José Luis Cano facts for kids
José Luis Cano (born December 28, 1911 – died February 15, 1999) was a Spanish writer, editor, and literary critic. This means he wrote, helped publish, and reviewed books and poems.
In 1947, he helped start a magazine about books and writing called Ínsula. The next year, in 1948, he also helped create and edit a special collection of poetry books called the Adonais Poetry Collection. This collection gives out the Adonais Prize for Spanish poetry. In 1985, King Juan Carlos I of Spain gave José Luis Cano a special award called the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts.
Early Life and Work
José Luis Cano was born in Algeciras, a city in southern Spain, in the province of Cadiz. In 1931, he moved to Madrid to study at university. This was the year Spain became a republic for the second time. At the Central University, he studied Law and Philosophy.
During this time, he met famous writers like Dámaso Alonso and reconnected with Federico García Lorca, whom he had met in Málaga in 1930. After the Spanish Civil War, José Luis Cano lived in Madrid and met other important writers such as Luis Cernuda, Vicente Aleixandre, and Pablo Neruda.
Cano studied the work of Vicente Aleixandre and later published the writer's personal diary, Los Cuadernos de Velintonia (which means Velintonia's Papers). José Luis Cano spent a lot of time studying, publishing, and supporting the poets from a famous group called the 'Generation of '27'. He even wrote biographies (life stories) of Federico García Lorca in 1962 and Antonio Machado in 1975. He was especially supportive of poetry from the region of Andalusia.
His Own Poetry
José Luis Cano not only helped other writers but also wrote his own poetry. Some of his poetry collections include:
- Sonetos de la Bahía (Sonnets from the Bay, 1942)
- Voz de la Muerte (Voice of Death, 1945)
- Las Alas Perseguidas (The Pursued Wings, 1945)
- Otoño en Málaga y otros poemas (Autumn in Málaga and Other Poems, 1955)
- Luz del Tiempo (Light of Time, 1962)
- Poesía 1942–1962 (Poems 1942-1962, 1964)
- Poemas para Susana (Poems for Susana, 1978)
As mentioned earlier, he received the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts in 1985 for his contributions to culture.
Legacy and Later Years
To honor his work, the local government of Algeciras created the José Luis Cano Municipal Foundation of Culture. This foundation later published his Complete Poems in 2001 and Los Cuadernos de Velintonia in 2002.
In March 1995, José Luis Cano helped with a campaign to protect the home of Vicente Aleixandre in Madrid. Aleixandre was a Nobel Prize winner in 1984 and a key member of the 'Generation of '27'. The Association of Vicente Aleixandre's Friends continues to promote the work and memory of this important writer.
José Luis Cano passed away in Madrid in 1999.
Selected Works
- 1942 Sonetos de la bahía (Sonnets of the bay)
- 1945 Voz de la muerte (Voice of death)
- 1945 Las alas perseguidoras (The Pursued Wings)
- 1955 Otoño en Málaga y otros poemas (Autumn in Málaga and other poems)
- 1962 Luz del tiempo (Light of time)
- 1964 Poesía. 1942-1962 (Poetry 1942-1962)
- 1978 Poemas para Susana (Poems for Suzanna)
- La generación del 27 (The generation of '27)
- Antonio Machado : biografia ilustrada. (Antonio Machado: an illustrated biography)
- Vicente Aleixandre
- Antología de la nueva poesía española (An anthology of new Spanish poetry)
- García Lorca
- García Lorca: biografía ilustrada (García Lorca: an illustrated biography)
See also
In Spanish: José Luis Cano García de la Torre para niños
