Ischia | Gisela Heffes

Ischia is a novel by Gisela Heffes, originally published in Argentina in 2000 and released in English translation by Grady C. Wray in 2023. The book is a lyrical, experimental portrait of an unnamed female narrator and her friends as they drift through the margins of cities—especially Buenos Aires—searching for meaning in a world marked by uncertainty and disillusionment.

Plot and Structure

The story centers on a young woman, the youngest of seven siblings, who waits for a ride to the airport, reflecting on her life, family, and friendships. The narrative is non-linear, blending past, present, and future through a stream-of-consciousness style, with chapters composed of long, unbroken paragraphs filled with digressions, fantasies, and shifting identities.

The protagonist, shaped by trauma and a violent family history, often changes names—her own becoming "Ischia" after the Italian island, while her friends' names shift to those of desired destinations like Brussels and Prague.

The novel explores themes of alienation, memory, desire, and the search for escape, oscillating between humor and disenchantment. Ischia is noted for its intricate, raw, and sometimes surreal prose, advancing lyrically through both solemn and lighthearted moments. The narrative is populated by outsiders navigating the complexities of life in Argentina and beyond, often blurring the lines between reality, memory, and imagination. The book employs a "would-have, could-have" conditional tone, emphasizing the instability and uncertainty of the characters' experiences.

About Gisela Heffes

Gisela Heffes stands as a distinguished figure in the realms of literature, ecocriticism, and public intellectualism. Currently a Professor of Latin American Literature and Culture at Johns Hopkins University, Heffes has carved a unique path by blending literary analysis with environmental and cultural studies. Her work delves into pressing themes such as urban and rural spatialities, utopias, biopolitics, waste, and the cultural implications of toxicity in Latin America. Through her scholarship, creative writing, and leadership in academic initiatives, Heffes is reshaping contemporary discussions on the intersections of art, ecology, and politics.

Heffes’s academic foundation is rooted in her Ph.D. from Yale University, which provided a springboard for her illustrious career. Before joining Johns Hopkins, she served as a professor at Rice University, where she honed her interdisciplinary approach to Latin American studies. Her leadership extends beyond the classroom, notably as co-president of the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE) from 2022 to 2024. Currently, she directs the Latin American Observatory (LAO) at the Humanities for the Environment Initiative at the University of Arizona, fostering collaborative research on environmental issues. These roles underscore her commitment to advancing ecocritical discourse on a global scale.

Heffes’s body of work is both extensive and impactful, spanning monographs, edited volumes, fiction, and poetry. Her monographs, such as Las ciudades imaginarias en la literatura latinoamericana (2008), explore the literary construction of imagined urban spaces, while Políticas de la destrucción / Poéticas de la preservación (201 (2013)—which earned First Honorable Mention from the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) Southern Cone section—examines biopolitics, waste, and urban environments. Its updated English edition, Visualizing Loss in Latin America (2023), further solidifies her influence in environmental humanities. Her edited volumes, including The Latin American Ecocultural Reader (2020) and Pushing Past the Human in Latin American Cinema (2021), showcase her ability to curate diverse voices addressing ecological and cultural themes. Heffes’s forthcoming co-edited volume, Uncontained Toxicity: The Dialectics of Loss and Control, promises to deepen the dialogue on toxicity in literature and art.

In addition to her scholarly contributions, Heffes is an accomplished creative writer. Her novels, such as Ischia (2000), Praga (2001), and Cocodriles in the Night (2020, forthcoming in English), weave rich narratives that complement her academic inquiries. Her poetry collection, El cero móvil de su boca/The Mobile Zero of Its Mouth (2020), and short story collection Glossa Urbana (2012) further demonstrate her versatility, with translations of her works reaching global audiences.

Heffes’s research is characterized by its interdisciplinary lens, bridging literary studies, environmental humanities, and cultural analysis. Her ongoing project, Material Dissonances: Toxic Matters and Matters of Toxicity in Latin America, examines how narratives, visual arts, and digital media grapple with environmental justice and material entanglements. By addressing toxicity’s cultural and ecological dimensions, Heffes contributes to urgent conversations about sustainability and equity. Her work has garnered critical acclaim, including awards from LASA, and her influence extends through frequent invitations to lecture and guest-edit special issues on ecocriticism.

Beyond academia, Heffes engages actively in public intellectual projects, including workshops on creative writing in the Anthropocene and international academic partnerships. Her collaborative efforts foster innovative approaches to environmental thought, encouraging dialogue among scholars, artists, and activists. As a mentor and thought leader, she inspires new generations to explore the intersections of literature, ecology, and social justice.