William Nericcio
Encyclopedia
William Anthony Nericcio, aka Memo, is a Chicano
literary theorist, cultural critic
, American Literature
scholar, and Professor
of English
and Comparative Literature
at San Diego State University
. Nericcio served two years as the Chair of the Department of English and Comparative Literature from August 2007 through October 2009, where he worked successfully to diversify the professoriate and the curriculum; he stepped down in Fall of 2009 and is now Director of the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences program. He also serves on the faculties of the Chicana/o Studies Department, the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences (MALAS), and the Center for Latin American Studies. His work focuses on Chicano literature and film, Mexican-American cultural studies
, continental philosophy
, psychoanalysis
, and global popular culture
. He wrote a book on popular representation of Mexican and Mexican-American identity, Tex[t]-Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the "Mexican" in America which was awarded the designation ‘Outstanding Academic Title’ 2007 by the American Library Association
in the category of Film Studies
. He has two other books published by San Diego State University Press—one, The Hurt Business: Oliver Mayer's Early Works Plus, and Homer From Salinas: John Steinbeck's Enduring Voice for the Californias, both from SDSU Press's Hyperbole Books imprint.
Nericcio is also a graphic designer
, creating book covers, film posters, and websites, most notably for SDSU Press and Hyperbole Books, where he oversees the production of cultural studies tomes. His Text-Mex Galleryblog investigates the pathological interrogation of Mexican, Latina/o, Chicana/o, "Hispanic," Mexican-American, and Latin American stereotypes, political, and cultural issues. In late 2010, Nericcio began a text-image exhibition entitled “MEXtasy,” which has been displayed at numerous institutions, including University of Michigan and South Texas College. He is currently working on his follow-up book to Tex[t]-Mex, Eyegiene: Permutations of Subjectivity in the Televisual Age of Sex and Race.
, Texas, but with ancestry that hails from General Téran
and Monterrey, Mexico, Partanna
, Sicily
, and England
, and considers himself post-Movimiento Chicano. Nericcio received his BA in English from the University of Texas at Austin
in 1984, then went on to complete his doctoral degree in Comparative Literature from Cornell University
in 1989, with a dissertation entitled The Politics of Solitude: Alienation in the Literatures of the Americas. Nericcio's dissertation director was Enrico Mario Santí—other members of his committee included Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
and Kathleen Newman. While at Cornell, Nericcio served as a graduate research and teaching assistant to Carlos Fuentes
at the A.D. White House Society for the Humanities.
Chicano
The terms "Chicano" and "Chicana" are used in reference to U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. However, those terms have a wide range of meanings in various parts of the world. The term began to be widely used during the Chicano Movement, mainly among Mexican Americans, especially in the movement's...
literary theorist, cultural critic
Cultural critic
A cultural critic is a critic of a given culture, usually as a whole and typically on a radical basis. There is significant overlap with social and cultural theory.-Terminology:...
, American Literature
American literature
American literature is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British...
scholar, and Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and Comparative Literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
. Nericcio served two years as the Chair of the Department of English and Comparative Literature from August 2007 through October 2009, where he worked successfully to diversify the professoriate and the curriculum; he stepped down in Fall of 2009 and is now Director of the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences program. He also serves on the faculties of the Chicana/o Studies Department, the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences (MALAS), and the Center for Latin American Studies. His work focuses on Chicano literature and film, Mexican-American cultural studies
Cultural studies
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
, continental philosophy
Continental philosophy
Continental philosophy, in contemporary usage, refers to a set of traditions of 19th and 20th century philosophy from mainland Europe. This sense of the term originated among English-speaking philosophers in the second half of the 20th century, who used it to refer to a range of thinkers and...
, psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
, and global popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. He wrote a book on popular representation of Mexican and Mexican-American identity, Tex[t]-Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the "Mexican" in America which was awarded the designation ‘Outstanding Academic Title’ 2007 by the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
in the category of Film Studies
Film studies
Film studies is an academic discipline that deals with various theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to films. It is sometimes subsumed within media studies and is often compared to television studies...
