Alejandro Carrión
Encyclopedia
Alejandro Carrión Aguirre (11 March 1915 – 4 January 1992) was born in Loja, Ecuador
. A poet, novelist and enthusiastic journalist, he published two important novels, La manzana dañada and La espina, many books of short stories
, and numerous poetry books. As a journalist he published many of his articles under the pseudonym "Juan Sin Cielo." In 1956 he founded, along with Pedro Jorge Vera
, the political magazine La Calle. He directed the literary magazine Letras del Ecuador. He received the Maria Moors Cabot prize
from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
as well as the Ecuadorian National Prize Premio Eugenio Espejo
(1981) for his body of work. He was the nephew of Benjamín Carrión Mora.
in Washington; a copy of that recording is housed at Harvard University
's "House of the Poetry". Alejandro told of his emotional reaction to hearing his own words when visiting in the company of the poet Archibald McLeish: "small satisfactions that illuminate the life of a poet."
Loja, Ecuador
Loja is the capital of Ecuador's Loja Province. It is located in the Cuxibamba valley in the south of the country, sharing borders with the provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and El Oro, and with Peru in the south...
. A poet, novelist and enthusiastic journalist, he published two important novels, La manzana dañada and La espina, many books of short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
, and numerous poetry books. As a journalist he published many of his articles under the pseudonym "Juan Sin Cielo." In 1956 he founded, along with Pedro Jorge Vera
Pedro Jorge Vera
Pedro Jorge Vera was an Ecuadorian writer and Communist Party of Ecuador politician. He contributed to several newspapers and magazines of controversial character "La Calle", with the writer Alejandro Carrión, as well as "La Mañana". He remained throughout his life a close friend of Cuban...
, the political magazine La Calle. He directed the literary magazine Letras del Ecuador. He received the Maria Moors Cabot prize
Maria Moors Cabot prize
The Maria Moors Cabot Prizes are the oldest international awards in the field of journalism. They pick what the Trustees of Columbia University see as journalistic contributions to inter-American understanding.-Award:...
from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
as well as the Ecuadorian National Prize Premio Eugenio Espejo
Premio Eugenio Espejo
The Premio Nacional Eugenio Espejo is the national prize of the nation of Ecuador.Decrees 677 and 699 established the prize, which is conferred by the President of Ecuador.The Award is bestowed every other year...
(1981) for his body of work. He was the nephew of Benjamín Carrión Mora.
The journalist
Alejandro Carrión wrote articles and political commentary in the following periodicals and newspapers:Newspapers
- El Tiempo, BogotáBogotáBogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, 1947 - La Tierra, Quito 1942–1948
- El Sol, Quito, 1950;
- La Razón, GuayaquilGuayaquilGuayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
, 1968–1969 - El UniversoEl UniversoDiario El Universo is one of the largest daily newspapers in Ecuador. It was founded in 1921 and the first edition was published September 16 of the same year. Its headquarters are located in Guayaquil....
, Guayaquil, 1948–1968 - Diario Las Américas, Miami, 1970–1979
- Diario El Comercio, Quito 1980–1992
Magazines
- Revista de la Casa de la Cultura EcuatorianaCasa de la Cultura EcuatorianaLa Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana is a cultural organization founded by Benjamín Carrión on August 9, 1944, during the presidency of Dr Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra. It was created to stimulate, to direct and to coordinate the development of an authentic national culture. It maintains several...
, 1945–1950 - Letras del Ecuador, 1945–1950
- Sábado, Bogotá, 1947
- La Calle, Quito 1959–1969
- Vistazo, Guayaquil 1969–1992;
- Américas, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, 1977–1979 - Revista de la Sociedad Jurídico-Literaria, 1981–1982
Poetry
A selection of Alejandro Carrión's poetry was recorded in Quito for the Library of CongressLibrary of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in Washington; a copy of that recording is housed at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's "House of the Poetry". Alejandro told of his emotional reaction to hearing his own words when visiting in the company of the poet Archibald McLeish: "small satisfactions that illuminate the life of a poet."
- Poemas de un portero - Poems of a Doorman (1932–1934)
- Luz del nuevo paisajeLuz del nuevo paisajeLuz del nuevo paisaje is a poetry book by Alejandro Carrión, published in Quito in 1935. The book was illustrated with wood engravings by Eduardo Kingman. It appeared at the same time as other works by "the poets of Elan" such as “Escafandra” by Ignacio Lasso, “Canto a lo oscuro” by Humberto Vaca...
- Light of the New Landscape (1934–1935) - Poesía de la soledad y el deseoPoesía de la soledad y el deseoPoesía de la soledad y el deseo is a book of poetry by Alejandro Carrión. This collection was published in the Annals of the Central University of Quito as a "separata" with an illustrated cover by Eduardo Kingman, and edited by Alfredo Chávez....
- Poetry of Solitude and Desire (1934–1939) - Agonía del árbol y la sangreAgonía del árbol y la sangreAgonía del árbol y la sangre is a poetry book by Alejandro Carrión. It was first published by the University of Loja with surrealist drawings by Eduardo Kingman. This collection explores many directions of expression and technique...
- Agony of the Tree and the Blood (1934–1944) - La noche oscuraLa noche oscuraLa noche oscura is a poetry book by Alejandro Carrión first published by the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana at the urging of the poet Jorge Carrera Andrade, then vice-president. This book includes a complete version of the poem Tiniebla first published by the National University of Colombia thanks...
- Dark Night (1934–1954) - La sangre sobre la tierraLa sangre sobre la tierraA poetry book by Alejandro Carrión named La sangre sobre la tierra is an excursion into epic poetry that begins with the “Canto a la América Española”, written to participate in a continent wide poetry competition convened in Mexico: the poem was short listed as the “Ecuadorian” selection and lost...
- The Blood on the Earth (1946–1957) - Nunca! NuncaNunca! NuncaNunca! Nunca is roughly translated to mean "Never! Never"; the book of poems was written by Alejandro Carrión. As can be inferred from the title, the collection is in honor of Nietzscheism. "Nunca! Nunca" is a collection of poems in which a variety of forms coexist...
- Never! Never (1955–1957) - El Tiempo que pasa - "Time that Passes" (1957–1962)
- Poeta y peregrino - "Poet and Traveler" (1960–1965)
- Poesia primera jornadad - "Poetry anthology, the early years" (1932–1957)
- Poesia segunda jornada - "Poetry anthology, the final years" (1957–1984)
- Aquí, España Nuestra!, tres poemas en esperanza y amargura (1938)
- Cuaderno de canciones (1954)
- Canto a la América Española (1954)
Short Story
- 1968 Muerte en su Isla
- 1970 La llave perdida
- 1978 Mala procesión de hormigas
- 1983 La manzana dañada
- 1983 Divino tesoro
- 1983 Una pequeña muerte
History
- 1954 Primicias de la poesía quiteña
- 1957 Los poetas quiteños de "El Ocioso en Faenza"
- 1978 La otra historia, ensayos
- 1992 Antología General de la Poesía Ecuatoriana durante la Colonia Española
- 1992 El último rincón del mundo
Prose
- 1948 Los compañeros de Don Quixote
- 1948 Elogio de la novela policíaca
- 1972 Los Colores del Sueño
- 1983 Nuestro Simón BolívarSimón BolívarSimón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
- 1983 Galería de retratos
- 1983 Los caminos de Dios
- 1983 Gana de hablar
- 1983 En el país de los Golillas
- 1983 La pavimentación del infierno