Lee University Assistant Professor of Spanish Dr. Alexander Steffanell’s new book has been published by Thomas de Quincey Editores. The book is entitled “El Caso Madre Castillo: Discurso Confesional Hegemonico y Canon en la Literatura Colombiana.” (The Case of Mother Castillo: Hegemonic Confessional Discourse on Canon in Colombian Literature)
Dr. Steffanell’s book focuses on the 15-17th century Colombian spiritual autobiographies, specifically in the case of Mother Castillo. Castillo was a white upper class nun who wrote about dreams sent to her from God, in which evil was portrayed in the form of the indigenous and black people groups.
In his book, Dr. Steffanell analyzes Castillo’s spiritual autobiography and the themes of racism, power relations, and religious discourse throughout Castillo’s writings.
Dr. Steffanell joined the Department of Language and Literature in 2007 as an assistant professor of Spanish. Before this, he served as a teaching assistant, lecturer, and assistant to the coordinator of First Year Programs in Spanish at Miami University in Ohio before moving to the University of Florida in 2003 to take a graduate teaching position and complete his doctoral studies. He has also organized cross-cultural trips to Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Colombia.
Dr. Steffanell dedicates the book to his family, as well as the Lee students who have impacted him and inspired him to finish his writings.
“I am very appreciative for the support of the Department of Language and Literature,” said Dr. Steffanell. “Without them, the publication of this book would have been impossible.”
“El Caso Madre Castillo” is available in Colombia through Thomas de Quincey Editores, or can be purchased from Dr. Steffanell at asteffanell@leeuniversity.edu.