Publications:

• "Nación, historia e identidad:  Una relectura del discurso de la panameñeidad en Laberintos de orgullo de Rosa María Britton."  Spain, Madrid. 2007.

• La desficcionalización de los discursos de la nación, la historia y la identidad ecuatoriana en Jonatás y Manuela de Luz Argentina Chiriboga." To appear in Diáspora Vol. XV, 2007.

• "Cuerpo, mujer y marginalidad:  Una [re]lectura crítica del modelo identitario de la patria, del ser y de la cubanidad en la obra de Julián del Casal" in Julián del Casal en el nuevo milenio.  Managua, Nicaragua:  PAVSA, 2005: 97-116.

 

•  "Sirena Selena vestida de pena: Una [re] lectura crítica de la representación de la identidad de la nación, del cuerpo y del sujeto en el debate de la postmodernidad periférica" in Diáspora #14, 2005: 12-21.

·         “Rasgando el silencio:  Mujer, nación y libertad en el discurso poético de Dulce María Loynaz” In Dulce María Loynaz:  Cien años después.”  Eds. Luis A. Jiménez and Humberto López-Cruz.  Madrid, España: Editorial Hispano Cubana, 2004: 135-146.

 

·         "Cuerpo, mujer y sociedad: La representación de la caribeñidad en la obra de Mayra Santos-Febres" en Rebeldía, denuncia y justicia social: Voces enérgicas de autoras hispanoamericanas y españolas. Miami, Florida: Ediciones Universal, 2004: 123-132.

 

·         “Enrique Jaramillo-Levi,” in Dictionary of Literary Biography, Vol II. Ed. María Salgado.  Bruccoli Clark Layman, Inc., 2002.

 

·         “Rogelio Sinán” in Dictionary of Literary Biography, Vol II.  Ed. María Salgado.  Bruccoli Clarl Layman, Inc., 2002.

·         “Patria, mujer y sociedad: La inscripción de la voz y la constitución del sujeto  femenino en Las voces silencidadas (poemas feministas) de Luz Méndez de la Vega.”  In Estudios críticos sobre la literature guatemalteca. Ed. Oralia Preble-Niemi.  Guatemala, Guatemala: Editorial Edinter, 2004. 

 ·         “Re-writing Cuban History and Identity:  The Legitimization of Love, Culture, and Otherness in Marta Rojas’ El columpio de Rey Spencer.”  In Diáspora No. 11 San Jose, Costa Rica:  Editorial Perro Azul, 2001.

 ·         “Creación y vida: El destierro en la obra poética de Eunice Odio.”  En Eunice Odio frente a la crítica.  Ed. Rima de Vallbona and Jorge Chen Shang.  San José, Costa Rica:  Editorial Universitaria, 2001

 ·         "Postcolonial Discourse and the Re-thinking of Gender, Identity, and Culture in Mayra Santos-Febres' 'Broken Strand'" in Diáspora Costa Rica: Editorial Perro Azul, 2000.

 ·         Referencias cruzadas (Entrevistas al escritor panameño Enrique Jaramillo-Levi). Costa Rica: Ediciones Perro Azul, 1999.

 ·         The Demythologization of Language, Race and Culture and The Re-Mapping of Latin American Identity in Luis Rafael Sánchez's Works. (Miami: Ediciones Universal, 1998).  

·         "Del Centro a la periferia: En el discurso de Lola Rodríguez de Tió" in La voz de la mujer en la literatura hispanoamericana de fin-de-siglo. Edited by Luis A. Jiménez. Costa Rica: Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica, 1999.

 

·         "Patria, mujer y sociedad en la obra poética de Amelia Denis de Icaza" in La voz de la mujer en la literatura hispanoamericana de fin-de-siglo. Edited by Luis A. Jiménez. Costa Rica: Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica, 1999.

 

·         "The Figure of La Malinche: A Feminist Perspective on Race, Sex, and Otherness in Mexican and Chicano Literature." Confluencia, Vol II, No.2, spring 1996.

 

·         Critical Perspective in Enrique Jaramillo-Levi's Work. A collection of critical essays in the works of Jaramillo-Levi. (Miami: Ediciones Universal, 1996). 

 

Conference Presentations:

 

• "La desficcionalización de los discursos de la nación, la historia y la identidad ecuatoriana en Jonatas y Manuela de Luz Argentina Chiriboga."  Quito, Ecuador.  January 7-12, 2007.

·    "Cuerpo, mujer y marginalidad:  Una [re]lectura crítica del modelo identitario de la patria, del ser y de la cubanidad en la obra de Julián del Casal.  Presented at the 14th Annual Afro-Hispanic Literature and Culture Conference.  Valle de Antón, Panamá.  May 26-28, 2005 

·    "Sirena Selena vestida de pena:  una [re]lectura crítica de la representación de la nacción, del cuerpo y del sujeto en el debate de la postmodernidad periférica. " Presented at the 13th Annual Afro-Hispanic Literature and Culture Conference.  Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  December 17-19, 2003.

·    "Patria, mujer y sociedad:  La inscripción de la voz y la constitución del sujeto femenino en  Las voces silenciades de Luz Méndez de la Vega.”  Presented at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the AATSP.  Rio de Janeiro, Brasil July 29 to August 2, 2002. 

·         “El legado de Ba-lunda:  La inscripción del cuerpo, la voz y la identidad de la mujer negra en la cultura ecuatoriana en Jonatás y  Manuela.”  To be presented at the 12^th Annual Afro-Hispanic Literature and Culture Conference.  Alcalá de Henares, Spain December 17-19, 2001. 

