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Consuelo Hernandez Associate Prof Emerita World Languages and Cultures

Degrees
PhD, New York University (New York, USA)

MA, Universidad Simón Bolívar (Caracas, Venezuela)

BA, Universidad de Antioquia (Medellín, Colombia)

Bio
Professor Hernández, a recipient of the National Endowment for Humanities Fellowship, and the Antonio Machado Poetry Prize, is devoted to creativity in poetry, teaching, literary criticism and cultural studies. Her own poetry, as well as several scholarly conferences on Octavio Paz and César Vallejo, are videotaped and recorded for the Archives at the Library of Congress. Prof. Hernández is the author of nine books: seven poetry collections and two scholarly books on Latin American poetry. Her Álvaro Mutis: Una estética del deterioro, a fundamental work on this outstanding writer, achieved Honors by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at NYU. In 2011 her collection of poetry Polifonía sobre rieles won the Antonio Machado Poetry Award in Spain, and, the same year, she was awarded the James Street Prize for Best Article published in Latin American Essays. Her more recent book of poetry Mi reino sin orillas was published in 2016.


Hernández, who has devoted her professional life to writing and teaching, received the Graduate New Faculty Award at AU, and was the creator of new courses at the Spanish and Latin American Studies Program at American University such as: Creative Writing in Spanish, Central America Cultural Studies, Colombia Past and Present, and Afro-Latin America Culture and Music. Before coming to AU, Hernández taught in Colombia, Venezuela, and in New York at Medgar Evers College, at Fordham University, at New York University, where she won the Celia Siegel Award for Excellence in Teaching; and also, at Manhattanville College, where she served as a Chair of the Spanish Department. Additionally, she was awarded with the “Mentor Appreciation Certificate” by Arizona State University.

Consuelo Hernández has appeared in both national as well as international media including The Washington Post. Gival Press, Voice of America, Library of Congress, Telemundo (the Spanish NBC channel), ElTiempo Latino, El Pregonero, La Tribuna Hispana USA, and Hispanic Poetry Review (USA); El Colombiano, Tele Antioquia, Radio de la Universidad Católica, El Tiempo, Lecturas Dominicales. (Colombia); Radio Nacional (Panamá); Diario Co-Latino and La prensa gráfica (El Salvador), Caretas and Cambio (Perú); La Jornada y Todito (México), Prensa Libre (Guatemala), El Nacional (Venezuela) Letras Salvajes (Puerto Rico); Aurora Boreal, (Dinamarca).
See Also
World Languages & Cultures
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Partnerships & Affiliations

  • • Pen Faulkner Foundation.
    Guest Writer

  • American University
    Associate Professor Emerita

  • • The Academy of American Poets
    Member

  • • Poetry and Human Rights Member
    Member

  • • Modern Language Association
    Member

  • • Instituto Internacional de Literatura Iberoamericana
    Member

  • • AEREA Revista Hispanoamericana de Poesía
    Editorial Board

  • • World Poetry Movement
    Member

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Research Interests

Creative and Research Interests

Hernández’s professional life has gravitated between creativity and literary and cultural studies research. At present, she is working in a poetry collection that captures both individual and collective facts and emotions posed by the challenges of new century. Her scholarly book, Voces y perspectivas en la poesía latinoamericana del siglo XX (2009), covers topics such as violence, oppression, exile, the body, gender issues, and culture clashes; and reflects on regional and national poetic diversity through personal and social experience. It is an inclusive study of poetry works by authors who have not traditionally been heard – feminists, indigenous, Afro Latin Americans– as well as canonical poets.

 

Honors, Awards, and Fellowships

  • Guess Editor of Hispania: Homage to the life and work of Gabriel García Márquez, 2013
  • “Antonio Machado Poetry Prize”. Madrid, Spain, October 17, 2011.
  • James Street Prize. Mid-Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies, in recognition

for Scholarly Excellence and the best article published in MACLAS. Latin American Essays. 2010.

  • “Huésped de Honor en El Salvador” (Honored Guest) by the Mayor and the Council. El Salvador, May, 2006.
  • “Mentor Appreciation Certificate.” Arizona State University, 2003.
  • Certificate of Recognition for the Poetry Work. The Consulate of El Salvador Long Island, New York, 2003.
  • Finalist of the XVIII International Poetry Contest Ciudad Melilla. Spain, 1996.
  • Graduate New Faculty Award 1995-1996. American University. CAS. September 1995.
  • National Endowment for Humanities Fellowship. Claremont Graduate School, CA. 1995
  • Scholarship at the Escorial. "Narratives from Two Worlds by Hispanic American Writers." Universidad Complutense. El Escorial, Spain. August,1993.
  • Invited Lecture. Instituto de Cooperación Iberoamericana.  "Semana del Autor," Salute to Álvaro Mutis. Madrid, Spain. October 1992.
  • 1990   Celia Siegel Award for Excellence in Teaching. Graduate School of Sciences and Arts, NYU. 1990
  • Dissertation Ciarf Wagner Fellowship. NYU.  México DF, México. 1991
  • Graduate Student Award for Academic Achievement, NYU. 1989
  • Finalist in literary contest "Letras de Oro Contest," University of Miami.1988.

