Jean Franco facts for kids
Jean Franco (born March 31, 1924 – died December 14, 2022) was a smart British-American professor. She was famous for her important work on Latin American literature. She studied at universities in Manchester and London. Later, she taught at London, Essex, and Stanford. She was even the first professor of Latin American literature at Essex. She also taught at Columbia University.
What She Studied
Jean Franco studied many different things. She was one of the first English-speaking experts to write seriously about Latin American books. She especially focused on women and their writing. She also helped start a new way of studying culture called cultural studies in Latin America.
Her Amazing Awards
Jean Franco won many special awards for her work:
- In 1992, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex. This is a special degree given to honor someone's achievements.
- In 1996, she won a PEN award. This award recognized her lifelong effort to share Latin American literature with English speakers.
- In 2000, the Latin American Studies Association gave her the Kalman Silvert Award. This award honored her big contributions to Latin American Studies.
- In 2002, she received another honorary doctorate. This one was from the University of Manchester.
- Her book The Decline and Fall of the Lettered City won the Bolton-Johnson Prize. This award was for the best book in English about Latin American history published in 2003.
Her Books
Jean Franco wrote many important books. Here are some of them:
- The Modern Culture of Latin America (1967)
- An Introduction to Latin American Literature (1969)
- Plotting Women. Gender and Representation in Mexico (1989)
- Critical Passions: Selected Essays (1999)
- The Decline and Fall of the Lettered City: Latin America in the Cold War (2002)
- Cruel Modernity (2013)
Her Life and Legacy
Jean Franco lived a long life. She passed away on December 14, 2022. She was 98 years old. Her work changed how people understood Latin American literature.
