Why Magical Realism is a Global Phenomenon | It's Lit

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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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[Princess_Weekes]

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

[massboy]

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.

[TalysAlankil]

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

[kellyramirez]

"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.

[ethansloan]

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.

[tellittomyfryingpan]

I always love the It's Lit crew, but seeing Lindsay really did save March from being completely terrible. Tears of joy. 💖🖖

[buffyVampslyr]

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. 😊

[Blitopalito]

You have no idea how happy it makes me see Lindsay again. Love her novels, love her insights. Love her.

[hipstereagle]

Don’t know when this was filmed but it’s nice to see Lindsay again, I’ve missed her

[magranamx]

I really needed this Lindsay Ellis fix to mitigate the withdrawal I'm feeling from not getting new content in her other channel

[WantsToBeAPenguin]

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!

[sansfi]

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.

[nalanan]

Always happy to see Lindsay Ellis co-hosting! Loved learning about this topic!

[moonlightshadow]

The fact that Lindsay Ellis (!!!) deliberately uses the example of a wildly popular YouTuber 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*)

[colorfulcaro]

As a Colombian and an Uni student majoring in literature I'm happy to see how Latin-American and Colombian art influences global literature

[joshuaowens]

I can't put into words how good it is to see Lindsay again

[Enshohma]

Awesome to have you back on Storied, Lindsay!

[crow]

OMG I almost teared up out of happiness seeing Lindsey Ellis again! What an amazing topic this is. 💖💖💖💖💖

[ProfessorStuDDS]

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 ❤

[felixmarques]

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/.