Why Magical Realism is a Global Phenomenon | It's Lit
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- Опубликовано: 13 июн 2024
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Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, magical realism in literature and other media combines fantasy elements with concrete realities to make statements about the world we live in. In this episode, we explore its roots, lay out the tenets of the genre, and discuss how it has flourished in Latin American Literature.
Hosted by Lindsay Ellis and Princess Weekes, It’s Lit! is a show about our favorite books, genres, and why we love to read. It’s Lit is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.
Host/Writer: Lindsay Ellis
Writer: Angelina Meehan
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Thomas Fernandes
Editor/Animator: Steven Simone
Writing Consultant: Maia Krause, PhD
Executive in Charge (PBS): Maribel Lopez
Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.
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Even though we filmed this in the same office (lol) I am still so happy to see Lindsay on here doing what she does best xx
I'm glad to see people who can still form and keep solid friendships after what ya'll have been through together. Appreciate both of ya'll!
I hope both of you are doing well :)
Same 🥺❤️
Love both of your content! Take care
Love you both! Keep up the good work!
I always love the It's Lit crew, but seeing Lindsay really did save March from being completely terrible. Tears of joy. 💖🖖
I wasn't sure Lindsay would come back to It's Lit!, glad to see she's still hosting some episodes and I hope she's staying safe otherwise
As soon as I heard her voice I felt a deep calm.
what happened lol
@@mothboy420She accidentally insulted Asian people, but rather than apologize, she tried to explain why she didn't need to.
@@mothboy420 Dweebs like Phil Lozano helped bully her off the internet.
@@philliplozano7587 nope, go touch grass
"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice." One of the best opening lines. I love 100 Years of Solitude so much.
Its such a wild book that goes so many places, i legitimately can't remember if i finished it
@@jamesn3122 you need to finish it! I was afraid finished the book because I was enjoying it so much. That ending, though... Absolutely incredible. It just elevates the book in a way I didn't think possible.
I remember my professor describing this masterpiece as a "novel of totality" because it represents the entire Latin American history and Latin American Literature history. It contains everything from the Spanish Conquer times up to 1960's when it was published. So, I encourage you to read it again and finish it. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
It is every bit as memorable as “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….” What a way to start a story.
@@jamesn3122 I did not. I called it "Cien Años de Lectura." I had had enough after un año de lectura.
Don’t know when this was filmed but it’s nice to see Lindsay again, I’ve missed her
I was thinking that too. I know she mentioned a few months back how she’d already finished her contract with PBS and had finished filming videos for them so I honestly don’t know if this was a video from before then that they’re posting now or she’s legit back making new videos for them.
@@Sajirah thanks for the info. sad to know this is not her coming back :/
I really needed this Lindsay Ellis fix to mitigate the withdrawal I'm feeling from not getting new content in her other channel
Same
This comment pretty much summed it up. Like I hesitated before clicking because I was like "is this real life?".
@@imanicartwright4463 it's magical realism
Right? I totally respect her right to move on, but I'm REALLY going to miss her essays.
Omg I just found out about her not creating new essays on her channel :O
You have no idea how happy it makes me see Lindsay again. Love her novels, love her insights. Love her.
Without any expectation, it's really nice to see and hear Lindsay again.. I was surprised how I actually got teary eyed hearing her voice. Thank you for the lesson on magical realism. 😊
Stand strong Lindsey. I know you got a lot of haters out there. But you got more fans that absolutely love you and your content.
What happened? I think they're doing just fine. I'm not sure why someone would hate on their work
Is there something I'm missing
@@kingding9542 She quit her own RUclips channel and her podcast because she was getting so much hate online
@@mistressofthewicket I heard it was over a Disney movie, Raya and the last Dragon, people have gotten so much more bonkers.
@@oliviamcneil3101 really? Wow, people are crazy.
@@oliviamcneil3101 it started from that and continued to a lot of old stuff that was, at worst, mildly cringey stuff that happened a decade ago. For anyone who doesn't know, she made a video about it early on when the Raya thing first started (I'm not sure if it's still up but if not someone probably uploaded a copy somewhere and if you can't find it, don't worry, Lindsay hasn't said or done anything particularly egregious).
Tl: dr; Lotta pointless internet bullshit Lindsay faced, don't worry about it, don't harass her about it.
Just so damn happy to see Lindsay Ellis again. I fully understand if she feels the need to leave her internet life behind, but I've been watching her stuff since I was about 14 or so (I remember seeing Kickassia when it was new, so whenever that came out). I'm 29 now. She's taught me more and exposed me to more things and ideas than probably anyone else.
Stay safe, Lindsay. You will always have fans.
