Associate Professor of Spanish
Rubén Varona is a Latin Americanist whose research and creative writing explore the intersections of literature and social justice. His scholarship applies contemporary conceptions of justice to examine the literary representation of pressing social issues, including gender inequality, corruption, and terrorism, particularly in novels that blend crime and history.
As a creative writer, Varona has published six books, including the bilingual poetry collection Polvo de cordillera / Dust from the Mountain Range (2024) and the novel La viuda del molino (2023). He is also the author of four crime novels: Espérame desnuda entre los alacranes, El sastre de las sombras, La hora del cheesecake, and La secta de los asesinos, which was a finalist for the 2012 Premio Iberoamericano Planeta-Casa de América. His short stories and poems have appeared in international anthologies and journals, and his work has been translated into English, German, and Italian.
At Lycoming College, Varona teaches courses across the Spanish curriculum, ranging from language and composition to literature and culture, with a focus on cultivating awareness and appreciation of Hispanic identities, lifestyles, and accomplishments. His specialized seminars engage students in themes such as crime fiction, magical realism, existentialism, and social inequality, and he also leads the community-based course Spanish for Heritage Speakers (SPAN 223). He co-coordinates the Latin American Studies minor and contributes actively to campus initiatives on diversity, humanities research, and cultural programming.
More about his work can be found at www.rubenvarona.com.