Jane De Leon Griffin

Jane De Leon Griffin

  • Associate Provost, Student Success and Professor, Modern Languages
  • Founder and Director, Inspired Masses, Inc.
  • Associate Provost for Student Success, Bentley Unviersity
  • Associate Dean
  • Program Director
  • Department Chair
  • Associate Provost for Student Success
  • Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, University of California, Irvine
  • M.A. in Comparative Literature, University of California, Irvine
  • B.A. in Spanish; Comparative Literature, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Teaching Interests

Latin American literature and film; popular culture; minority literature; writing and composition; foreign language instruction; gender studies; Spanish language acquisition.

Research Interests

Material culture; minority and marginal cultural production; popular and mass culture; folk art and craft; gender studies; intellectual property and copyright laws; state and corporate sponsorship of the arts; translation studies; non-profit arts organizations.

Consulting/Practice Interests

Literary translation and Service Learning.

Professional Memberships

  • New England Council of Latin American Studies 2017-01-01 - Present
  • Northeast Modern Language Association 2012-11-01 - Present
  • Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing 2012-07-01 - Present

    • Awards and Honors

  • Open Discussion Grant, Mass Humanities
  • Valente Center Fellow, Valente Center for the Arts and Sciences
  • American Fellow, American Association of University Women

    • Scholarly Contributions and Creative Productions

    Journal Articles

  • Griffin, J. (2010). What is 'Popular' about Mass Culture?: Santiago en 100 Palabras and Chilean National Literature. Brujula, (8) (Link)

    • Books

  • Griffin, J. (2024). The Labor of Literature: Democracy and Literary Culture in Modern Chile 218. Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Press

    • Book Chapters

  • Griffin, J. (2017). Cultural Agency, Auto-Gesti√≥n, and Literary Workshops in Neoliberal Chile Agencia Cultural, Arte y Educacion en America Latina y la Frontera. New York, NY: Escribana Books (Forthcoming)
  • Griffin, J. (2009). Animita Cartonera: The Body and Soul of Literary Production in Contemporary Chile Akademia Cartonera: A Primer of Latin American Cartonera Publishers. Madison, WI: Press/University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries

    • Digital and Electronic Media, Social Media, Blogs, Podcasts

  • 2022. "Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture (www.boston.gov)"
  • 2021. "Bentley Newsroom"
  • 2021. "Boston Book Blog"
  • 2019. "Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture website (www.boston.gov)"
  • 2017. "Making Books and Beauty Out of Trash"
  • 2014. "Biblioteca de Santiago website"

    • Exhibitions

  • Griffin, J., Barros, P., Cardone, R. (2013). “El lugar del otro/The Place of the Other: A Bilingual Book Launch and Reading of Award Winning Chilean Literature in Translation.”

