WT Faculty Publish Books Exploring Iron Maiden, Influential Peruvian Author

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - Books on the heavy metal band Iron Maiden and an overlooked Peruvian author recently were released by West Texas A&M University faculty members.

Dr. Martin M. Jacobsen, associate professor of English, explores the dense lyrical output of the prominent metal band in "Pieces of Minds: The Intellectual Tradition of Iron Maiden," and Dr. Eduardo Huaytán-Martínez, assistant professor of Spanish and director of the Spanish program, spotlights systemic oppression in Peru in an annotated edition of Zoila Aurora Cáceres's 1929 novel "Montalván, La Negra."

Both are faculty members in the Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages in WT's Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities.

"Iron Maiden's particular innovation comes not only in the form of musical adaptation but also in an open exhibition of intellectual interests," Jacobsen writes in his book's introduction. "Iron Maiden … (pays) homage to the larger, predominantly Western, intellectual tradition, borrowing freely from literature, history, cinema, and philosophy in the same way they have extracted musical elements from the bands that preceded them."

Jacobsen, who found himself gravitating to heavy metal in his youth, taught classes at WT that explored the genre as literature between 2013 and 2018. That led to his embrace by the genre's fans nationwide and led to opportunities for work in magazines and fan-run websites, and in writing the liner notes for "Great Lefty: Live Forever!", an album paying tribute to Black Sabbath co-founder Tony Iommi.

The class also led to the Iron Maiden book, published in January by The Edwin Mellen Press. The book's title is a riff on the band's seminal 1983 album "Piece of Mind," for which songs were inspired by the likes of Frank Herbert and Alfred Lord Tennyson.

"I wrote it for the fans," Jacobsen said. "My premise is that anyone who listens to Iron Maiden should be able to go to the public library and explore the same references that the band did."

Indeed, Jacobsen did the bulk of his research into the band's lyrical inspirations at the Amarillo Public Library.

Huaytán-Martínez worked with Dr. Andy Reynolds, a former WT professor of Spanish, to bring Cáceres back into the academic spotlight. Their annotation of Cáceres's book was published January by Stockcero.

"What distinguishes this novel is its powerful exploration of social hierarchies and its attention to the condition of women," Huaytán-Martínez said. "Cáceres employs melodrama strategically-using emotional intensity to captivate readers while advancing a pointed critique of colonial and postcolonial society."

Cáceres, who was born in Lima, Peru, in 1872, was deeply engaged with questions of national identity, women's rights and social justice, Huaytán-Martínez said.

"Although she was well known in her time, much of her literary production-particularly texts like 'Montalván, La Negra'-has remained understudied," Huaytán-Martínez said. "Her work challenges conventional narratives of Peruvian and Hispanic American literature, especially in its early denunciation of slavery, discrimination and violence against women."

Huaytán-Martínez said he and Reynolds hope to foster renewed scholarly interest in Cáceres and to inspire scholars and students to rethink Hispanic American literary traditions and to recognize the depth of early 20th-century debates on national identity.

Research in all areas furthers WT's status as a Regional Research University, the goal of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign, which is now winding down, has raised more than $175 million.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: West Texas A&M University faculty members Dr. Martin M. Jacobsen, associate professor of English, and Dr. Eduardo Huaytán-Martínez, assistant professor of Spanish and director of the Spanish program, display their recently published books, "Pieces of Minds: The Intellectual Tradition of Iron Maiden" and an annotated edition of Zoila Aurora Cáceres's 1929 novel "Montalván, La Negra."

-WT-