Concha Méndez facts for kids
Concepción Méndez Cuesta (born in Madrid, Spain, on July 27, 1898 – died in Coyoacán, Mexico, on December 7, 1986) was a very important Spanish poet and writer. She was part of a famous group of artists called the Generation of '27. People in the literary world knew her as Concha Méndez.
Early Life and Adventures
Concha grew up in a comfortable family. She went to a French school where she learned music and art. She was also a talented athlete, becoming a champion in gymnastics and swimming!
In 1919, when she was nineteen, Concha decided to travel the world. She visited exciting cities like London, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo. During a vacation in San Sebastián, she met Luis Buñuel. They were engaged for five years, but she eventually ended it because they didn't get along well.
Through her artistic friends, she met other famous writers like Rafael Alberti, Federico García Lorca, and Luis Cernuda. They encouraged her to join their group, which became known as the Generation of '27. Concha and Alberti both loved the sea. Later in her life, she saw him as a guide and teacher. In 1926, she published her first book of poems, called Inquietudes (which means "Concerns").
Marriage and Publishing
In 1931, Lorca introduced Concha to Manuel Altolaguirre, a poet and publisher from Málaga. They got married the next year. Together, they started their own printing press called Verónica.
They published several important works. One was Héroe (meaning "Hero"), which featured descriptions of Spanish heroes by Juan Ramón Jiménez. Another publication was called 1616. This name was special because it was the year Miguel de Cervantes (a famous Spanish writer) and William Shakespeare (a famous English writer) both passed away. They wanted to connect writers from England and Spain, so they printed poems in both their original language and a translation. Many well-known writers worked with them, including Federico García Lorca, Luis Cernuda, Jorge Guillén, Pablo Neruda, Miguel de Unamuno, and Moreno Villa.
Life in Exile
From 1933 to 1935, Concha and Manuel lived in London. Sadly, their first child passed away as a baby there. Later, their daughter Paloma was born.
When the Spanish Civil War began, they had to leave Spain. They lived in different countries like England, France, and Belgium. After the war ended, they went to Paris, where they met the French poet Paul Éluard.
In 1939, they left Paris and traveled to Havana, Cuba. There, they started their printing press Verónica again. They published a collection of poems called El ciervo herido (The Wounded Deer) between 1939 and 1943.
In 1944, Concha and Manuel moved to Mexico. Later, Manuel and Concha separated. Manuel passed away in a car accident in 1959.
Concha did not publish many new books between 1944 and 1979, except for a collection of her poems in 1976. Her last book, Vida o río (Life or River), came out in 1979.
In 1990, a special book called Memorias habladas, memorias armadas (Spoken Memories, Armed Memories) was published in Madrid. This book was created from recordings made by her granddaughter, Paloma Ulacia Altolaguirre.
Today, there is a street in Málaga, Spain, named after her: Calle Poeta Concha Méndez.
Her Books
- Inquietudes (Concerns), 1926
- Surtidor (Source), 1928
- El ángel cartero (The Mailman Angel), 1929
- Canciones de mar y tierra (Songs of Land and Sea), 1930
- Vida a vida (From Life to Life), 1932. With an introduction by Juan Ramón Jiménez
- El pez engañado 1933-1935 (The Deceived Fish), 1935
- El carbón y la rosa (The Coal and the Rose), 1935
- Niño y sombras (Child and Shadows), 1936
- Prólogo de El solitario (Prologue to The Loner), 1938
- Lluvias enlazadas (Interlocking Rains), 1939
- El solitario (Amor) (The Loner, Love) 1941
- Sombras y sueños (Shadows and Dreams), 1944
- Villancicos de navidad (Christmas Carols), 1944
- El solitario (Soledad) (The Loner, loneliness), 1945
- Vida o río (Life or River), 1979
- Memorias habladas, memorias armadas, (Spoken Memories, Armed Memories), 1990
- Poemas 1926-1986, 1995. Edited by Professor James Valender, her granddaughter's husband
- Jeanne Marie, Los caminos del alma / Les Chemins de l’âme - memoria viva de los poetas del 27’ mémoire vive des poètes de la Génération de 1927, éditions Paradigme Orléans
See also
In Spanish: Concha Méndez para niños
