Pérez-Romero, Antonio 1949-

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Pérez-Romero, Antonio 1949-

PERSONAL:

Born February 5, 1949, in Cuenca, Spain. Education: University of Toronto, Ph.D., 1988.

ADDRESSES:

Office—John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, associate professor of Spanish.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

Subversion and Liberation in the Writings of St. Teresa of Avila, Rodopi (Atlanta, GA), 1996.

The Subversive Tradition in Spanish Renaissance Writing, Bucknell University Press (Lewisburg, PA), 2005.

Also contributor of articles to journals.

SIDELIGHTS:

Antonio Pérez-Romero has taught courses in Spanish language, culture, and literature in the United States since 1992. He studied in his native Spain as well as in France, England, and Canada, where he earned his doctoral degree, and eventually became a professor at John Carroll University in Ohio. In addition to his books, he has written numerous articles on Spanish literature. His research interests include mystical writings, attitudes toward women, and plays written by women.

In The Subversive Tradition in Spanish Renaissance Writing, Pérez-Romero examines how the literature of this period portrayed people who occupied a subordinate position in society, including women and the poor, and their rebellion against their subjugation. For instance, he deals with Juan de Flores's 1495 story Grisel y Mirabella, which features an extramarital love affair between the two titular characters. That the woman, Mirabella, does not feel guilt or regret indicates that she is claiming her right to be sexual, according to Pérez-Romero. He sees another sexually assertive woman in Melibea, a character in Celestina by Fernando de Rojas. Pérez-Romero explores class politics in works such as Juan Maldonado's De motu Hispaniae, an account of a popular revolt. He finds Maldonado more sympathetic to the rebels than he might appear at first glance.

Some critics noted that Pérez-Romero brought a fresh approach to literary scholarship. Ignacio Navarrete, writing in the Renaissance Quarterly, praised Pérez-Romero for bringing attention to some fairly obscure works, including Grisel y Mirabella and De motu Hispaniae. The author's discussion of these works is often "interesting" and "original," Navarrete wrote. The critic thought, however, that Pérez-Romero failed to deliver "radically new" insights on some other writings, such as Celestina. Navarette also deemed it odd that Pérez-Romero did not cover works dealing with religious strife in Renaissance Spain, which saw persecution of Jews and Muslims by the nation's Christian rulers.

Charles Victor Ganelin, a contributor to the Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies, voiced the opinion that Pérez-Romero's summary of criticism on various works can become "cumbersome," but it does highlight "important studies … that have paved the way for him to continue to address class, feminist, and other socioeconomic issues." He called the book solidly researched, but not necessarily convincing, as he found Pérez-Romero too dismissive of those who disagree with his interpretations. Navarette, on the other hand, complimented Pérez-Romero for exploring literature that is "not usually included in the subversive canon" and summed up the book as "well-written, clearly-organized, and lucid."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies, Volume 10, number 1, 2006, Charles Victor Ganelin, review of The Subversive Tradition in Spanish Renaissance Writing, pp. 282-283.

Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, September 1, 2005, M.S. Arrington, review of The Subversive Tradition in Spanish Renaissance Writing, p. 107.

Reference & Research Book News, May 1, 2005, review of The Subversive Tradition in Spanish Renaissance Writing, p. 272.

Renaissance Quarterly, March 22, 2006, Ignacio Navarrete, review of The Subversive Tradition in Spanish Renaissance Writing, p. 174.

Sixteenth Century Journal, September 22, 2006, Fabio Lopez-Lazaro, review of The Subversive Tradition in Spanish Renaissance Writing, p. 790.