Debra Faszer-McMahon, Ph.D., assistant professor of Spanish at Seton Hill University, has written and published, “Cultural Encounters in Contemporary Spain: The Poetry of Clara Janés” which explores how Janés’s poetry addresses religious and cultural tensions on the peninsula and within Europe.

“Previous critical studies have focused on feminist approaches to Janés’s work. This study seeks to expand those discussions,” said Faszer-McMahon.

According to Faszer-McMahon, Janés, one of Spain’s most important contemporary poets, blends aesthetic innovation and culture in her poetry. “Her poetry is particularly suited for a study of the changing relationships in Spain between the West and East,” said Faszer-McMahon.

Faszer-McMahon received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Spanish literature from the University of California, Irvine. Her primary research interests include peninsular poetry and film, women writers, cultural studies, and immigration. Faszer-McMahon has published articles in Hispania, Letras Femeninas, and Anales de la Literature Española Contemporánea on Clara Janés, Rosa Chacel and Pedro Almodóvar. She is currently working on a project related to the poetics of migration in contemporary Spain.