Jon Juaristi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jon Juaristi
Jon Juaristi in 2019
Born	1951 (age 73–74) Bilbao, Spain
Occupation	Poet, essayist and translator
Language	Spanish and Basque
Alma mater	University of Deusto
Notable awards	Ícaro de Literatura

Jon Juaristi Linacero (born in Bilbao, Spain, in 1951) is a Spanish poet, essayist, and translator. He writes in both Spanish and Basque. He is also known for being a former member of the group ETA, though he later changed his views. Today, he lives in Madrid.

About Jon Juaristi

Education and Career Path

Jon Juaristi has a Ph.D. in Romance philology, which is the study of language in historical and cultural ways. He studied at the University of Deusto and in Seville.

He has held important teaching positions, including a chair in Spanish Philology at the University of the Basque Country. He also taught at New York University and the University of Valencia. Juaristi worked as a lecturer and researcher in Austin and at El Colegio de México.

From 1999 to 2001, he was the director of the National Library of Spain. After that, he led the Cervantes Institute until 2004.

Early Political Involvement

When he was 16, Jon Juaristi joined a new group called ETA. He was influenced by a book called Vasconia. One of his actions was connecting some political groups with ETA.

Later, at university, he joined a smaller part of ETA. He faced legal issues and left his hometown to study in Seville. He eventually returned to the University of Deusto. He was briefly expelled from the university but was allowed back. During this time, he spent some time in prison for minor offenses.

In 1974, he mostly left political activities to focus on his academic career.

In 1980, he joined the Communist Party of Spain. This party later merged with another group to form a new social-democratic party that was against violence. He left this party in 1986. In 1987, Juaristi joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He later said he joined because of a violent attack on a PSOE office in Portugalete, which deeply affected him.

Later Views and Public Role

Jon Juaristi has often spoken out against nationalism that focuses on ethnic identity. He believes it can lead to the invention of myths. He has written many articles and essays, especially criticizing Basque nationalism.

He is also known for his strong stance against terrorism and his support for victims of violence. In 1997, he helped create the Foro Ermua, an organization against terrorism. Since the late 1980s, because of his strong criticism of Basque separatist violence, he has faced threats from ETA. In 1999, he left the Basque Country after ETA announced it would end its ceasefire, and he was warned about serious threats to his life.

Juaristi converted to Judaism for personal reasons, not strictly religious ones. He explained that for him, Judaism is more about an ethical way of looking at the world. He considers himself a non-religious Jew.

He writes many articles criticizing antisemitism (hatred towards Jewish people) and anti-Zionism, which he sees as a form of antisemitism. He also supports Israel's right to exist as its own state.

Poetry Works

Jon Juaristi's poetry is influenced by other Basque poets like Gabriel Aresti, and Spanish writers such as Miguel de Unamuno and Blas de Otero. He also draws inspiration from the ironic style of the poet W. H. Auden.

His poems often bring back memories of his childhood and youth in Bilbao. His writing style is often realistic, a bit sad, focused on city life, and very smart.

Here are some of his poetry collections:

• Diario de un poeta recién cansado (Diary of a poet recently tired) (1986)
• Suma de varia intención (Amount of varying intention) (1987)
• Arte de marear (Art to annoy) (1988)
• Los paisajes domésticos (The domestic landscapes) (1992)
• Mediodía (Noon) (1993)
• Tiempo desapacible (Unpleasant time) (1996)
• Poesía reunida (Collected poetry) (1986-1999) (2001)
• Prosas en verso (Prose in verse) (2002)

Essays and Analysis

In his essays, Jon Juaristi often analyzes topics from a psychological and sociological point of view. He is inspired by thinkers like Carl Jung and Leon Polyakov. He explores the historical and mythical roots of European nationalism, especially Basque nationalism.

His essays often include references to language studies and interesting stories about authors, topics, and works related to occultism (mystical or magical beliefs). He usually mentions these with a sense of distance and irony.

Some of his essay collections include:

• Euskararen Ideologiak (1976)
• El linaje de Aitor. La invención de la tradición vasca (Aitor's Lineage. The Invention of Basque Tradition) (1984)
• Literatura vasca (Basque Literature) (1987)
• Arte en el País Vasco (Art in the Basque Country) (1987) – with Kosme M. de Barañano and Javier González de Durana
• Vicente de Arana (1990)
• Vestigios de Babel. Para una arqueología de los nacionalismos españoles (Traces of Babel. For an Archaeology of Spanish Nationalisms) (1992)
• Auto de Terminación: raza, nación y violencia en el País Vasco (Act of Termination: Race, Nation, and Violence in the Basque Country) (1994) – with Juan Aranzadi and Patxo Unzueta
• La Europa (cultural) de los pueblos: voz y forma (The (Cultural) Europe of Peoples: Voice and Form) (1994) – with other authors
• El chimbo expiatorio (la invención de la tradición bilbaína, 1876-1939) (The Scapegoat Chimbo (The Invention of Bilbao Tradition, 1876-1939)) (1994)
• El bucle melancólico. Historias de nacionalistas vascos (The Melancholic Loop. Stories of Basque Nationalists) (1997)
• Sacra nemesis. Nuevas historias de nacionalistas vascos (Sacred Nemesis. New Stories of Basque Nationalists) (1999)
• Sermo humilis: poesía y poética (Humble Speech: Poetry and Poetics) (1999)
• El bosque originario (The Original Forest) (2000)
• La tribu atribulada. El Nacionalismo Vasco explicado a mi padre (The Troubled Tribe. Basque Nationalism Explained to My Father) (2002)
• El reino del ocaso (The Kingdom of Twilight) (2004)

Autobiography

• Cambio de destino (Change of Destiny) (2006) ISBN: 978-84-322-9668-0

Awards and Recognition

Jon Juaristi has received several awards for his writing:

• 1988: Ícaro de Literatura
• 1997: Espasa de Ensayo for El bucle melancólico
• 1998: XV Premio de Periodismo Francisco Cerecedo (Journalism Prize)
• 1998: Premio Nacional de Literatura (National Literature Prize) for El bucle melancólico
• 2000: Fastenrath

See also

In Spanish: Jon Juaristi para niños