Majorie agosín
Biography / Criticism
Marjorie agosín was born in Maryland and raised in Chile. She and her parents, Moises and Frida agosín, moved to the United States due to the overthrow of the Chilean government by General Pinochet's military coup. Coming from a South American country and being Jewish, agosín's writings demonstrate a unique blending of these cultures.
agosín is well known as a poet, critic, and human activist. She is also a well-known spokesperson for the plight and priorities of women in Third World countries. Her deep social concerns and accomplishments have earned her many awards and recognitions, and she has gained an international reputation among contemporary women of color.
agosín, a passionate writer, has received critical acclaim for her poetry collections, her close reflections on her parents and family, and her multi-layered stories. Within every novel, story, or poem, she captures the very essence of Jewish women at their best. agosín's works reveal the experiences of pain and anguish of Jewish refugees. She writes about the Holocaust as well as anti-Semitic events that occurred in her native land.
In her collection of bilingual poems, Dear Anne Frank, agosín shares a remarkable imaginary relationship with this Jewish girl who perished in a concentration camp during WWII. A specific poem from this collection is "Tapestries of Hope-Threads of Love," which details the life of a young woman under the Pinochet dictatorship.
In Uncertain Travelers, agosín tells stories from multiple points-of-view that chronicle how her refugee European family acclimated to the unfamiliar territories in Chile. These stories are complex and discuss the difficulty of traveling for Jews between the years 1939 to 1970. agosín has also interviewed nine Jewish women immigrants who arrived in the United States from Europe and Latin America during these decades. Some came as children, some as adults. Some were well off; others were refugees. These conversations reveal the women's diverse experiences of exile and demonstrate the varying attitudes immigrants have towards North and South American politics and culture.
Two books that reflect her close connection to her parents and family are Always from Somewhere Else: A Memoir of my Chilean Jewish Father and A Cross and a Star: Memoirs of a Jewish Girl in Chile. In Always from Somewhere Else, agosín remembers her late father Moises. His life reflected the lives of so many Jewish men: he was a doctor, a scientist, and a classical pianist. The memoir explores the boundaries of national and cultural identities. Yet one reviewer thought this book problematic: "Though the prejudice her family encountered was deplorable and undeserved, agosín's black-and-white portrayal makes the history of their difficulties ring hollow, the stuff of allegories and fairy tales, not real life" (Kirkus 16).
In A Cross and a Star: Memoirs of a Jewish Girl in Chile, a mother and daughter narrate this beautifully written memoir. agosín exposes the tremendous anti-Semitism that erupted during World War II, all the while capturing the astounding beauty of the southern tip of the world and the painful memories of a sensitive Jewish girl growing up among Nazi colonizers. "agosín's courage in tackling thorny topics - Jewish diasporas, cultural estrangement, Latin American fascism - renders a highly personal narrative powerful and appealing" (Kirkus 8).
agosín has many fascinating works and is recognized in both North and South America as one of the most versatile and provocative Latin American writers. agosín became a writer to make a difference: "I wanted to change the world through peace and beauty," she said. Today she is not only a writer, but also a Spanish professor at Wellesley College.
Selected Bibliography
Works by the Author
- The Angel of Memory - El angel de la memoria (2001)
- The Alphabet in My Hands: A Writing Life (2000)
- Uncertain Travelers: Conversations with Jewish Women Immigrants to America (1999)
- Always From Somewhere Else: A Memoir of my Chilean Jewish Father (1998)
- An Absence of Shadows (1998)
- A Women's Gaze: Latin American Women Artists (1998)
- Melodius Women (1997)
- Starry Night: Poems (1996)
- A Cross and a Star: Memoirs of a Jewish Girl in Chile (1995)
- Sagrada Memoria: Reminicencias de una nina judia en Chile (1994)
Works about the Author
- Allen, Frank. Miriam's Daughters: Jewish Latin American Women Poets; Bilingual Edition. Library Journal. New York: Feb. 1, 2001; Vol. 126, Iss. 2; pg. 100.
- Arrington, T.R. "Amigas: Letters of friendship and exile." Choice. Middletown: Jan. 2002; Vol. 39, Iss. 5; pg. 886.
- Becker, Jennifer. "Alphabet Soup: Author's life hardly recalled to the letter." Boston Herald. Boston: 2000.
- Bush, Vanessa. "The Alphabet in My Hands." The Booklist. Chicago: Dec. 1999; Vol. 96, Iss. 7; pg. 680.
- De Aguilar. "One Hundred Years of Company: Remarks on Latin American Poetry." Parnassus: Poetry in Review. New York: 2001; Vol. 25, Iss. 1 and 2; pg. 518-519.
- Kaneellos, Nicolas. "Biographical dictionary of Hispanic literature in the United States: the literature of Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and other Hispanic Writers." Greenwood Press. United States: 1989.