I miss her too.
SAME! I still remember her Arwen in Suburban Knights. Seeing her professional growth has been an absolute gem. She’s always strived to make such thoughtfully crafted content. I hope she’s doing alright and that she feels safe and at peace.
Glad like everyone else to see Lindsay back! I'd like to also add Haruki Murakami's books into the pool of magical realism others can draw from. The settings aren't necessarily more intimate to those with knowledge of Japanese settings and culture (though just like most realism fiction understanding the cultural context adds greater depth to the reading), but just like Marquez there is the same sense of universal relatability in the human experience that the reader may find in his different books!
I was really disappointed Murakami wasn’t even mentioned in passing.
@@Hawntbawt Yes I was also surprised.
Agreed. Came to the comments just to mention Murakami.
Some of his novels are magical realism, but some of them aren't. (At least according to my interpretation of the term.)
Sometimes he just does regular Realist fiction, but my favorites of his books (like Wind Up Bird Chronicle and 1Q84) are definitely full-on in the magical realism vein.
He's arguably the most famous contemporary/currently active representative of the genre/movement, at least in Anglophone countries (except maybe Thomas Pynchon, but it's hard to say if he's still "currently active" or not) so I was expecting him to get mentioned, too.
No big deal, but yes, anyone who likes magical realism but hasn't read any Murakami should definitely check him out.
Murakami is my favorite of this genre. I wish she had included a list of great magical realism fiction from all over the world!
I can't put into words how good it is to see Lindsay again
Always happy to see Lindsay Ellis co-hosting! Loved learning about this topic!
same same :)
Princess Weekes better
@@TheHeston83 they're just different. I wouldn't say one is better than the other. Just individual humans.
Yup yup
@@TheHeston83 Princess is F A N T A S T I C but right this second some of us are just experiencing profound relief.
The fact that Lindsay Ellis (!!!) deliberately uses the example of a wildly popular RUclipsr finding himself thoroughly changed and no longer participating in his channel but his hosts doing just fine without him and his fans not noticing the difference is not lost on me in the slightest. (*PTERODACTYL SCREECHING*)
I need a little elaboration here... cause it is early enough in the day for me that I am unsure if she is refencing recent stuff or older stuff.
Lindsay was unfairly cancelled for stuff said a long time ago and which she had already made attempts to correct.
The cancellation snowballed into a surge of death threats and a harassment campaign based off the false pretense of the original cancellation. (And even if what she did was cancelable the degree of punishment she received inhumane) I think it was an essay on raya and the last dragon that kick started the campaign but it’s an example of why Twitter was a mistake, and needs to moderate its users better
@@onyourleft5648 wasn't even an essay, it was a single dumb tweet that said (paraphrase) "there needs to be a new genre named after being a rip off of Avatar the Last Airbender". Some people are idiots and monsters. Lindsay is too good for this world.
@@flatlifecomic Oh no that's actually a stupid comment. It completely ignores culture and context. It's the same thing as saying "There really needs to be a name for ripping off the story of a carpenter turned prophet". It's actually a dumb thing to say, especially when Avatar the Last Airbender is itself based on middle eastern and asian religion/creation myths. If she knew anything about an author who was anything other than white, she would have known what half the literary world was already aware of. Aang is Sun Wukong. Avatar is just Monkey King.
@@KTJMProductions
“The world/school/city/whatever is divided into factions, probably four of them. They used to co-exist harmoniously, until one of the factions went bad. And now a chosen one and his plucky gang of companions must put thing right through the powers of friendship and kicking ass.”
Ther are some variations on the theme, but this has been basically half of YA fiction for the last two decades or so. It hasn't even got anything to do with Asian stories.
My first language is spanish, I can say there was a really nice effort put into saying all those author names correctly. And it is appreciated.
Oh myh god I've missed her voice so much. I hope we can continue to hear some more of Lindsay's insights from time to time ❤
Awesome to have you back on Storied, Lindsay!
I reckon they filmed this a long while ago
This is probably prior to her fleeing the internet.
She quit her own channel. I’m sure she still works for PBS
@@lars7282 I read that she didn’t renew her contract with PBS. I bet this was filmed awhile ago and they just finished the editing
So happy to see Lindsay Ellis again. Still one of my favorite RUclipsrs.
I wish you'd also mentioned Pedro Páramo, because it is the first Mexican novel of magic realism, and it is extremely interesting how it plays with the dead and the living. Anyway, great to have you back!
I need to say this for any non-Spanish-speaking readers: Márquez's surname is pronounced with the accent on MAR. Any time you see a word in Spanish with an accent mark (´), that vowel is the strong one in the word. It's too late for Lindsay to pronounce his name correctly (though she got all the others right, not bad) but I wanted to make sure any viewers wouldn't learn it as /marKEZ/.
