Sara Castro-Klarén, professor emerita in the department of modern languages and literatures at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, passed away on September 1. She was 86 years old.
Born in Sabandia, Peru, Dr. Castro-Klarén traveled to the United States at the age of 18 to study at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree in Spanish American literature, and Ph.D. in Hispanic languages and literatures. Her early career in academia included faculty appointments with the University of Idaho and Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. She also had a stint as chief of the Library of Congress’ Hispanic Division.
Dr. Castro-Klarén joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1987. One year later, she co-founded the university’s program in Latin American studies. She served as the program’s director on two occasions. From 2007 to 2008, Dr. Castro-Klarén was a professor and chair of the department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of California, Irvine.
As a scholar, Dr. Castro-Klarén focused on Latin American literature and culture. She was the editor and author of numerous articles and several books, including Understanding Mario Vargas Llosa (University of South Carolina Press, 1990), Women’s Writing in Latin America: An Anthology (Westview Press, 1991), A Companion to Latin American Literature and Culture (Wiley-Blackwell, 2008), and Inca Garcilaso and Contemporary World-Making (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2016). Dr. Castro-Klarén also served as co-editor of the University of Pittsburgh Press series Illuminations: Cultural Formations of the Americas.
In 2017, the Peruvian state awarded Dr. Castro-Klarén the Order of the Sun of Peru at the rank of Grand Officer, which is the highest distinction conferred on citizens for outstanding contributions to culture and history.