 

Selected Publications

Books

  • Mi reino sin orillas.  Madrid: Editorial Torremozas, 2016. Amelia Mondragón’s review says: “Hernández is one of the few Hispanic American poets that add an existential dimension to the poetry written by her generation”. 
  • Voces y perspectivas en la poesía latinoamericana del siglo XX. Madrid: Visor, 2009. One of the most cited books by scholars of Latin American poetry.
  • Poems from Debris and Ashes / Poemas de escombros y cenizas. Philadelphia: Xlibris, 2006.  Elvira Hernández writes, “Without a doubt, a much needed and urgent book;” Joseph Ross: “It is a beautiful and necessary book:” and Herbert Tico Braun says, “It is a unique voice is everyone’s. It’s our voice.”Manual de peregrina. Santiago de Chile: Pentagrama editores, 2003. Álvaro Mutis call this book “A delightful and luminous guide, whose title says it all. Each place has been treated with wise plenitude only achieved through poetry.” 
  • Solo de violín. Poemario para músicos y pintores. Colección Mujeres de Palabra. Alexandria: Los signos del Tiempo Editores, 1997. This book was a finalist in the International poetry contest Ciudad Melilla in Spain.
  • Álvaro Mutis: Una estética del deterioro. Caracas: Monte Ávila Editores, 1996.

ARTICLES AND BOOK CHAPTERS

Go to CV where also can access book reviews, translations, published poems and participation in Art exhibits. 

SELECTED INVITED PRESENTATIONS

  • Invited Poet. Graduate Center of City University of New York. March 8, 2019.
  • Invited Poet. The Writer’s Center. Bethesda, MD. December 9, 2017.
  • Invited Poet and Book Signing. Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress. April 6, 2017
  • Invited Poet. Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site Center. Huntington Station. NY, October 13, 2016.
  • Invited Poet. Cervantes Institute. New York City. October 14, 2016.
  • Invited Poet.  Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Letterari. University of Padua.  Padua, Italy. May 20, 2016.
  • Invited Lecture “José María Arguedas’ Poetry.” Celebrating the Centenary of J.M. Arguedas. Villanova University, Philadelphia, October 29, 2011.
  • Invited Lecture “Inmigrantes en la literatura escrita en español.” Embassy of El Salvador. Washington DC, November 3. 2010.
  • Invited Poet. Medellín International Poetry Festival. Medellín. July 2010.
  • Keynote Speaker: Tribute to Octavio Paz. New York University, Center King Juan Carlos I of Spain. New York, May 22, 2008.
  • Invited Poet. "Sharing Stories of Immigration."  Smithsonian Institution, American History Museum  Washington, October 12, 2007.
  • Invited Poet to the New York Hispanic and Latino Book Fair.  New York, September 21, 22, 23. 2006
  • Keynote Speaker and Invited Poet at The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.  Richmond, VA. November. 4, 2006.
  • Invited Poet. Reading at The George Washington University, Department of Romance Languages. April 22, 2005.
  • Invited Poet. DC Poets Against the War.  Martin Luther King Library. Celebration of Poetry Month. April 2004.
  • Invited Lecture. Universidad de Antioquia.  March 12, 2004.
  • Invited Poet and Book Signing. Fundación Neruda. Valparaíso, Chile. March 2003.Invited Poet and Book Signing. Sociedad de Escritores de Chile. Santiago de Chile. March 13, 2003.
  • Invited Poet.  Special Poetry Event. 55th Annual Kentucky Foreign Language Conference. University of Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky. April 18-20, 2002.
  • Invited Lecture.  University of Wisconsin. Milwaukee, April 5, 2002.
  • Invited Lecture.  "Pablo Neruda and His Poetry." The National Capitol, Washington, DC. April 8, 1999.

AU Experts

Area of Expertise

Latin American literature and culture, poetry, contemporary criticism; fluent in Spanish

Additional Information

Consuelo Hernández's scholarly books include Voces y perspectivas en la poesía Latinoamericana del siglo XX (2009), and and Alvaro Mutis: Una Estetica del Deterioro (1996), considered by the academic community, the best book on Mutis. As a poet, she is the author of four collections of poems: Poemas de Escombros y Cenizas /Poems from Debris and Ashes (2006); Manual de Peregrina (2003); Voces de la Soledad (1982, 2005) ; Solo de Violin. Poemario para Músicos y Pintores (1997); She was a finalist in the international poetry contest Ciudad Melilla in Spain and Concurso Lestras de Oro at the University of Miami. Hernandez has received a distinction from the Salvadoran Consulate in Long Island, New York, for her poetry books. She is included in numerous anthologies and invited to poetry events by many universities and cultural institutions in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. Hernández has been interviewed by Telemundo (the Spanish NBC channel), Voice of America, Program for Desde Washington (a daily Spanish-language television program), El Tiempo Latino, El Pregonero en Washington D.C.,and La Tribuna Hispana USA,among other media outlets in the United States. She has been also interviewed in Latin America.

For the Media

To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

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