4:17 Also Borges
Thank you so much for making the distinction. I'm sorry I have to ask for more detail. Does that then make make the pronunciation /markess/ ?
@@lucariojet NO. You put the emphasis on the vowel with the accent mark, as stated: /MARkez/.
@@philliplozano7587 Dope - Thank You!
Quite ironic that yours has it on the second syllable. Also it's better to not put z between the slashes as Spanish doesn't have that sound that English speakers might get it confused with their sonorant version of s
So happy to see Lindsay on youtube again, what happened to her really sucks.
What happened to her?
@@sarahwithanhyouheathen3210 She made a tweet about the movie "Raya and the Last Dragon" being similar to "Avatar: the Last Airbender", and some people took that as belittling Asian representation and harassed Lindsay about it until she quit RUclips. As far as I know this is her first RUclips appearance since she quit in December.
@@sarahwithanhyouheathen3210 She was forced off youtube cause of harassment and bad faith criticism (strawman and other fallacy filled arguments).
@alinkintime thanks for the reply. If people knew anything about her, they'd know she fairly criticizes a lot of stuff but never belittles other cultures. People like to cause a fuss over the dumbest crap.
@Eric Nash appreciate the info. I've seen her on PBS stuff here and there for a couple months but didn't know she ended up having to quit doing her own thing. People need to calm down.
I feel like magical realism is an honest reflection of the living memory. the process of remembering instills magic into the past, with fantastical leaps of logic, and crushing emotional weight. I feel like "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" by Neil Gaiman rides a line that places it firmly in magical realism. The main character is an unreliable narrator in his mid-life, in the throws of grief, recalling a half forgotten time in his childhood. the simultaneous conviction and confusion in both the "real" adult grief and the "imagined" childhood adventure lends to the idea that the real and unreal are as powerful and true as eachother. the main character is constantly pointing to how nothing has changed and nothing is the way he remembers it. but through it all, despite the status as unreliable narrator, he remains utterly honest. the unreliability is sourced in the status of faithful and skeptic. the honesty is sourced in the way he checks his work constantly and trys to rationalize the fantastic. but the conclusion is that some mystery will always be unknown, and that the remembering makes it real.
As a Colombian and an Uni student majoring in literature I'm happy to see how Latin-American and Colombian art influences global literature
WE MISS LINDSAY. I would have loved samples from more of the living authors and maybe comparisons to magical writing motifs in other continents. Maybe a part two?
So great to see Lindsay Ellis again! I had a professor in college who loved magical realism and in a course on Japanese literature, about 80% of the books and short stories we read were part of the magical realism genre.
For those who saw the film "Encanto", has a lot of element's magic realism notably from Gabriel García Márquez mostly from his greatest novel "A Hundred Years of Solitude"
I haven't seen it yet but I saw the trailer and recognized that, as well as the fact that it takes place in Colombia.
I'm at the beginning of this video but I'm curious to see whether they bandy the term about casually, as so many people do these days
@@LindaC616 They do say in the concept art book that it's "not true magical realism" more that, it's inspired by it.
She literally says this in the video.
@@junjunjamore7735 ok, like I said, I haven't seen it. But without a doubt, that inspiration is there....there's a reason it takes place in Colombia (when the music is mire Caribbean, like Cuban/Puerto Rican)
Encanto is similar to Solitude in that someone starts a town in the middle of nowhere to escape bad things. There is also in solitude this majical book that contains the future. By the time he translates the book it is too late to do anything about the tragedy it fortells. Encanto has questions about the future but its answers to the question is that we already are what we need to be.
Magical realism is how we live in Latin America. The books of Isabel Allende are not fiction, but are nearly exactly telling my family's history.
What a joy to hear Lindsay again!! Thank you so much for all the comfort you’ve brought me over the years. ❤️
In whatever way we can experience her presence, it's great to have Lindsey back.
So happy to see new Lindsay video, even if Storied doesn’t usually drop hour-long takes on Phantom of the Opera. Eight minutes on Marquez’ Magical Realism, tho? Yup. Definitely subscribing.
Lindsay! So good to see you again. Loved the video
Can't tell you how happy I am to hear from Lindsay again!!
Heck yeah, so happy to see Magic Realism getting more coverage! Been in love with it, ever since I read _A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings_ back in high school 🥰
Gabriel Garcia Marquez' "A Very Old Man With Very Enormous Wings" is my FAVORITE
Lindsay is such a good communicator. I missed her so much. Excellent topic!
