Since the publication of Azul. . . (1888), which heralded Modernismo in Spanish America, Nicaraguan author Rubén Darío (1867-1916) has been a central figure in Latin American literature and identity, including the region’s relationship to the United States—from the nineteenth century until today.Footnote1
Review has reflected on Darío’s foundational role in the development of Latin American letters and culture in various issues over the years, notably in Cathy Jrade’s Rubén Darío and the Romantic Search for Unity (1983) (reviewed in Review 32, 1983); in the late critic Alexander Coleman’s essay “Rubén Darío at the Four Cats,” expounding on the author’s visit to the famous Barcelona café, introducing Darío’s own “In Barcelona,” from his dispatches on the city as a correspondent for La Nación following the Spanish-American War (Review 59, 2000); and in scholar Raquel Chang-Rodríguez’s essay “Rubén Darío through Mario Vargas Llosa’s Looking Glass,” which traces the imprint of the former on the latter’s early work (Review 94, 2017).
This special issue of Review, following the recent centenary of Darío’s passing, continues that ongoing engagement by celebrating as well as examining the great author’s literary contributions—poetry, essays, and chronicles—and their relevance today. Toward that end, Guest Editor Andrew Reynolds leads the charge, as it were, with his incisive introduction, “The Enduring Scholarly and Creative Legacies of Rubén Darío and Modernismo,” which sets the proverbial stage for the contents that follow: critical essays about Darío’s life and work by leading scholars of Modernismo—Gwen Kirkpatrick, Adela Pineda Franco, José González, and Julia Medina—who explore Darío and his oeuvre from different angles, including digitally; as well as newly translated poems and essays by Darío himself and other Modernista writers such as Delmira Agustini and Alfonsina Storni; appraisals of Darío by other masters representing subsequent generations (Borges, García Lorca, and Neruda); and a host of contemporary texts, by fellow Nicaraguan author Sergio Ramírez, who ponders Darío’s early literary formation, and others such as Günther Schmigalle and Erick Blandón, as well as original poetry by contemporary Latin American writers, all of which helps illuminate Darío’s multiple dimensions as well as interpret him for our age. A special section focused on Darío and the United States, opening with an essay by Jorge Eduardo Arellano, incorporates an essential component in this compilation; and a portfolio of images of Darío reveals him in various roles and guises, also suggested by Spanish artist Daniel Vásquez Díaz’s marvelous painting, “Rubén Darío Dressed as a Monk,” reproduced on the cover of this special issue.
In addition to the contents devoted to Darío and his legacy, Review 97 includes features such as a memorial piece, by Sergio Ramírez, on the late Nicaraguan poet Claribel Alegría, both old friends of and contributors to Review; an interview with and fiction by Mónica Lavín, Mexican author and 2017 fellow of CCNY’s Cátedra Mario Vargas Llosa; a personal reflection by Alberto García Ferrer on Gabriel García Márquez, and an overview of contemporary Venezuelan literature, by Lyda Aponte de Zacklin, paired with a story by her countryman, Humberto Mata. The issue concludes with reviews of newly translated Latin American titles, and of other books on literature and art from the region.
I thank Andrew Reynolds for his expertise, commitment, and vision in developing this special issue and thank all the contributors—scholars, writers, translators, and reviewers alike—as well as our valued advisory board members and editorial staff. I invite our readers to join me in looking back as well as forward in the pages that follow to honor and celebrate Rubén Darío, and to revel in the great gift of Modernismo that he ushered in more than 130 years ago, a tradition that continues bearing fruit to the present day.
Notes
1 Throughout this issue, the terms Modernismo and Modernista are set in either upper or lower case “m,” reflecting different stylistic approaches among academics vis-à-vis these terms.