. He has two other books published by San Diego State University Press—one, The Hurt Business: Oliver Mayer's Early Works Plus, and Homer From Salinas: John Steinbeck's Enduring Voice for the Californias, both from SDSU Press's Hyperbole Books imprint.
Nericcio is also a graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
, creating book covers, film posters, and websites, most notably for SDSU Press and Hyperbole Books, where he oversees the production of cultural studies tomes. His Text-Mex Galleryblog investigates the pathological interrogation of Mexican, Latina/o, Chicana/o, "Hispanic," Mexican-American, and Latin American stereotypes, political, and cultural issues. In late 2010, Nericcio began a text-image exhibition entitled “MEXtasy,” which has been displayed at numerous institutions, including University of Michigan and South Texas College. He is currently working on his follow-up book to Tex[t]-Mex, Eyegiene: Permutations of Subjectivity in the Televisual Age of Sex and Race.
Life and education
William Anthony Nericcio was born in LaredoLaredo
- Cities :*Laredo, Texas, United States*Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico - Towns :*Laredo, Cantabria, the original Spanish town with this name.*Laredo, La Libertad, Peru*Laredo, Missouri, United States...
, Texas, but with ancestry that hails from General Téran
General Terán
General Terán is a Mexico municipality located in Nuevo León. It was given its name in honour of General Manuel Mier y Terán.It has a 2,465 km² territorial extension...
and Monterrey, Mexico, Partanna
Partanna
Partanna is a town and comune in South-Western Sicily, Italy, administratively part of the province of Trapani. It has 11,427 inhabitants as of 2004. It is located 58 km south-west of Trapani....
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and considers himself post-Movimiento Chicano. Nericcio received his BA in English from the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in 1984, then went on to complete his doctoral degree in Comparative Literature from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1989, with a dissertation entitled The Politics of Solitude: Alienation in the Literatures of the Americas. Nericcio's dissertation director was Enrico Mario Santí—other members of his committee included Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr., is an American literary critic, educator, scholar, writer, editor, and public intellectual. He was the first African American to receive the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship. He has received numerous honorary degrees and awards for his teaching, research, and...
and Kathleen Newman. While at Cornell, Nericcio served as a graduate research and teaching assistant to Carlos Fuentes
Carlos Fuentes
Carlos Fuentes Macías is a Mexican writer and one of the best-known living novelists and essayists in the Spanish-speaking world. He has influenced contemporary Latin American literature, and his works have been widely translated into English and other languages.-Biography:Fuentes was born in...
at the A.D. White House Society for the Humanities.
Selected Works
- Tex[t
-Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the "Mexican" in America]. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006 (ISBN 978-0-292-71457-1) - Homer From Salinas: John Steinbeck's Enduring Voice for California. San Diego: The San Diego State University Press, 2009 (ISBN 978-1-879691-89-6)
- The Hurt Business: Oliver Mayer's Early Works {+}." San Diego, Hyperbole Books, 2008 (ISBN 978-1-879691-84-1)
See also
- American LiteratureAmerican literatureAmerican literature is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British...
- Comparative LiteratureComparative literatureComparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
- Cultural studiesCultural studiesCultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
- Literary theoryLiterary theoryLiterary theory in a strict sense is the systematic study of the nature of literature and of the methods for analyzing literature. However, literary scholarship since the 19th century often includes—in addition to, or even instead of literary theory in the strict sense—considerations of...
External links
- Bio, Dr. William A. Nericcio @ SDSU
- webINDEX, Memo @ SDSU
- memogr@phics, William Anthony Nericcio's graphic design portfolio
- Text-Mex Galleryblog, William Anthony Nericcio's online supplement to his book "Tex[t]-Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the "Mexican" in America"