    • Presentations

  • Griffin, J. (2018). “Embodying the Feminine: Pedro Lemebel and Editorial Drag” Presented at the University of Illinois, Chicago Asociaci√≥n de Estudios de G√©nero y Sexualidades Chicago, IL
  • Griffin, J. (2018). “Mega Cities, Micro Fiction” Presented at the Carnegie Mellon University Cultural Studies Association Pittsburgh, PA
  • Griffin, J. (2017). “Sustainably Queer?: The Market Politics of Pedro Mardones Lemebel” Presented at the University of New Hampshire New England Council of Latin American Studies Annual Meeting: A Sustainable Future for Latin America? Durham, New Hampshire
  • Griffin, J., Mancusi, M., Trento, A. (2017). “Cartonera Craft: Art, Sustainability and Social Justice” Presented at the Valente Center for the Arts and Sciences, Bentley University Library, Dean of Arts and Sciences Cartonera Craft: Art, Sustainability and Social Justice Bentley University
  • De León Griffin, J. D. (2016). “Writing Outside the Lines: Women‚Äôs Cultural Activism in Dictatorial Chile” Presented at the Georgia Southern University South East Coastal Conference on Languages and Literatures Savannah, GA
  • Griffin, J. (2015). “Making Books out of Trash: Sustainable Literary Production in the Globalized Cultural Marketplace” Presented at the Bentley Research Council Bentley Research Colloquium Bentley University
  • Griffin, J. (2015). “Post-Dictatorship Chilean Literature and Auto-gesti√≥n: Advantages and Disadvantages of Precarious Artistic Labor” Presented at the Latin American Studies Association XXXIII International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Griffin, J. (2014). “Chile's Place in the World of Cartonera Publishing” Presented at the Editoriales Cartoneras de Chile and the Biblioteca de Santiago de Chile Segundo Encuentro de Editoriales Cartoneras de Chile Biblioteca de Santiago de Chile, Santiago de Chile
  • Griffin, J. (2014). “The Massification of Flash-Fiction in Post-Dictatorial Chile” Presented at the Ediciones Ergo Sum and Universidad de Santiago Borrando Fronteras: Jornada Trinacional de Microcuentos Universidad de Santiago, Santiago de Chile
  • Griffin, J. (2014). “Cardboard Memories: Literary Materialism Forty Years After Chile‚Äôs Military Coup” Presented at the Latin American Studies Association XXXII International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association Chicago, IL, USA
  • Griffin, J. (2013). “Queer in Translation: What the International Success of Pedro Lemebel Means For Chilean Cultural Democratization and Identity Politics” Presented at the New England Council of Latin American Studies New England Council of Latin American Studies Annual Meeting Wheaton College, Norton Massachusetts
  • Griffin, J. (2013). “The New Cultural Institutionalization: Creating Cultural Policies in Neoliberal Chile” Presented at the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing (SHARP) SHARP's First Regional Conference in Latin America: The Lettered City Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Griffin, J. (2013). “Fake Books: Digital Book Publishing In Post-Dictatorial Chile” Presented at the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) XXXI International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association: Towards a New Social Contract? Washington D.C.
  • Griffin, J. (2013). “‚ÄúLibros de Mentira: Fake Books and the Future of Latin American Literary Publishing‚Äù” Presented at the Northeast Modern Language Association Northeast Modern Language Association 44th Annual Convention Boston, MA
  • Griffin, J. (2013). “‚ÄúWilliams, the Production of Literature and Libros de Mentira‚Äù” Presented at the Northeast Modern Language Association Northeast Modern Language Association 44th Annual Convention Boston, MA
  • Griffin, J. (2013). “El lugar del otro/The Place of the Other, Book Launch and Bilingual Reading” Presented at the Southern Connecticut State University ‚ÄúScherezade‚Äôs Sisters Were Writers: Chilean Feminist Activist and Short Story Writer, P√≠a Barros, Visits SCSU‚Äù New Haven, CT
  • Barros, P., Griffin, J. (2013). “Literature and Political Activism in Latin America: A Conversation with P√≠a Barros” Presented at the Bentley University (Dean of Arts and Sciences; Arts and Lectures Series/Bowles Performing Arts Series; Valente Center for the Arts and Sciences) Invited Guest P√≠a Barros visits Bentley University Smith Hall
  • Griffin, J. (2012). “Las Cartoneras: How One Argentine Press Sparked an International Book-Object Publishing Phenomenon” Presented at the University of Missouri, Columbus Cultural Bricolage: Artists Books of Cuba's Ediciones Vigia Columbus, MO
  • Griffin, J. (2012). “Artesania:Women and the Material Culture of Arts and Crafts in Latin America” Presented at the Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven 20th Annual Women's Studies Conference, "Women and Labor: At Home, At Work, and Around the Globe" New Haven, CT
  • Griffin, J. (2012). “El g√©nero: New Materializations of Genre and Gender in Post-Dictatorial Argentine Film.” Presented at the Cultural Studies Association Cultural Studies Association Annual Conference, "Culture Matters" La Jolla, CA
  • Griffin, J. (2012). “Underground Under Dictatorship: Feminism and the Illegal "Auto-Edicion"” Presented at the California State University, Long Beach 47th Annual Comparative Literature Conference, "Drawing the Line(s): Censorship and Cultural Practices" Long Beach, CA
  • Griffin, J. (2010). “Does Mainstreaming Mean Democratization?: Aminita Cartonera and the Politics of Post-Dictatorial Chilean Publishing” Presented at the Latin American Studies Association Latin American Studies Association Annual Conference Toronto, Canada
  • Griffin, J., Barros, P. (2010). Presented at the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Indiana University States of Exception: Crisis and Consumption in the Global Cultural Economy Bloomington, IN
  • Griffin, J. (2008). “Undermining the Market: Culture, the State, and Civil Society in Democratic Chile.” Presented at the Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, University of British Columbia Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies Annual Congress Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Griffin, J. (2008). “The Gendered Body of Books: Performing Feminine Sexuality Through Literary Production in Chile” Presented at the Association of Comparative Literature Association of Comparative Literature Annual Conference Long Beach, CA
  • Griffin, J. (2006). “Reconstructing the City, the Nation, and Literary Cultures: A Look at the career of Pedro Lemebel” Presented at the Universidad Pedag√≥gica Nacional Testimonial Texts, Stories, Lives and Memories Mexico City, Mexico

    • Service

    Service: Department

  • Committee Chair for CLIC Evaluation Committee 2017-10-01 - 2018-05-01
  • I organized this event and the series as a whole for Careers Through Modern Languages Speaker Series 2016-10-01 - 2017-04-30
  • Committee Member for Job Search Committee, Assistant Professor of French 2016-09-01 - 2017-03-30
  • Committee Member for Modern Language Department Tenure Committee 2016-05-31 - 2016-09-30
  • Committee Member for Job Search Committee, Lecturer Spanish Professor 2015-09-01 - 2015-12-31
  • Task Force Member for Spanish Studies Major Task Force 2011-08-01 - 2012-05-31

    • Service: University

  • Task Force Member for Workday Student Communications Team 2018-08-01 - Present
  • Committee Chair for Faculty Senate Planning Committee 2018-07-01 - Present
  • Committee Chair for Faculty Senate 2018-07-01 - Present
  • Task Force Member for Transportation Working Group 2018-05-02 - Present
  • Vice-Chair for Faculty Senate 2016-08-30 - 2018-06-30
  • Committee Member for Planning Committee 2016-08-30 - 2018-06-30
  • Task Force Member for Signature Work Task Force 2016-08-30 - 2017-05-20
  • Committee Member for Job Search Committee, Vice President Enrollment Management 2016-05-10 - 2016-08-30
  • Committee Member for Academic Standards Committee 2016-01-17 - 2016-05-10
  • Committee Member for Faculty Senate 2016-01-17 - 2016-05-10
  • Committee Member for Campus Connections Committee 2015-07-01 - 2017-12-31
  • Committee Member for Faculty Evaluations and Procedures Committee 2013-09-01 - 2013-12-31
  • University Senate for Faculty Senate 2011-09-01 - 2014-09-30
  • Committee Member for Curriculum Implementation Committee 2011-09-01 - 2013-05-31