- Kirkus Associates. "Always from Somewhere Else: A Memoir of my Chilean Jewish Father." Kirkus Reviews, c1998; pg. 16.
- Kirkus Associates. "A Cross and a Star: Memoirs of a Jewish Girl in Chile." Kirkus Reviews, c1999; pg. 8.
- Knapp, Bettina. "A Map of Hope: Women's Writing on Human Rights - An International Literary Anthology." World Literature Today. Norman: 2000; Vol.74, Iss. 3; pg.689.
- McCune, Mary. "Uncertain Travelers: Conversations with Jewish Women Immigrants to America." Journal of Women's History. Bloomington: 2001; Vol. 13, Iss. 2; pg. 204.
- Muhs, Gabrilla Gutierres Y. "Letters kept these women rooted." National Catholic Reporter. Kansas City: Oct. 26, 2001; Vol. 38, Iss. 1; pg. 38.
- Olszewski, Lawrence. "The Alphabet in My Hands: A Writing Life." Library Journal. New York: Nov. 1999; Vol. 124, Iss. 18; pg. 79.
- Platt, Kamala. "A Dream of Light and Shadow: Portraits of Latin American Women Writers." Melus. Los Angeles: 2000; Vol. 25, Iss. 2; pg. 222.
- Raeschild, S. "The Alphabet in My Hands: A Writing Life." Choice. Middletown: May 2000; Vol. 37, Iss. 9; pg. 1654.
- Shattuck, Kathryn. "The Alphabet in My Hands." New York Times Book Review. New York: Sep. 2000; pg. 15.
- Zaleski, Jeff. "The Alphabet in My Hands: A Writing Life." Publishers Weekly. New York: Nov. 1999; Vol. 246, Iss. 45; pg. 53.
Works in Languages other than English
- Spanish
- Lluvia en el Desierto (Rain in the Desert): Poems. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Sherman Asher, 1999.
- El Gesto de la Ausencia. Santiago: Editorial Cuarto Propio, 1999.
- Las Chicas Desobedientes. Madrid: Ediciones Torremozas, 1997.
- Mujeres de Humo. Madrid: Torremozas, 1987.
- Noche Estrellada. Coral Gables, Florida: North-South Center Press, University of Miami, 1996;
- Santiago, Chile: LOM Ediciones, 1996.
- Las Alfareras. Providencia, Santiago: Editorial Cuarto Propio, 1994.
- Segrada Memoria: Reminiscencias De una Nia Juda en Chile: Providencia, Santiago: Editorial Cuarto Propio, 1994.
- La Felicidad. Santiago: Editorial Cuarto Propio, 1991.
- Hogueras. Santiago de Chile: Editorial Universitaria, 1986.
- Conchal. New York: Senda Nueva de Ediciones, 1980.
- El Lenguaje Femenino Frente a la Violencia en la Literature Latinoamericana, Taller de Letras, 32 (2003): 125-126.
- Las Palabras de Miriam, con Elina Wechsler. Madrid: Ediciones Torremozas, 1999.
- Gabriela Mistral. Santiago, Chile: Pontificia Universidad Catlica de Chile, 1996.
- El Poder de la Palabra: Cultura, Censura y Voz, con Meredith Tax. Lima, Pru: Ediciones Flora Tristn, 1996.
- Otro Modo de Ser: Poesa Hispnica de Mujeres, con Emma Seplveda-Pulvirenti. San Juan, P.R.: Mairena, 1994.
- Las Hacedoras: Mujer, Imagen, Escritura. Santiago: Editorial Cuarto Propio, 1993.
- Literatura Fantstica del Cono Sur: Las Mujeres. San Jos: EDUCA, 1992.
- Violeta Parra, o La Expression Ineffable: Un Anlisis Crtico de su Poesa, Prosa, y Pintura, con Ins Dlz Blackburn. Santiago: Planeta, 1992.
- La Literature y los Derochos Humanos: Aproximaciones, Lecturas y Encuentros. San Jos, Costa Rica: Editorial Universitaria Centroamericana, 1989.
- Violeta Parra, Santa de Pura Greda: Un Estudio de su Obra Potica, con Ins Dlz Blackburn. Santiago: Planeta, 1988.
- Mara Luisa Bombal: Apreciaciones Crticas. Tempe, Arizona: Editorial Bilunge, 1987.
- Silencio e Imaginacin: Metforoas de la Escritura Femenina. Mexico, D.F.: Editorial Katn, 1986.
- Las Desterradas del Paraso, Protagonistas en la Narrativa de Mara Luisa. New York: Senda Nueva de Ediciones, 1983.
Related Links
Chelsea Forum
Provides additional information on Agosín.
Wellesley College
Provides descriptions of additional works.
Central Oregon Community College page
Provides links to other essays by Agosín.
New Mexico Culture Net
Agosín's poem "Jerome for John," in both English and Spanish
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