Apr 02 2025 79 mins
Notes and Links to Douglas J. Weatherford’s Work
Doug was born in Salt Lake City but grew up in Statesboro, Georgia, where his father taught German at Georgia Southern University. Doug loves to read, travel, and ride bicycles and motorcycles. He graduated from BYU in 1988 (BA Spanish) and the Pennsylvania State University in 1997 (PhD Latin American Literature). He has been a professor at BYU since 1995. Doug’s research and teaching emphases include Latin American literature and film, representations of the period of Discovery and Conquest, and Mexico at mid-Century (1920–1968, with particular focus on Rosario Castellanos and Juan Rulfo). His latest are new translations of Pedro Páramo and The Burning Plain.
Buy Pedro Páramo (English Translation)
New York Times Book Review of Pedro Páramo by Valeria Luiselli
At about 2:15, Doug talks about his “journey” to becoming a professor of Latin-American Literature and Film, with regard to his early language and reading backgrounds
At about 6:00, Doug talks about his main focus in teaching over the years
At about 7:15, The two discuss linguistics classes
At about 8:30, Doug responds to Pete’s questions about texts and writers who have resonated with his students
At about 10:30, Doug reflects on Jorge Luis Borges’ work and potential for teachability
At about 11:35, The two talk about translations of Rulfo’s titles
At about 13:30, Doug gives a primer on the collection El Llano en llamas and its various translations
At about 16:40, Doug emphasizes the need to “follow in Rulfo’s footsteps” in translating the famous story “No Oyes Ladrar los Perros”
At about 20:15, Doug responds to Pete’s question about Juan Rulfo’s evolving reputation/legacy in Mexico
At about 24:15, Pete shares compliments and blurbs for Doug’s Pedro Páramo translation and Pete and Doug talk about Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s important Foreword
At about 27:20, Doug gives background on screenplays done for Rulfo’s work by Marquez and towering respect for Rulfo’s work, especially Pedro Páramo
At about 28:20, The two talk about Pedro Páramo’s movie adaptations and challenges in adapting the work with connection to older characters
At about 31:55, Pete and Doug reflect on key archetypes and connections featured in the first line of Pedro Páramo
At about 35:00, Doug gives background on his decision-making that affected his translations, including the laser-focus on the book’s first line
At about 41:00, The two discuss the book’s exposition, such as it in a chronologically-unique book, including the book’s first narrator’s role
At about 42:55, Doug discusses the connections in the book: Citizen Kane and Pedro Páramo, as well as Hernán Cortes and Pedro Páramo
At about 46:30, Doug talks about La Lllorona and Malinche and Páramo connections
At about 49:30, Doug gives background on Pedro's son, Miguel and Father Renteria and ideas of betrayal and Biblical archetypes
At about 52:35, Themes of sin and afterlife, including purgatory, are discussed, as Doug gives background on Rulfo’s “conflicted” views regarding Catholicism
At about 55:30, Doug goes into greater depth about the links between Citizen Kane and Pedro Páramo
At about 59:45, Doug responds to Pete’s question about
At about 1:02:00, Doug responds to Pete’s question about Rulfo’s treatment of Mexican “Indians”
At about 1:04:20, Hope and misogyny as a theme in the novel are discussed, and Doug discusses the 2024 Rodrigo Prieto Pedro Páramo film
At about 1:09:40, Doug “puts a spin” on the novel’s ending
At about 1:15:45, Doug gives book buying information for his translations of Rulfo’s work
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Please tune in for Episode 278 with Kevin Nguyen, features editor at The Verge, previous senior editor at GQ. He has written for New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Paris Review and elsewhere, and is the author of New Waves and the novel Mỹ Documents, which has April 8, the same day the episode airs, as its Pub Day.