New Release
Thanks to Life
A Biography of Violeta Parra
Chilean musician and artist Violeta Parra (1917–1967) is an inspiration to generations of artists and activists across the globe. In this remarkable biography, Ericka Verba traces Parra’s radical life and multifaceted artistic trajectory across Latin America and Europe and on both sides of the Iron Curtain.
“A stunning achievement and outstanding piece of biographical work on a world-class artist whose legacy continues to shape Latin American music and culture.”
—Heidi Tinsman, author of Buying into the Regime
“An intimate portrait and rollicking narrative that crisscrosses continents, lovers, and ideological borders of the Cultural Cold War.”
—Eric Zolov, author of The Last Good Neighbor
“The first comprehensive biography of Violeta Parra in English and the first to look at her life from a feminist, decolonial, and critical perspective.”
—Juan Pablo González, author of Thinking about Music from Latin America
“Finally, a definitive biography of one of the most consequential global artists of the twentieth century.”
—Karin Rosemblatt, author of The Science and Politics of Race in Mexico and the United States, 1910–1950
“A deeply moving biography and provocative meditation on the production and uses of authenticity.”
—Matthew Karush, author of Musicians in Transit

About Ericka Verba
Ericka Verba is Director and Professor of Latin American Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. Her research interests include the cultural Cold War, the role of music in social movements, and the intersection of gender and class politics in twentieth-century Latin America. She has received grants from the National Endowment from the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the Fulbright, and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. She is a founding member of SCALAS (Southern California Association of Latin American Studies) and the recipient of the E. Bradford Burns Award for service to the Pacific Coast Council on Latin American Studies.