Author: Xavier Villaurrutia
Profile: Xavier Villaurrutia was a Mexican poet, literary critic and playwright. The short theatrical dramas called Autos profanos published in the year 1953 are his most popular works compiled in the work Poesia y teatro completes. He was born in Mexico City, Mexico and died in Mexico City, Mexico. El monje blanco and Let’s Go with Pancho Villa are his most popular movies.
He studied in the National Prepatory School (Escuela Nacional Preparatoria) and in Jurisprudence School (Escuela de Jurisprudencia). It was during this time that he developed a liking towards writing, so he took a decision to dedicate his life to writing literature.
He joined the Contemporaries (grupo de los Contemporaneous) in 1928. He received a scholarship in 1935 to study theatre at Yale University. In 1937 he came back to Mexico and began working for Letras de Mexico, the local newspaper. IN 1927 he founded the magazine Ulises along with Salvador Novo.
Xavier Villaurrutia worked at a professional level for the Contemporaneous, the Mexican literary review from the year 1928 to 1931. He was to later found the first experimental theatre.
The work of Ramon Lopez Velarde as well as a number of other Mexican poets influenced Xavier Villaurrutia a lot. Many poets including Ali Chumacero and Octavio Paz (who was his student) have been influenced by Xavier Villaurrutia.
Writing style: Xavier Villaurrutia’s genre is literary criticism, poetry and dramaturgy.
Published Texts:
1926 – Reflejos (poetic writings)
1933 – Nocturnos (poetic writings)
1938 – Nostalgia de la muerte (Nostalgia of death) – poetic works
1941 – Decima muerte (Tenth Death) – poetic works
1941 – Invitacion a la muerte (play)
1953 – Poesia y teatro completes (a collection of his works published posthumously)
Awards and Acknowledgements:
Ariel Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
1955 – Xavier Villaurrutia Award (sponsored by the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes since 1991) for literary works published in Mexico, selected by a jury of writers