Hector H
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at Princeton University
Expertise
Environmental humanities, literary analysis, continental philosophy, Latin American literature and film
Bio
Hello! My name is Héctor. I am a doctoral student in Comparative Literature. In essence, language—in literature, in philosophy, and in translation— is my venue when thinking about the world. When I compare among languages and literary traditions, I find that there is often much more to a text than first appears. More concretely: I work on Latin American literature and film, German philosophy, environmental humanities, and media. When not reading for work or for leisure, I might be found in a nature preserve, in a movie theatre, or a concert hall. I play viola, and occasionally I try my hand at a new hobby—spoon carving, knitting, ballroom dance— with mixed success.Project ideas
What Difference Does Translation Make?
In the age of instant translation, what is the point of literary translation? Is it on the way out? Taking one central text, we compare both existing published translations and instant translations. We ask what translation aims to do and how it “works.” At the end of 10 sessions, we’ll either be vindicated or we’ll let Google take it from here.
Intertextuality: When Books Read Each Other
Some novels inspire other novels. Others make reference to older books and critique them outright. When this happens, there are many kinds of reading going on. The student will select a set of literary works in conversation with each other and “listen in.” How does one book read another, and what happens when we read both? The aim of the project is to immerse ourselves in a literary tradition, perhaps across continents and languages, and emerge having spoken.
Digital Humanities: New Directions in Media
What does the future hold for the humanities? The student will explore current trends in the growing field of the “Digital Humanities,” research its history, and envision its next steps. How might reading, writing, and analysis change with the times, and what possibilities open?