David Vásquez-Hurtado, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Borders & Languages, Sociology & Human Services, and Criminology & Justice
Areas of Expertise:
- Horror and Monstrosity in Latin American Film
- Monstrosity in Early Modern and Colonial Hispanic Literature and Culture
- Cultural Criminology and Critical Theory
- Law and State of Exception in Colombia
- Spanish for the professions
Education:
- Ph.D., Hispanic Studies / Spanish, University of Florida, 2016
- M.A., Spanish, University of Florida, 2016
- LL.M., Administrative Law, Universidad Santiago de Cali (Cali, Colombia), 2006
- Lawyer, (L.L.B, five years program) St. Bonaventure University (Colombia), 2001
About Dr. David Vásquez-Hurtado
David Vasquez Hurtado, a Colombian lawyer and academic, has a strong commitment to exploring the intersections of law, literature, and cultural studies. He obtained his Master's and Ph.D. from the University of Florida and currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Sociology, Criminology and Borders & Languages at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. His academic pursuits are driven by a profound interest in monstrosity and horror, particularly as they manifest in both colonial and contemporary cultural products. In 2018, he published a book titled "Monstrosity and Baroque Skepticism in Imperial Spain" with Peter Lang.
Before entering academia, David practiced criminal law in Colombia for eight years, handling cases in various courts, including the Colombian Supreme Court and advising the mayor of Santiago de Cali as a legal consultant. These experiences notably enrich his academic work, particularly in his exploration of law, criminology, and the state of exception in Colombia.
David’s research interests span a wide array of topics, including horror and monstrosity in Latin American film, monstrosity in Early Modern and Colonial Hispanic literature, cultural criminology, and critical theory. His unique interdisciplinary approach enables him to bridge legal, cultural, and theoretical frameworks in his work.
Besides his academic and legal pursuits, David is a published author of fiction for young readers. His works include "The Terrible Machine" (2013), co-authored with Ana María Díaz Collazos, "The Saga of Úrkah and Gudrún" (2010), "The Blind King’s Library" (2009), and "Anita and the Clouds" (2011).
Selected Publications:
Book (peer-reviewed):
OER Textbooks:
- 2024, Professional Spanish for Borders and Languages. FLC OER Grant
- 2024, Health Spanish FLC OER Grant
Book Chapter:
- 2024, Curating and Curando through Hybrid Connections: The Case of Colombia Syllabus/ Primera Línea Académica, Colombianx studies (forthcoming 2024)
Articles in Journals (peer-reviewed):
- 2022, “Politics in the Streets: Colombian People’s Resistance to the State of Exception”. Critical Legal Thinking,09-13-2022.https://criticallegalthinking.com/2022/09/13/politics-in-the-streets-colombian-peoples-resistance-to-the-state-of-exception/
- 2018, "Ficcionalización del trauma en el cine de horror y ciencia ficción: Moebius, Aparecidos (Argentina) y El páramo (Colombia)," Alambique: Revista académica de ciencia ficción y fantasia / Jornal acadêmico de ficção científica e fantasía: Vol. 5: Iss. 2, Article 6. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/alambique/vol5/iss2/6
- 2017, “El diablo como representación de lo sagrado y lo profano en cuatro comedias del barroco español" [The Devil as Representation of the Sacred and the Profane in Four Spanish Baroque Plays] Hipogrifo. Revista de literatura y cultura del Siglo de Oro. Vol. 5, Núm. 2. https://www.revistahipogrifo.com/index.php/hipogrifo/article/view/274
- 2017, “Gender Agreement in Online versus Classroom Students of First-semester Spanish” (with Ana María Díaz Collazos). Open Linguistics, Núm. 3. https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opli.2017.3.issue-1/opli-2017-0033/opli-2017-0033.xml
- 2017, “Los animales en los haikús de José Juan Tablada: Taxonomía de una fauna interior” [Animals in the Haikus of José Juan Tablada: Taxonomy of an Inner Fauna] Poligramas: Revista de la Escuela de Estudios Literarios (Universidad del Valle). http://revistas.univalle.edu.co/index.php/poligramas/article/view/4396/html
- 2013, “Hay fuego en el veintitrés: El baile como profanación en ¡Qué viva la música!, de Andrés Caicedo” [There is Fire in the Twenty-third: Dancing as Profanation in Long Live Music by Andrés Caicedo]. Divergancias, revista de estudios lingüísticos literarios. Volumen 11, número 2, (invierno 2013): 2-12. https://www.academia.edu/16552592/Hay_fuego_en_el_veintitr%C3%A9s_El_baile_como_profanaci%C3%B3n_en_Qu%C3%A9_viva_la_m%C3%BAsica_de_Andr%C3%A9s_Caicedo
Young Adult Novels
- 2013, Co-author Ana María Díaz Collazos. La Máquina atroz. [The Terrible Machine]. (Co-authored with, Ana María Díaz Collazos). Bogotá: Hilman, 2013. (ISBN: 978-958-724-282-9)
- 2010, La saga de Úrkah y Gudrún. [The Saga of Úrkah and Gudrún]. Bogotá: Hillman, 2010. (ISBN: 978-958-724-113-6) Pags. 166.
- 2009, La biblioteca del rey ciego. [The Blind King’s Library]. Bogotá: Hillman, 2009.(ISBN: 978-958-724-011-5) Pags. 141.
Book for Children
- 2011, Anita y las Nubes. [Anita and the Clouds]. Bogotá: Hillman. 2011. (ISBN: 978-958-724-152-5) Pags. 40.