José María Álvarez
Encyclopedia
José María Álvarez, born in Cartagena, Spain
on the 31st of May, 1942, is a Spanish
poet
and novelist.
He studied Philosophy and Letters in the University of Murcia
, Philosophy in the Sorbonne
and subsequently both History and Geography in Spanish universities.
The principal work of Álvarez is Museo de cera (Wax Museum) which was a work in progress for many years due the author's endeavouring to complete a unique and all-encompassing book (un libro único y totalizador). In the most recent edition, Álvarez has finally brought the cycle to a conclusion.
He has also translated into Spanish the work of, among others, Robert Louis Stevenson
, Edgar Allan Poe, Jack London
, T.S. Eliot, Shakespeare, François Villon
, the complte works of Constantine P. Cavafy, and the poems from the years of madness of Friedrich Hölderlin.
José María Álvarez has followed a number of the trends in contemporary Spanish poetry
, passing from socially aware poetry to a culturalism deriving from his life experience. His protagonist is no revolutionary wishing to change lives, but a bon vivant, a disdainer of vulgarity, and a lover of lost causes.
His poems are often bipartite, consisting of:
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
on the 31st of May, 1942, is a Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and novelist.
He studied Philosophy and Letters in the University of Murcia
University of Murcia
The University of Murcia is the main university in Murcia, Spain. With 38,000 students, it is the largest university in the Región de Murcia.-History:...
, Philosophy in the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
and subsequently both History and Geography in Spanish universities.
The principal work of Álvarez is Museo de cera (Wax Museum) which was a work in progress for many years due the author's endeavouring to complete a unique and all-encompassing book (un libro único y totalizador). In the most recent edition, Álvarez has finally brought the cycle to a conclusion.
He has also translated into Spanish the work of, among others, Robert Louis Stevenson
Stevenson
Stevenson is an English language patronymic surname meaning "son of Steven". Its first historical record is from pre 10th century England. People with the name include:* Alexandra Stevenson , U.S. tennis player...
, Edgar Allan Poe, Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
, T.S. Eliot, Shakespeare, François Villon
Villon
Villon may refer to:* 10140 Villon, a main belt asteroid* Villon, Yonne, Burgundy, France* Villon , a French surname* François Villon, the 15th-century poet...
, the complte works of Constantine P. Cavafy, and the poems from the years of madness of Friedrich Hölderlin.
José María Álvarez has followed a number of the trends in contemporary Spanish poetry
Spanish poetry
Spanish poetry is the poetic tradition of Spain. It may include elements of Spanish literature, and literatures written in languages of Spain other than Castilian, such as Catalan literature....
, passing from socially aware poetry to a culturalism deriving from his life experience. His protagonist is no revolutionary wishing to change lives, but a bon vivant, a disdainer of vulgarity, and a lover of lost causes.
His poems are often bipartite, consisting of:
- An introductory quote (allusions to cinema mythography, theatrical dialogues, fragments of novels, poems, essays, song lyrics, etc.) and
- The poem as such, which attempts to organise chaos, to explain an incomprehensible world.
External Links (in Spanish)
- CTpedia
- His personal Web Page
- Poems of José María Álvarez
- José María Álvarez in Cisne Negro (The Black Swan)
- José María Álvarez, Sobre Shakespeare (On Shakespeare) (El Gaviero Ediciones, Almería, 2005).