Luis Cardoza y Aragón facts for kids

Luis Cardoza y Aragón

Luis Cardoza y Aragón (born June 21, 1904 – died September 4, 1992) was a famous writer, poet, and diplomat from Guatemala. He was also an art critic, which means he wrote about art. Luis was born in Antigua Guatemala. He spent a big part of his life living away from his home country in Mexico. This is called living in exile.

Early Life and Education

Luis Cardoza y Aragón went to primary school in Antigua Guatemala. He also studied at the Colegio Centroamericano in Guatemala City. For his high school education, he attended the Instituto Nacional Central para Varones in the same city.

Adventures in Paris and New Ideas

In the 1920s, Luis Cardoza y Aragón moved to Paris, France. There, he became good friends with André Breton, a key figure in the Surrealist movement. Surrealism was an exciting art and writing style that explored dreams and imagination. Luis was very influenced by these new ideas.

His first book, called Luna Park, was published in 1923. He dedicated it to another Guatemalan writer, Enrique Gómez Carrillo. While in Paris, Luis also met Miguel Ángel Asturias, who later became a very famous writer from Guatemala. They were friends during their time in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s. Many years later, in 1991, Luis Cardoza y Aragón wrote a book about their friendship called Miguel Ángel Asturias, Casi Novela (which means Miguel Ángel Asturias, Almost a Novel). This book won an award in Mexico in 1992.

Life in Exile and Diplomatic Work

Luis Cardoza y Aragón became the Consul General of Guatemala in New York City. This was a job where he represented his country. However, in the early 1930s, he left this job and his home country. This was because a new leader, Jorge Ubico, became president and ruled very strictly. Luis decided to live in Mexico City on his own.

In Mexico, he joined a group called the Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios (LEAR). This was a group of artists and thinkers who had a lot of influence on art and culture in Mexico. In 1936, he welcomed the French artist Antonin Artaud to Mexico. Artaud had been important to the Surrealist movement in Paris.

After the strict rule in Guatemala ended in 1944, Luis Cardoza y Aragón was chosen to be part of the country's new government. In 1945, the new government made him Guatemala's representative to countries like Sweden, Norway, and the Soviet Union. Later, in 1947, he became the Ambassador to Colombia, then to Chile, and finally to France.

However, Guatemala faced more political problems. Because of this, Luis Cardoza y Aragón had to leave his country again. He returned to Mexico and worked for a newspaper called El Nacional. There, he met famous painters like David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera.

Later Life and Recognition

Even though his work was not always widely known at first, Luis Cardoza y Aragón became very respected for his writings, especially those about art. He was called "one of the most interesting unknowns in Latin America" in 1974.

He passed away in Mexico City in 1992.

His Writings

Luis Cardoza y Aragón wrote many books, including:

• Luna Park (1923)
• Maelstrom (1926)
• La torre de Babel (The Tower of Babel) (1930)
• Mexican Art Today (1943)
• Guatemala, Las líneas de su mano (Guatemala, The Lines of its Hand) (1955)
• Quinta estación (Fifth Season) (1974) - This book included all his poems up to that time.
• Miguel Ángel Asturias, Casi Novela (Miguel Ángel Asturias, Almost a Novel) (1991)

You can find a full list of his works here: Bibliografía de Luis Cardoza y Aragón

Awards and Tributes

Luis Cardoza y Aragón received many important awards and honors:

• 1970: He received an honorary degree from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala.
• 1978: He won the "Quetzal de Jade" award from the Association of Journalists of Guatemala.
• 1979: He received the "Condecoración del Aguila Azteca" from Mexico. This is Mexico's highest award for people from other countries.
• 1992: He won the Mazatlan Literature Award for his book Miguel Ángel Asturias, Casi Novela.

Several places are named in his honor:

• The Galería Luis Cardoza y Aragón is an art gallery in Mexico City.
• Mexico gives out the Luis Cardoza y Aragón National Prize of Art Critique to people who write well about art.
• The Luis Cardoza y Aragón Popular Culture Center in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, helps children from less fortunate families by offering classes in art, music, and English.
• The Luis Cardoza y Aragón Auditorium at the Mexican Embassy in Guatemala is also named after him.

See also

In Spanish: Luis Cardoza y Aragón para niños