Amazon.com description: Product Description: Following the defeat of the Second Spanish Republic, Maria Zambrano (1904 1991) and Rosa Chacel (1898 1994), two of Spain s most gifted intellectuals and writers, wrote compelling meditations on the meaning of confession in life and literature. Noel Valis and Carol Maier provide the first complete English-language translations of these essays. Zambrano and Chacel were friends, if not always amicably so; supporters of the Republic; and exiles. Both disciples of the philosopher Ortega y Gasset, they were nevertheless able to establish their own creative independence in their writing. Not only do the essays address national issues centered on Spanish literature, culture, and history, they also offer a unique philosophical-spiritual and literary approach to confession within the areas of philosophy, literature, religion, autobiography, women s and gender studies, and cultural studies. The translators introduction, afterword, and meticulous annotations supplement the texts."