Description
Spectral Leftovers
Book Summary
Spectral Leftovers: Aesthetic-Political Management of Waste is an anthology of cultural criticism that falls within the material turn in the humanities. Through a series of essays, the work examines the concept of the residual as a tool to reinterpret the present, based on cultural expressions that are primarily Latin American. The reader will find a profound analysis of how the remains of memory, the waste of hyper-consumption, and symbolic leftovers become symptoms of the social, ecological, and political spheres, offering a refreshing and critical look at the contemporary world.
What is it about?
This collective volume, coordinated by Adriana López-Labourdette and Valeria Wagner, delves into the aesthetic-political management of waste. Far from a nostalgic vision, the essays propose an archaeology of the present that addresses the "trash-filled" world from multiple disciplines. The work analyzes how Latin American literature, cinema, and other artistic manifestations (from Brazilian poetry and Cuban, Peruvian, Chilean, and Argentine narrative, to the Venezuelan avant-garde) deal with the presence and agency of remains. The book investigates that which remains outside the system of production in order to understand it as a revealing symptom of current economic, environmental, and social crises.
Main Topics
- Cultural criticism and the material turn in the humanities.
- Analysis of the residual device as a tool for interpreting the present.
- Aesthetics of waste, ruin, and the landfill in Latin American culture.
- Relationship between hyper-consumption, memory, and symbolic and real waste.
- Interdisciplinary perspectives on the social, ecological, and political from the concept of the "leftover."
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at academics, students, and readers interested in cultural criticism, Latin American studies, literary theory, and contemporary thought on materialism. It is also of great interest to those seeking a deep and current reflection on the political and aesthetic implications of waste in our society, as well as to humanities professionals who wish to explore innovative approaches to culture and ecology.
What this book offers
- An original and updated perspective on the material turn in the humanities applied to Latin American culture.
- A critical analysis that connects cultural production with contemporary ecological, social, and political issues.
- A diverse anthology that offers multiple disciplinary approaches to a single thematic axis: the residual.
- Conceptual tools to rethink the present from that which is discarded or marginalized by production systems.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Various Authors
- Publisher: Linkgua Ediciones
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Classical texts, current essay
- Collection: IA-Américas entre comillas
- Binding: Hardcover
- Edition Date: April 2025
- Number of pages: 422
- Weight: 100 g
Editorial Review
Spectral Leftovers presents itself as a reference work for those seeking rigorous cultural criticism committed to the issues of our time. Its focus on the residual as an aesthetic-political category, combined with a selection of essays that span diverse geographies and disciplines, makes it a stimulating and necessary read. The work stands out for its ability to build bridges between theory and artistic practice, offering the reader a valuable tool to understand the complexities of the contemporary world from a Latin Americanist perspective.