"Playful in tone but intellectually rigorous, Side Dishes adopts culinary metaphors to expand the 'menu' typically offered in studies of Latin American women's cultural production. In her analysis of film, stand-up comedy, science fiction, cartoons and more, Melissa Fitch outlines a bold new direction for both feminist and cultural studies focused on female sexuality." -Suzanne Ferriss, co-editor of Chick Lit: The New Woman's Fiction "Melissa Fitch serves up an enticing array of Latina 'side dishes' in this collection of broadly interdisciplinary essays. Her menu includes chapters on Latin American and Latina stand-up comedians, science fiction writers, filmmakers, cartoonists, 'smut' artists and more-a range of creative and intellectual treats mostly excluded in standard academic fare. A delightful sampling of the richness, variety, and complexity of Latina identities and cultural production." -Myra Mendible, editor of From Bananas to Buttocks: The Latina Body in Popular Film and Culture Moving beyond the "main dishes" of traditional literary works, Side Dishes provides a provocative and delicious new understanding of Latin American women's authorship and activism, illuminating a wealth of creative and intellectual work by editors, directors, cartoonists, academics, performance artists, and comedians-and exploring them in light of their treatment of women's sexuality. Melissa A. Fitch considers feminist pornography and literary representations of masturbation, bisexuality, lesbianism, and sexual fantasies; the treatment of lust in stand-up comedy and science fiction; critical issues in leading feminist journals; and portrayals of sexuality in four contemporary Latin American films, concluding with a look at the rise of women's and gender studies programs in Latin America.

Melissa A. Fitch is an associate professor in the department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Arizona. She is the coauthor of Culture and Customs in Argentina and the editor of Studies in Latin American Popular Culture. Her essays on Latin American theater, film, and popular culture have been published in numerous journals. A volume in the New Directions in International Studies series, edited by Patrice Petro.