Jorge Asís facts for kids
Jorge Cayetano Zaín Asís (born March 3, 1946, in Avellaneda, Argentina) is a famous Argentine writer, journalist, and politician. He started his writing career in the 1970s. During this time, he wrote a daily column for the newspaper Clarín. He also published many novels. These books often explored themes like youth, politics, and the daily lives of ordinary people in Argentina.
Later, in the 1980s, Jorge Asís became involved in politics. He held several important jobs during the government of Carlos Menem. In 2007, he even ran for vice-president in an election.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Writing Beginnings
Jorge Asís was born in Avellaneda. This is a working and middle-class area near Buenos Aires. His family had come from Syria. From a young age, he was very interested in books and political activities.
One of his first important books was Los reventados (which means "The down-and-out"). This novella was about different characters trying to make money easily. It was set when Juan Perón returned to Argentina in 1973. Some characters in the book even saw the Ezeiza massacre of June 20, 1973.
Rising to Fame as a Writer
In the 1970s, Asís wrote a daily column for the newspaper Clarín. He used the pen name Oberdán Rocamora. In 1978, he even reported from a car race in South America. He was a co-pilot in a Citroen car for this report.
Jorge Asís became very well-known in 1980. This happened with his book Flores robadas en los jardines de Quilmes ("Flowers stolen in the gardens of Quilmes"). The book tells the stories of young people in Argentina in the 1970s. They were trying out different careers and getting involved in politics. The main story is about the narrator and a young woman from Quilmes. She eventually decides to leave the country.
This book was dedicated to Haroldo Conti. He was a writer who had disappeared during the military government. The book also included strong political ideas for that time. Flores robadas en los jardines de Quilmes was the first part of a series called Canguros ("Kangaroos"). This series showed everyday life in Greater Buenos Aires.
In 1984, Asís released Diario de la Argentina ("Argentina's Newspaper"). This book was a roman à clef. It was a story based on his time working at Clarín. Major newspapers were not happy that their internal issues were shared publicly. Because of this, they informally avoided Asís and his work for several years.
Involvement in Politics
During the 1980s, Jorge Asís became more involved in politics. He often attended meetings with intelligence officers. These meetings later inspired his 1987 novel, Partes de inteligencia ("Intelligence Reports").
When Raúl Alfonsín was president, Asís joined the Justicialist Party. He strongly supported Carlos Menem for president. When Menem became President of Argentina in 1989, Asís received several government jobs. He was an ambassador to UNESCO, the Secretary of Culture, and an ambassador to Portugal.
After Menem's ten years as president, Asís stayed in politics. He became a popular commentator on TV, radio, and in newspapers. His unique way of speaking made him stand out from other politicians. In the 2007 presidential election, Asís ran for vice president. He was on a ticket with Jorge Sobisch, who was a former governor. They received about 1.6% of the votes.
Some people thought his early books, which showed real-life situations, were too popular during the military government. His writing style is often compared to realistic novels from the 1800s.
Books
Here are some of the books written by Jorge Asís:
Novels
- La manifestación (1971)
- Don Abdel Zalim, El burlador de Domínico (1972)
- La familia tipo (1974)
- Los reventados (1974)
- Flores robadas en los jardines de Quilmes (1980)
- Carne Picada (1981)
- La calle de los caballos muertos (1982)
- Canguros (1983)
- Diario de la Argentina (1984)
- El pretexto de París (1986)
- Partes de inteligencia (1987)
- Cuaderno del acostado (1988)
- El cineasta y la partera (y el sociólogo marxista que murió de amor) (1989)
- La línea de Hamlet o la ética de la traición (1995)
- Sandra, la trapera (1996)
- Lesca, el fascista irreductible (2000)
- Del Flore Al Montparnasse (2000)
- Excelencias de la NADA (2001)
- Cuentos Completos (2005)
- Hombre de Gris (2012)
- Casa Casta (2012)
- Tulipanes salvajes en agua de rosas (2012)
- Dulces otoñales (2014)
- Memorias tergiversadas (2017)
Short stories
- La manifestación (1971)
- Fe de ratas (1976)
Poetry
- Señorita vida (1970)
Non-fiction
- El Buenos Aires de Oberdán Rocamora (1981)
- La Ficción Política (1985)
- La Marroquinería Política (2006)
- El Descascaramiento (2007)
- La elegida y el elegidor (2008)
See also
In Spanish: Jorge Asís para niños
