Ángeles Mastretta facts for kids

Ángeles Mastretta (born October 9, 1949, in Puebla, Mexico) is a famous Mexican writer, journalist, actress, and film producer. She is known for writing about strong female characters and showing what life was like in Mexico during her time, especially its social and political changes. She has won important awards like the Rómulo Gallegos Prize and the Mazatlán Prize for Literature. Her book, Arráncame la vida (which means Tear This Heart Out), was even made into a movie that won an Ariel Award in Mexico.

Early Life and Inspiration

Ángeles Mastretta started her writing journey as a journalist. She wrote for a Mexican magazine called Siete and a newspaper named Ovaciones. She says that her father, who was also a journalist when he was young, inspired her to become a writer. Even though her father passed away when she was young, she continued to follow in his footsteps. Later, she married another writer, Héctor Aguilar Camín.

Writing Career

In 1974, Ángeles Mastretta received a special scholarship from the Mexican Writers' Center. This allowed her to improve her writing skills. She worked alongside other famous authors like Juan Rulfo. After a year, a collection of her poems called La pájara pinta (The Colorful Bird) was published in 1978.

Mastretta really wanted to write a novel she had been thinking about for a long time. She got her chance when an editor offered to support her for six months. This break allowed her to focus only on writing. She took the offer and completed her novel, Arráncame la vida (Tear This Heart Out). The book was published in 1985 and became an instant success. It won her the Mazatlán Prize for Literature for Best Book of the Year.

Arráncame la vida was very popular in Mexico and other countries. Because of its success, Mastretta could spend more time on her fiction writing. A movie based on the novel was released in September 2008.

Mastretta won the Rómulo Gallegos Prize for her 1996 novel, Mal de Amores (Lovesick). This was a big achievement, as she was the first woman in Latin America to receive this award.

When her baby daughter became very sick, Mastretta stayed by her side in the hospital. To pass the time, she began telling stories about interesting women in her family. These women were important to her and had "decided their own destinies." These stories became the inspiration for her book Mujeres de ojos grandes (Women with Big Eyes), published in 1990. She wanted to preserve these stories for the future.

Mastretta in Film

Ángeles Mastretta has also worked in the film industry. She has been both an actress and a producer. In 2008, she acted in a short film called Tabacotla, playing the role of Verónica. In the same year, she worked on the movie based on her novel, Tear This Heart Out. This film won six awards and received three nominations. In 2009, Mastretta won an Ariel Award in Mexico for Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Source, sharing it with director Roberto Sneider.

Even though journalism is not her main focus anymore, Mastretta still writes for the newspaper El País. She also contributes to the magazine NEXOS, which was started by her husband, Héctor Aguilar Camín.

Notable Books

Tear This Heart Out

This novel was Ángeles Mastretta's first book to be translated into English. It introduced her writing to English-speaking readers. The story follows the life of Catalina Guzman and takes place in Puebla, Mexico, Mastretta's hometown. Mastretta used her own childhood experiences in Puebla to create the setting for the novel.

The book is set during and after the Mexican Revolution. It focuses on Catalina's challenging life married to a powerful political figure. Catalina's character grows into a strong woman who stands up against traditional male dominance. This book set the stage for Mastretta's future novels, which often feature strong female main characters.

Lovesick

Published in 1996, Lovesick is another important novel by Mastretta. Like Tear This Heart Out, it is set in Puebla, Mexico, and uses the Mexican Revolution as its historical background. The main character, Emilia Suari, is a strong and independent woman. In this book, Mastretta continues to explore social and political issues relevant to Mexico at that time.

Puerto libre

Puerto libre is a collection of memoirs. It includes chapters where Mastretta shares her thoughts on writing and feminism.

Writing and Reality

One chapter in Puerto libre talks about how fiction is written and expressed. Mastretta discusses the qualities a person needs to write fiction. A key idea she explores is how fiction, reality, and truth are connected. She suggests that these ideas can be shaped depending on who is telling the story.

Feminism and Freedom

Another chapter in Puerto libre clearly shows Mastretta's views as a feminist writer. She uses places like the kitchen and an office to represent the challenges women face due to societal expectations. Through characters like Marichu and Pepón, Mastretta highlights the difficulties women experience when they are expected to take on traditional roles, like caring for their husbands and families. Mastretta emphasizes that writing offers women freedom. She believes that feminism is a natural feeling for women, but society often makes it hard for it to grow.

Works

Novels

• Arráncame la vida (Tear This Heart) (1985)
• Mal de Amores (Lovesick) (1996)
• Ninguna eternidad como la mía (No Eternity Like Mine) (1999)

Short Stories

• Mujeres de ojos grandes (Women with Big Eyes) (1985)
• Maridos (Husbands) (2007)
• “El viento de las horas” (2015)

Memoirs

• Puerto libre (Free port) (1993)
• El mundo iluminado (The Illuminated World) (1998)
• El cielo de los leones (2003)
• La emoción de las cosas (2012)

Filmography

• Tabacotla (2008), as Véronica (actress)
• Tear This Heart Out (2009), executive producer
• Hecho en México (2012), as Ángeles Mastretta (herself)

See also

In Spanish: Ángeles Mastretta para niños