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The Buenos Aires Reader

History, Culture, Politics

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The Latin America Readers

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Book

Pages: 400

Illustrations: 69 illustrations, including 10 in color

Published: November 2024

Editors: Diego Armus, Lisa Ubelaker Andrade

The Buenos Aires Reader offers an insider’s look at the diverse lived experiences of the people, politics, and culture of Argentina’s capital city primarily from the nineteenth century to the present. Refuting the tired cliché that Buenos Aires is the “Paris of South America,” this book gives a nuanced view of a city that has long been attentive to international trends yet never ceases to celebrate its local culture. The vibrant opinions, reflections, and voices of Buenos Aires come to life through selections that range from songs, poems, letters, and essays to interviews, cartoons, paintings, and historical documents, many of which have been translated into English for the first time. These selections tell the story of the city’s culture of protest and celebration, its passion for soccer and sport, its gastronomy and food traditions, its legendary nightlife, and its musical, literary, and artistic cultures. Providing an unparalleled look at Buenos Aires’s history, culture, and politics, this volume is an ideal companion for anyone interested in this dynamic, disruptive, and inventive city.

Praise

“This is a brilliant introduction to one of the world’s most fascinating cities. Combining erudition and accessibility, it captures Buenos Aires in all its dizzying diversity. Through expertly chosen images and texts introduced with insightful explanations, the book will provide students, scholars, and travelers alike with a rich appreciation for the city’s history, architecture, subcultures, nightlife, politics, cuisine, sports, and more. Even repeat visitors will find thrilling new discoveries in these pages.” - Matthew B. Karush, George Mason University

“There are two versions of Buenos Aires: the one that is oversimplified and stereotyped, and the real, intricate, incredibly diverse city that I grew up in. This book is for those who want to get to know the latter, the true Buenos Aires, and what makes it so stunning, infuriating, and enigmatic. More than an encyclopedia, it’s an ode to porteños, the people of Buenos Aires.” - Jasmine Garsd, National Public Radio correspondent and host of the podcast, The Last Cup / La última copa

"The Buenos Aires Reader, a comprehensive anthology enriched by its editors’ erudite commentaries, captures the Argentine capital’s evolution through contributions in art, food, music, soccer, and much else." - Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs

"This magnificent collection of texts illustrates the complexity of Buenos Aires, its splendor and its dark corners." (translated from Spanish)
  - Carolina Rocha, Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies

"Is it possible . . . to comprehend the history of this sprawling city well enough to explain the present? It seems an almost impossible challenge, but fortunately this book shows that it can be done. . . . A first-class editorial project." - Daniel Schávelzon, Ethnohistory

"The Buenos Aires Reader is a creative, expansive, and innovative collection of primary source materials. . . . The reader’s strength lies in the diversity of sources that showcase Buenos Aires’ vibrant social history, in the number of new translations, and the often-poetic, curatorial organization of its themes." - Kristen McCleary, The Americas

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Author/Editor Bios Table Of Contents Rights Additional Information

Author/Editor Bios

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Diego Armus is Professor of History at Swarthmore College and author of The Ailing City: Health, Tuberculosis, and Culture in Buenos Aires, 1870–1950, also published by Duke University Press.

Lisa Ubelaker Andrade is Researcher and Professor at Universidad de San Andrés and a Lecturer at New York University-Buenos Aires.

Table Of Contents

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Acknowledgments
Introduction
Buenos Aires: A Brief History of the Last Five Hundred Years
I. The Living City
II. Taking to the Street
III. Eating in Buenos Aires
IV. Hinchas, Cracks, and Potreros in the City of Soccer
V. Reading, Watching, and Listening in Buenos Aires
VI. The City at Night
VII. Written Cities
Suggestions for Further Reading and Viewing
Acknowledgment of Copyrights and Sources
Index

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Sales/Territorial Rights: World

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Additional Information

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Paper ISBN: 978-1-4780-3084-3 / Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4780-2660-0 / eISBN: 978-1-4780-5985-1 / DOI: https://doi.org/10.1215/9781478059851