·         “ Women, Body, and Identity:  A Feminist Reading of Caribbeaness in Mayra Santos-Febres’ Urban Oracle.”  Presented at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the AATSP.  San Francisco, California, July 5-9, 2001. 

·         Cuerpo, mujer y sociedad:  La representación de la caribeñidad en la obra de Mayra Santos-Febres.  Presented at the X Congreso de la Federación Internacional de Estudios Sobre América Latina y el Caribe.  Moscow, Russia, June 25-31, 2001. 

·         “ La temática del destierro en la obra poética de Jorge Rodríguez-Florido.”  Presented at the Annual Conference of Círculo Panamericano.  Newark, New Jersey, November 5-7, 2000. 

·         "Re-writing Cuban History and Identity: The Legitimization of Love, Culture, and Otherness in Marta Rojas' El columpio de Rey Spencer." Presented at the Eleventh Annual Afro-Hispanic Literature and Culture Conference. July 4-10, 2000. San José, Costa Rica. 

·         "Creación y vida: El destierro en la obra poética de Eunice Odio." Presented at the Annual Meeting of Círculo Panamericano, November 5-7, 1999. Newark, New Jersey. 

• "On Love and Politics: A Feminist Reading of the Female Body, Woman, Love and Nation in Gloria Guardia's El último juego." Annual Meeting of the AATSP, Denver, Colorado, July 31-August 4, 1999. 

• "Del centro a la periferia: En el discurso de Lola Rodríguez de Tió." Presented at the 1998 Annual Meeting of the AATSP, July 31-August 5, 1998, Madrid, Spain. 

•  "Post-colonial Discourse and the Re-thinking of Gender, Class, Identity, and Culture in Mayra Santos-Febres' Pez de vidrio." Presented at the Tenth Annual Afro-Hispanic Literature and Culture Conference. May 25-31, 1998. Xalapa, Veracruz, México.

 

Awards:

 

            ·        Honor Professor Award- Southern Arkansas University 2007

·         Excellence Research Award – Southern Arkansas University 2001

·         Distinguished Contributions to the Field of Afro-Hispanic Studies - Universidad de Alcalá, May 27, 1998

·         Excellence Teaching Award - Southern Arkansas University, May 7, 1993.

 

Administrative and Other Professional Experience:

·        Director of Senior Project.  Initiated during Fall 2004 for Spanish and French majors.

·        Director of Summer Program in Mexico.  Initiated during the Summer 2004 with the Center for Bilingual and Multicultural Studies in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

·        Founder and Editor of Diáspora, Journal of the AA-HLCC, ISSN 1062-6972, Copyright 1992-to present.

 ·        Head Bibliographer of the Hispanophone:  Caribbean and South American Literature section of Callaloo Annotated Bibliography 1990-1995

 ·        Editor of The Journal of Proceedings of the Black Image in Latin American Culture, 1988-1991

 ·        Associate Editor of Selecta, Journal of the Pacific Northwest Council on Foreign Languages, 1988-1992.

 

Offices held in Professional Organizations:

·        President of Panamanian Literature Sessions.  2003 AATSP Meeting.  Chicago, Illinois.

·        Secretary of Panamanian Literature Sessions.   2002 AATSP Meeting.  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 1-5, 2002

·        Founder, Organizer, and Coordinator of the Annual Afro-Hispanic Literature and Culture Conference.  1988-Present

·        Co-coordinator in the United States of the Sixth Annual National Festival of Percussion and Literature, Havana, Cuba, April 17-24, 1995.

·        Head Bibliographer of the Hispanophone:  Caribbean and South American Literature section of Callaloo Annotated Bibliography, 1990-1995.

·        President of the Spanish/ Spanish American Cultures section of the Pacific Northwest Council on Foreign Languages, 1991-1992

·        President of the Spanish/ Spanish American Literature section of the Pacific Northwest Council on Foreign Languages, 1988-1990.

·         Secretary of the Spanish/ Spanish American Literature section of the Pacific Northwest Council on Foreign Languages, 1987-1988.

 

Development and Organization of Multicultural Programs

• Developer of Summer Program in Mexico.  

• Organizer of Semester Literary Reading.

• Founder and Coordinator of an Annual Afro-Hispanic Literature and Culture Conference, 1998-Present
• Creator and Coordinator of the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at Southern Arkansas University.
• Organizer of the Spanish Cuisine Tasting Celebration at Southern Arkansas University.
• Organizer of the Annual Spanish Film Festival at Southern Arkansas University.  

 

Professional Affiliations:

·        Association of Caribbean Studies

·        American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese

·        Southwest Council of Latin American Studies

·        Southwest Arkansas Foreign Language Teachers Associations

Experience Abroad

Costa Rica, Panamá, Italy, Denmark, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Bahamas, Argentina, Venezuela, Spain, Colombia, Uruguay, Egypt, El Salvador, France, England, Honduras, Uruguay, Perú, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Russia, Ivory Coast, Syria Cuba, and Switrezland.

Residence Abroad

Panamá, Costa Rica, Italy, Argentina, Chile, and Denmark.

Projects

Currently working on an article in Carmen Naranjo's Más allá de Parisimina.

Contacts:

Dr. Elba D. Birmingham-Pokorny

      Southern Arkansas University

      100 E. University / P.O. Box 9220

       Magnolia, Arkansas 71754-9220

       Telephone (870)-235-4206

       E-mail:  elpokorny@saumag.edu