Centenary Paper: Juan Lorenzo Palmireno and the Practical Application of Humanistic Study

Abstract

In the sixteenth century in Valencia, Spain, Juan Lorenzo Palmireno wrote self-help manuals aimed at the ‘literate country lad of slender means and few connections who plans to better his lot by moving to the city’, in the words of Richard Preto-Rodas. In Estudioso de aldea (1571) and its sequel El estudioso cortesano (1573), Palmireno guides his rustic reader in the art of self-fashioning and the presentation of a polished image, in speaking well to prosper in his urban milieu. The success of his books provides a historical, real-life connection to the struggles of many literary characters of the period, including Sancho Panza’s social-climbing ambitions, pícaros and pseudo-pícaros, courtiers and would-be courtiers. Today, the pragmatic objective to articulate clearly and project an image of culture, sophistication and clear thinking dovetails with students’ aims with their university education. At a time of crisis in the humanities, with student debt making US academia increasingly vocational, convincing students of the importance of studying Early Modern Spanish literature can be challenging. Palmireno’s manuals are immediately relatable given the parallels to students’ educational goals and views on the purpose of a liberal arts education, and they give historical context to the ‘great works’ of Golden Age Spanish literature.