Love seeing you again Lindsay! Great video 😊
Good to see Lindsay back! Also great topic!
Yeeeey Lindsay! Great to see her back, hope she’s doing okay.
OMG I almost teared up out of happiness seeing Lindsey Ellis again! What an amazing topic this is. 💖💖💖💖💖
Yes!!
So glad I might not live in a world where we never see another Lindsay Ellis video. Lindsay deserves to graduate from being a commentator to being a straight-up public mentor. Something like tenure, but for the internet.
You are a legitimately kind person, Lindsay.
Your essays, critiques, and general demeanor, though delivered sarcastically, were emotionally genuine. It was inspiring to see, not just because you are a cis woman on website being flooded with the worst type of people (I’m not JUST referring to the right), but that you expressed honest emotions, which others even in the “Breadtube” space rarely ever attempt.
You helped me accept a lot of myself just through your videos, and I’m relentlessly thankful that you did.
I know you don’t know me, but please take this stranger’s word: I hope you happiness in whatever the future may hold.
I'm just going to join in the chorus of people rejoicing seeing Lindsay. She's been my favourite creator all the way from her first videos. Really hope she's doing ok.
Same! Even though she doesn't post much anymore (wich is understandable) I'm glad to see her doing well :)
I smiled so hard the second I saw Lindsay was hosting this episode
So happy to see Lindsey still cohosting this series and a great topic!
I love Magical Realism. Like Water for Chocolate and Beloved are two of my favorite books under this umbrella. I'm currently trying to get into Gabriel Garcia Marquez and am hoping to finally finish House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. I'm so happy whenever this topic is talked about.
All applause for Lindsay Ellis! Stay well and happy out there, Ms. E.
Could cry with happiness at seeing Lindsay again!
So happy to see Lindsay again, and talking about my favourite genre♥️ as an Argentinian it's amazing to see people talking about latinamerican culture. I also recommend the author Julio Cortázar, has some amazing short stories in the magical realism genre (:
Just adding on the heaps of praise for seeing Lindsay again. First person I subscribed to on RUclips even though we are probably night and day when it comes to worldview. She’s the reason I subscribed to this channel and fell in love with all the content Storied has to offer. Don’t let the crazies out there keep you down. Just stay off twitter. It’s a cesspool of negativity and hyperbole
I’m glad to see Lindsay Ellis continuing her work! Her videos on this channel and her own have been foundational to me and my understanding of writing as a whole! Thank you for all you’ve done for this community!
Great content as always! Also glad to see you, Lindsay! Hope you're doing well!:)
It feels like it's been a long time since I've heard Lindsey Ellis's voice, I'm glad to hear it again. 🙂
I love magical realism and I love Lindsay Ellis. This was a delight to find in my subscriptions box when I came home from work.
So great to see Ellis back, such a great educator
I know it’s not on her own channel and it was probably even just filmed before she left the platform but it feels so good to see her on RUclips again.
Nice to see Lindsey back and covering a genre I've always struggled to connect with.
So happy to see Lindsay Ellis again! Also, on the topic of the video, really appreciated this thorough breakdown of magical realism. I love fantasy, but trying to understand what exactly this genre is and how it differs from say, Lord of the Rings or Narnia, was always confusing. Can't wait to look into these authors!
Lindsay Ellis doing a RUclips video? I'm crying!! Thank you PBS and Lindsay! Great video!
So happy to see Lindsay again
OMG Lindsay! I'm so glad you're back! Sending good vibes and thoughts your way. Do whatever you need to do for you, but just know I'll always be happy to see new stuff from you.
Welcome back!! And yeah, magical realism also strikes so many familiar notes in many in my region of asia. Sad that too few works from this part of the world ever make it out though.
I literally just burst into tears seeing lindsay i missed her so much
I'm very happy to see Lindsay working again. I understand the difficult position she was in and appreciated her need to retire from RUclips, but it's always wonderful hearing her observations and video essays.
I am so happy to see Lindsay again. She is great, hope she is doing well.
Great video! Amazing to see Lindsay again and I hope she's doing well.
Good to have Lindsay back and looking forward to hearing more from her!
OMG, I'm so happy to see Lindsay's face in a new video and talking about the importance of Latin American (or amefrican) authors
SO glad you're still doing this show, Lindsay! Love you and your work 🥰
It’s so great to see Lindsay. Glad she’s still doing these.
So great to see her again. Miss seeing new videos on her channel.
Glad to see you're back, Lindsay!
So much love for Lindsey! Glad to see you back in videos!
