Colonial Latin American Literature: A Very Short Introductionprovides a vivid account of the literary culture of the Spanish-speaking Americas from the time of Columbus to Latin American Independence. This VSI explores the origins of Latin American literature in Spanish and tells the story of how Spanish literary language developed and flourished in the New World. The works of Spanish, creole, and Amerindian authors highlighted here, including Bartolomé de las Casas, Felipe Guaman Poma, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and Andrés Bello, have been chosen for the merits of their writings, their participation in the larger literary and cultural debates of their times, and their resonance among readers today.