Carlos Fuentes
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Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes Macías (born November 11, 1928) is one of the best-known living novelists and essayists in the Spanish-speaking world. Fuentes has influenced contemporary Latin American literature, and his works have been widely translated into English and other languages.
Fuentes was born in Panama City; his parents were Mexican diplomats. In his childhood, he lived in Quito, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, Washington, Santiago and Buenos Aires. In his adolescence, he returned to Mexico, where he lived until 1965.
Following in the footsteps of his parents, he also became a diplomat in 1965 and served in London, Paris, and other capitals. He has also taught courses at Brown, Princeton, Harvard, Columbia and Cambridge. He is currently teaching at Brown University.
His 1960s novels, Aura (1962) and La muerte de Artemio Cruz (1962) are widely acclaimed for using experimental modern narrative styles (including the second person form) to explore issues of history, society and identity.
His 1985 novel Gringo viejo, the first American bestseller written by a Mexican author, was filmed as Old Gringo (1989) starring Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda.
Fuentes regularly contributes essays on politics and culture to the Spanish newspaper El País. He is a stern critic of what he sees as American cultural and economic imperialism, especially with regard to Latin America.
In 1999 he received the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor.
His son, Carlos Rafael Fuentes, died from complications associated with hemophilia in 1999 at the age of 25. His daughter, Natasha Fuentes, died at the age of 29 on 22 August 2005.
Selected works
- Los días enmascarados (1954)
- La región más transparente, Where the Air Is Clear (1959)
- La muerte de Artemio Cruz, The Death of Artemio Cruz (1962)
- Aura (1962)
- La nueva novela hispanoamericana (1969)
- Zona sagrada, Holy Place (1967)
- Cambio de piel, A Change of Skin (1967)
- Cumpleaños (Birthday) (1969)
- El tuerto es rey (1971)
- Diana o la cazadora solitaria, Diana, The Goddess Who Hunts Alone (1972)
- Terra Nostra (1975)
- Agua quemada (Burnt Water) (1981)
- Orquídeas a la luz de la luna (1982)
- Gringo viejo (The Old Gringo) (1985)
- Cristóbal Nonato (Christopher Unborn) (1987)
- Ceremonias del alba (1991)
- El naranjo (The Orange Tree) (1993)
- La frontera de cristal (translated by Fuentes' friend and long-time translator Alfred MacAdam as The Crystal Frontier, sometimes translated as The Glass Border - (1995)
- Los años con Laura Díaz (The Years with Laura Díaz) (1999)
- En esto creo (2002)
- Contra Bush (2004)
Bibliography
- Carlos Fuentes's Terra nostra and the Kabbalah: the recreation of the Hispanic world / Sheldon Penn., 2003
- Carlos Fuentes, Mexico and modernity / Van Delden, Maarten., 1998
- The postmodern Fuentes / Helmuth, Chalene., 1997
- The writings of Carlos Fuentes / Williams, Raymond L., 1996
- A Marxist reading of Fuentes, Vargas Llosa, and Puig / Durán, Víctor M., 1994
- Author, text, and reader in the novels of Carlos Fuentes / Ibsen, Kristine., 1993
- Carlos Fuentes : life, work, and criticism / González, Alfonso., 1987
- Carlos Fuentes / Faris, Wendy B., 1983
- Carlos Fuentes, a critical view / Brody, Robert., 1982
- The archetypes of Carlos Fuentes: from witch to androgyne / Durán, Gloria., 1980
- Carlos Fuentes (Twayne World Authors Series) / Guzmán, Daniel de., 1972
- The Mexican novel comes of age / Langford, Walter M., 1971
- Into the mainstream; conversations with Latin-American writers / Harss, Luis., 1969
External links
- [1992 audio interview of Carlos Fuentes] by Don Swaim
- [Making Love in Spanish - Carlos Fuentes and The Eagle's Throne]
- [In praise of the novel] Carlos Fuentes' opening speech at the Fifth International Literature Festival Berlin at signandsight.com.
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