Jaime Saenz
Encyclopedia
Jaime Sáenz Guzmán was a Bolivia
n poet
, novel
ist, and short story
writer. Born in the city of La Paz
, he lived virtually his entire life in that city, and its dark atmosphere had a powerful effect on much of his work. His poetry, though individual to the point of being difficult to classify, bears some similarities with surrealist
literature.
Throughout his life, Sáenz struggled with alcoholism
, a struggle about which he frequently wrote in his poems. Owing to this fact, he is often viewed as a sort of poète maudit
, or "cursed poet". Sáenz was openly
, "unashamedly", bisexual.
, Bolivia
, his father was the Lieutenant Genaro Sáenz Rivero and his mother Graciela Guzmán Lazarte. In 1921 his parents sent him to Muñoz school, and then to the American Institute, he ended his schooling in 1937. In 1938 he traveled to Germany with some classmates to return in 1939, this trip would be crucial in his life.
In 1941 he started to work in the Bolivian Department of Defense, then in the Bolivian Treasury. In 1942 he joined the United States Information Service and worked there until 1952. In 1943, he married German citizen, Erika [her last name has not been documented] and in 1947 they had a daughter, Jourlaine. In 1948 Erika definitely quites up Sáenz.
From this moment Sáenz devoted his life not only to write, but to drink too. Carlos Alfredo Rivera, one of his best friends, didn't want him to drink anymore so he gave him advice and tried to persuade him. Sáenz, despite this, orders just when he's about to die in a delirium tremens
crisis.
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n poet
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist, and short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer. Born in the city of La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
, he lived virtually his entire life in that city, and its dark atmosphere had a powerful effect on much of his work. His poetry, though individual to the point of being difficult to classify, bears some similarities with surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
literature.
Throughout his life, Sáenz struggled with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, a struggle about which he frequently wrote in his poems. Owing to this fact, he is often viewed as a sort of poète maudit
Poète maudit
A poète maudit is a poet living a life outside or against society. Abuse of drugs and alcohol, insanity, crime, violence, and in general any societal sin, often resulting in an early death are typical elements of the biography of a poète maudit....
, or "cursed poet". Sáenz was openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
, "unashamedly", bisexual.
Biography
Jaime Sáenz Guzmán was born on October 29, 1921 in La PazLa Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, his father was the Lieutenant Genaro Sáenz Rivero and his mother Graciela Guzmán Lazarte. In 1921 his parents sent him to Muñoz school, and then to the American Institute, he ended his schooling in 1937. In 1938 he traveled to Germany with some classmates to return in 1939, this trip would be crucial in his life.
In 1941 he started to work in the Bolivian Department of Defense, then in the Bolivian Treasury. In 1942 he joined the United States Information Service and worked there until 1952. In 1943, he married German citizen, Erika [her last name has not been documented] and in 1947 they had a daughter, Jourlaine. In 1948 Erika definitely quites up Sáenz.
From this moment Sáenz devoted his life not only to write, but to drink too. Carlos Alfredo Rivera, one of his best friends, didn't want him to drink anymore so he gave him advice and tried to persuade him. Sáenz, despite this, orders just when he's about to die in a delirium tremens
Delirium tremens
Delirium tremens is an acute episode of delirium that is usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol, first described in 1813...
crisis.
Works
- El escalpelo (1955)
- Aniversario de una visión (1960)
- Muerte por el tacto (1967)
- Recorrer esta distancia (1973)
- Al pasar un cometa (1982)
- Los cuartos (1985)
- Vidas y Muertes (1986)
- La piedra imán (1989)
- Felipe Delgado -novela- (1989)
- La noche (1984), - The Night: A Poem by Jaime Saenz (bilingual edition), Princeton UP 2007, ISBN 0691124833
- Obras inéditas (1996)
- Obra dramática (2005)
- La bodega de Jaime Saenz (2005)
- Immanent Visitor: Selected Poems of Jaime Saenz, Univ of California Press, 2002, ISBN 0520230485
- Tocnolencias (2009)