Drawing on authentic cultural materials ranging from thought-provoking artwork to classic literature and short contemporary films, Retratos: Arte y sociedad en Latinoamérica y España offers a fresh and inspired approach to the teaching of advanced Spanish Composition.

In each of the eight thematically-organized chapters, these primary source materials provide a "portrait" of an historically or culturally important figure in the Latin American and Spanish worlds, offering students rich opportunities to explore cultural differences, learn grammar in context, and complete writing activities directly related to both their own daily lives and the world around them.
 
Features:

• The unifying theme of portraiture—with each chapter providing the distinct perspective of a key figure in the Latin American and Spanish worlds—organizes the topics in the book, such that students can build on and compare/contrast what they have already learned.
• 90 full-color reproductions of authentic artworks and photographs provide students with vivid illustrations of important historical and cultural references.
• Award-winning short films, streaming online, allow for immediate and focused in-class discussion.
• Writing in process: each chapter highlights a specific writing genre, reviews a grammatical point, and introduces a writing sample—all situated within the context of the chapter topic.
• Text selections showcase exciting new Latin American and Spanish voices, including such authors as Junot Díaz, Laura Freixas, Dolores Prida, and many others.