Congratulations to Christian Erickson, Winner of The Richard Reeve Essay Award!

Published: July 8, 2022

Richard Reeve Essay Award Winner

Christian Erickson

Major: Spanish

Title: El desencuentro como el símbolo de las esperanzas rotas en tres cuentos de Roberto Bolaño

Course: Spanish 120

Professor: Dr. Maarten van Delden

During a study abroad trip to Salamanca, Spain near the end of high school, I fell in love with the Spanish language and have remained enthralled with the study of it ever since. I am fascinated by the way in which learning languages allows us to see our own lives from radically different perspectives, and in the case of my own experience, unlock passion and purpose in moments of aimlessness and wandering. At UCLA, I have furthered my study of Spanish to points I never thought possible, and feel extremely grateful for the opportunity to study what I love everyday.

Richard Reeve Essay Prize— Essay on Spanish American literature or culture

Professor Richard Reeve (1935-1992) received his BA from the University of Utah and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. He taught at Ohio State University from 1966 until 1968, when he joined the faculty of UCLA’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese, where he remained until the end of his life. His scholarly interests focused primarily on twentieth-century Spanish American literature, with a special focus on contemporary Mexican writers. He published numerous articles on Mexican literature, and he was the co-editor, with Professor Gerardo Luzuriaga, of Los clásicos del teatro hispanoamericano.