Daniel Hartnett joined the Kenyon faculty in 2009. He received his Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of Virginia with his dissertation focusing on the political and social uses of Dante in 15th century Iberia. He has lived and studied in Paris and St. Malo, France; Salamanca and San Sebastian, Spain; and Coimbra and Lisbon, Portugal.
Hartnett's primary research interests involve the medieval, renaissance and baroque literature of Spain and Portugal. He travels often and encourages his students to do the same. In his free time, Dan is an avid cellist and cook. He is from rural western New York.
Areas of Expertise
Medieval court poetry, early modern Iberian gender studies, transcultural Mediterranean exchanges.
Education
2009 — Doctor of Philosophy from University of Virginia
2003 — Master of Arts from University of Virginia
1999 — Bachelor of Arts from Wabash College, summa cum laude
Courses Recently Taught
This first half of a yearlong course is focused on the self in a broader social context for students who are beginning the study of Spanish or have had minimal exposure to the language. The course offers the equivalent of conventional beginning and intermediate language study. The first semester's work comprises an introduction to Spanish as a spoken and written language. The work includes practice in understanding and using the spoken language. Written exercises and reading materials serve to reinforce communicative skills, build vocabulary and enhance discussion of the individual and community. This course includes required practice sessions with a teaching assistant, which are scheduled at the beginning of the semester. Students enrolled in this course are automatically added to SPAN 112Y for the spring semester. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
This second half of a yearlong course is a continuation of SPAN 111Y. The second semester consists of continued study of the fundamentals of Spanish, while incorporating literary and cultural materials to develop techniques of reading, cultural awareness and mastery of the spoken and written language. The work includes practice in understanding and using the spoken language. Written exercises and reading materials serve to reinforce communicative skills, build vocabulary and enhance discussion of the individual and community. This course includes required practice sessions with a teaching assistant, which are scheduled at the beginning of the semester. Prerequisite: SPAN 111Y or equivalent. Offered every year.
This first half of the yearlong intermediate-level language course is focused on language and culture for students who are interested in developing their ability to speak, read, write and understand Spanish. In addition to a comprehensive grammar review, the primary texts chosen for the course serve as a general introduction to Hispanic culture and literature. Other materials include short essays, newspaper articles, films, television series and songs, which together provide a point of departure for discussions on a range of issues. This course includes required practice sessions with a teaching assistant, which are scheduled at the beginning of the semester. Students enrolled in this course are automatically added to SPAN 214Y for the spring semester. Prerequisite: SPAN 111Y-112Y or equivalent. Offered every year.
This course is an introductory literature course that focuses on the literature and culture of Spain and Spanish America from before the arrival of Columbus until the 19th century. By comparing literary and cultural discourses on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, it seeks to elucidate the literary roots of discourses on discovery, empire, race, gender, colonialism and early nation formation. The course includes primary readings by Columbus, Las Casas, Nebrija, Cortes, Ercilla, El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Díaz del Castillo, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Catalina de Erauso, Caviedes, Lizardi, Quevedo and Hernández. Students also discuss numerous critical and historical readings. The course devotes several days to focus intentionally on student writing. Prerequisite: SPAN 321 or equivalent. Generally offered every three years.
This course offers a close reading of the "Quijote" with particular emphasis on Cervantes' contribution to the novel form, the comic hero and the anti-hero, the interplay of fiction and history, and the confusion of appearance and reality. The novel is studied in its social and historical context. Prerequisite: one unit of Spanish or Spanish American literature. Generally offered every three years.
How did the premodern mind perceive the world? What role did literary texts play in shaping that world? This course addresses three foundational works of Spanish medieval literature in order to understand what they are saying, how they are engaging their communities, and what we can learn as modern readers about the premodern viewpoint. This course may include texts such as the curious Spanish national epic "Poema de mío Cid"; the hilarious and enigmatic "Libro de buen amor"; the dramatic European best-seller "La Celestina"; or exemplary tales that came to Iberia from as far as Persia and India in "El conde Lucanor" or "Calila e Dimna." We examine these works to detangle them from modern notions of literary nationalism and seek to understand medieval Spanish perspectives on their place in the broader world. As a class, we do what the medieval mind did best: perceive all knowledge as inherently interconnected across academic fields and continents, time periods and modes of expression. Students engage in close reading, seminar discussion, written assignments, artistic presentations and a scholarly presentation in the course colloquium. Prerequisite: SPAN 321.
This course invites students to explore some of the great works of literature produced in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries. We read poems by Fray Luis de León, Garcilaso de la Vega, Francisco de Quevedo, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Lope de Vega and Luis de Góngora; religious prose by Santa Teresa de Jesús; plays by Lope de Vega and Tirso de Molina; and short novels by Miguel de Cervantes and María de Zayas. Textual analysis is stressed, but we also consider the social, economic and political realities that helped to shape literary and artistic production during this period. Prerequisite: SPAN 321 or equivalent. Generally offered every three years.
Where did that word come from, and what does it really mean? This is a common question that we ask ourselves or our teachers at some point in our Spanish education. The first part of this course addresses this question and many others as it discusses the development of the Spanish language from Latin to Old Castilian to modern Spanish. The second part provides students an opportunity to apply their knowledge of the development of Spanish to the earliest manifestations of Castilian literature. Through a variety of activities, they also gain an understanding of some of the difficulties faced by scholars and students alike when interpreting these works. Students read parts of the following texts in the original Old Spanish: a selection of romances, "El poema del mío Cid," "Los Milagros de Nuestra Señora," "El Libro de Buen Amor," "El Conde Lucanor," a selection of poesía cancioneril and "La Celestina." Prerequisite: SPAN 321 or equivalent. Generally offered every three years.