Thanks Lindsey for showing up, we miss you so much :')
So so happy to see her back. She changed my life and I want nothing but best things for her. ❤️❤️❤️ Will see atleast 3 times to actually understand 😝
Happy to see you back, Lindsay! Yay! García Márquez is one of my favorite authors ever and he really opened up a new world for me with his novels and short stories. Just one thing I think is important is that in Latin America we often use two last names (paternal and maternal), so his first last name is García, second Márquez (pronounced MÁR-quez), that's why everyone refers to him as García Márquez (probably because García is a very common surname all across the Americas). Looking forward to more content!
+
Great explanation! (I’m Latin American too)
" In Latin America we often use two last names". Not really. Maybe in your neck of the woods, but that doesn't apply to most of Latin America.
@@fernandoerbin6751 interesting, I have lived in and/or worked with people in Central and South America and the Caribbean and they all have use two last officially/legally. On an everyday basis, people do only use one though. Maybe that is what you're referring to?
It absolutely does apply to most of Latin America with the exception of Argentina where people generally only have one legal last name. Throughout the majority of Latin American countries, from Mexico and Central America to the Caribbean and most of South America, people have two last names: a paternal last name from their fathers and a maternal last name from their mothers. Most of the time, people will use their first last name and wives have traditionally used their husband’s paternal last name as well, even though they don’t legally change their last name to his. Can you give examples of other places in Latin America (other than Argentina) where people don’t have two last names?
So happy to see Lindsay back! I've really missed her work. I greatly enjoy her video essays.
Yay! So glad to see you back Lindsay, and covering one of my favorite genres too!
Such a good video! Enjoyed it a lot! Also, nice to have Ellis back!
Missed you Lindsay! Good to see you again!
I always appreciate Lindsey and I'm glad to see her again. Thank you for everything you do to educate and entertain us, Lindsey and PBS!
So happy to see Lindsay Ellis again!!!! 💖
As a Mexican who got a degree in literature, specifically by a thesis on the fantastic, it's been for a while now a running joke that gringos call Magical Realism anything that is written on Latin America. I understand, it's pretty difficult to mark and differentiate between Magical Realism, Marvelous Real, Surrealism, the Fantastic (classical, modern and postmodern) and Fantasy and Fairy Tale. But each of those have their own characteristics, and have been worked around by a multitude of Latin American authors, creating the need for all those terms, both old and new, to be able to explain better the literary mechanisms being used.
Returning to the point at the beginning of this comment. I have seen people saying that the reason why in Latin America there are so many terms to explain these differences is because of the great use all of the _fantastical_ and _impossible_ things in Latin American fiction (like Lindsay said) and why, while being seen from the exterior, the English speaking academy encompasses all of it under the banner of "magical realism".
Of course, other authors in different parts of the globe also write using fantastical elements, so I don't think that it is an exclusively Latin American technique, but I think the great many number of Latin American authors that work these variations have created the need to explain the literature in great detail, and the separation between the aforementioned terms.
I cannot thank you enough for this post!
I am so tired of seeing the term bandied about every time some character steps into the kitchen! I tell people "'Like Water for Chocolate', yes. 'Chocolat', no. That's just plain witchcraft ." And that you distinguish it from the marvelous ream, because some people feel that they're the same thing.
They should pin this comment
Happy to see you Lindsay, you always make phenomenal essays.
Welcome back Lindsay… you’ve been missed. 👍🏽
It's definitely lit to see you back Lindsay !! This is my favorite show from PBS for the amazing work you and Princess make 💕🥳🥳🥳 best wishes for the best duo
Good to see Lindsay again.
My favorite genre and Lindsey?! Happy birthday to me!
Thank you so much, Lindsay, for coming back to bring us a new video essay. I hope you'll make more in the times ahead. I miss your work.
SO HAPPY to see a Lindsey video!!!!! Thank you!!!!
So happy to see Lindsay on RUclips!
So happy to see Lindsay is back!!
I was so excited when I saw this video, this morning! Thank you PBS for standing behind Lindsay! ❤️
It's good to see you Lindsay! Hope you've been well and thank you for the vid!
So happy to see Lindsay here! I’m sad she quit her channel, but I understand why she did it
Very happy to see you back Lindsay!
Clicked for Lindsey Ellis! Wishing you all the best, your videos were (and still are) my favorites and I recommend them often
Thanks for sharing and for the subs! So happy and glad to see Lindsay!
That statement necklace is incredibly powerful. I am so happy to see Lindsay back in this capacity!
Oh my gosh LINDSAYYYYYYYYYY
Really awesome topic. I've always been fascinated by this genre and it's influence on culture. Thanks Lyndsey!
It was delightful to see and hear Lindsey again, and talking about one of my favourite genres from when I was a teenager. All the love to you ❤