José Gorostiza facts for kids

José Gorostiza Alcalá (born November 10, 1901 – died March 16, 1973) was a famous Mexican poet, teacher, and diplomat. He was known for his amazing poems. Because of his great writing, he became a member of the Academia Mexicana de la Lengua, which is like a special club for important writers and language experts in Mexico.

About José Gorostiza

José Gorostiza was born in a city called Villahermosa in Mexico. This city was known as San Juan Bautista back then. His parents were Celestino Gorostiza and Elvira Alcalá de Gorostiza. He was related to a Spanish writer named Manuel Eduardo de Gorostiza. His younger brother, Celestino Gorostiza, also became a very important artist.

His Education and Early Career

José moved to Mexico City to go to school. He studied at the National Preparatory School and later at the Colegio Francés de Mascarones. After he finished his studies at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, he started working as a professor. He taught at his old university and then at the National School of Teachers in 1932.

Working for the Government

After teaching, José Gorostiza took on many important jobs in the Mexican government. He was in charge of the Department of Fine Arts at the Secretariat of Public Education from 1932 to 1935. This department helps with art and culture in schools.

Then, from 1935 to 1937, he led the Department of Publicity at the Secretariat of Foreign Relations. This department handles how Mexico communicates with other countries. Later, he worked as a diplomat and ambassador. This means he represented Mexico in other countries. Some of his important roles included:

• Director General of Political Affairs at the Secretariat of Foreign Relations.
• Director General of the Diplomatic Service (Secretariat of Foreign Relations) in 1944.
• Ambassador to Greece from 1950 to 1951.
• Secretary of Foreign Relations in 1964.
• Head of the National Commission of Nuclear Energy from 1965 to 1970.

His Writing Career

Between 1928 and 1931, José Gorostiza was part of a very important group of writers called Los Contemporáneos. This group had new and exciting ideas about writing. Other famous writers in this group included Jorge Cuesta, Salvador Novo, and Carlos Pellicer.

José Gorostiza didn't write a huge number of books, but the ones he did write were very powerful and meaningful.

• His first book of poems was called Canciones para cantar en las barcas (which means Songs to Sing on Boats). It came out in 1925.
• Fourteen years later, he published what many consider his most famous work, Muerte sin fin (meaning Death without End).
• In 1964, he released Poesía (Poetry). This book collected his earlier poems and also included new, unfinished pieces called Del poema frustrado (Of the Frustrated Poem).
• He also published a book of essays (short non-fiction writings) in 1969 called Prosa (Prose).

On May 14, 1954, José Gorostiza was chosen to be a member of the Academia Mexicana de la Lengua. He gave a speech called "Notas sobre poesía" ("Notes on Poetry") when he joined. He became a full member on March 22, 1955, and held a special seat there. He passed away in Mexico City at the age of 71.

Awards and Recognition

José Gorostiza received several important awards for his work:

• National Prize for Arts and Sciences (Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes) in 1968. This is one of the highest awards for artists and scientists in Mexico.
• Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria in 1958. This was an award from Austria.

Books by José Gorostiza

Here are some of the books José Gorostiza published:

• Canciones para cantar en las barcas, 1925
• Muerte sin fin, 1939
• Poesía: Notas sobre poesía, Canciones para cantar en las barcas, Del poema frustrado, Muerte sin fin, 1964
• Prosa, 1969
• Epistolario, 1918-1940. Edited by Guillermo Sheridan, 1988
• Poesía completa. Edited by Guillermo Sheridan, 1996

See Also

In Spanish: José Gorostiza Alcalá para niños

• Rosario Castellanos
• Carlos Fuentes
• Octavio Paz
• Sergio Pitol
• Alfonso Reyes