The Latin American and Latino/a Studies program welcomes Professor Daynali Flores-Rodriguez, who will be presenting a lecture, Trans-Caribbean Narratives of Dictatorship and the Latin American Imaginary, at 2 p.m. February 19, in 314 Williams Hall.

Daynali Flores-Rodriguez

Daynali Flores-Rodriguez

Flores-Rodriguez examines selected literary writers who have developed a different meaning toward dictatorial experience than is commonly assumed, in that the experiences are much more integral to the culture rather than being isolated from it. Her work identifies the complex cultural realities of the Trans-Caribbean region and allows authors to play an active part in crafting culture.

Flores-Rodriguez is an assistant professor in the department of Hispanic studies at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she also works as the team leader for the Latin American studies program in the international studies department. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she earned her B.A. in 2001 in comparative literature from the Universidad de Puerto Rico. She obtained an M.A. in 2004 and Ph.D. in 2011 in comparative literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has worked at several higher education institutions in Puerto Rico and the United States.

Her research explores the dynamics of power and identity in cultural discourses from a transnational perspective.