Where Did Magic Realism Originate?
Any basic lesson on magic realism would be remiss without a nod toward the literature of Latin America, in which the genre was made famous by big names such as Gabriel García Márquez, Jorge Luis Borges, Isabel Allende, and Laura Esquivel. These Spanish-speaking writers first pushed the genre into the limelight (hence my sad attempt at discussion in a Spanish class). While it’s important to keep in mind the rich, mythological, and folkloric history and storytelling traditions that Latin authors can draw on, keep in mind this is by no means a genre solely for those authors or that audience. It is well-represented worldwide by authors like Salman Rushdie, Ursula LeGuin, and Amos Tutuola. I would even venture to say there are elements of magic realism in Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible and Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Authors new to the genre may stumble upon a debate about the exact tenets of the genre, how if differs from fantasy, and if it’s truly even a genre unto itself at all.
