750 HISPANIA 77 DECEMBER 1994 Mexican Autobiography: An Essay and Annotated Bibliography Richard D. Woods Trinity University Abstract: The introductory essay traces tendencies in Mexican autobiography and outlines a variety of subgenres, focusing mainly on lifewritings since 1980. The annotated bibliography complements the author's previous bibliography of the genre up to 1980, since continuums and contrasts of the two large periods, 1492- 1979 and 1980-1993, illuminate the characteristics of this neglected genre. The bibliography of 347 entries denotes a growing field of endeavor in Mexican writing that is in need of critical attention and recognition. Key Words: autobiographical novel, autobiography proper, bibliography, diaries, journals, letters, memoirs, Mexican Americans, Mexico, oral autobiography, testimony, women's writing Mexican autobiography exists. It In spite of the large number of autobiog- may seem strange, but the fact raphies noted, the genre has received little that the substantial body of recognition from Mexican scholars and spo- lifewritings in that country has simply not radic attention in the U.S. An exception, received attention makes such a declaration Sylvia Molloy's At Face Value.- Autobio- necessary. While the Mexican novel, short graphical Writing in Spanish America story, drama, poetry and essay find an easy (1991), signals the scholarly world to some forum, this is not true for autobiography. classical examples, but since the book cov- Without broaching all the possible reasons ers a wide geographical area, the focus on for the neglect, one might venture to say Mexico is understandably limited to its best that the disregarding of a form so pervasive known autobiographer, Jose Vasconcelos. in the Western world may be a distinguish- Another exception is Elzbieta Sklodowska's ing feature of the Hispanic World. In the 1992 study, Testimonioshispanoamericanos, major cultures of the Western world, auto- evidently prompted by autobiography in a biography is easily recoverable, and bibli- more popular form: Si me permiten hablar ographies on this genre exist for the United (1978), , Ribogerta Menchu (1984) and He States, England, France, and Germany. agotado mi vida en la miua (1992), all tes- Electronic searches have enhanced the tify to collaboration between foreign anthro- capability to uncover examples. The 347 pologist and native subject. The academy is entries which form this bibliography con- also becoming alert to Mexican autobiogra- tinue the effort began in my 1988 Mexican phy as evidenced by Magdalena Maiz's Autobiography.-An A nnotated Bibliography. 1992 Ph. D. dissertation from Arizona State The present bibliography includes three University, "(Entre)textos: Perfil de la types of autobiographies: (1) those pub- autobiografia moderna mexicana." lished since 1988 and unavailable for my More has been done on U.S. Hispanics, initial efforts; (2) those published in any given the impetus from Richard Rodriguez's period but overlooked because of lack ofHunger ofMemory (1982). My Hzitory, Not access to major collections; (3) and finally, Yours.- The Formation of Mexican American those published since 1980 and noted in the Autobiography (1993) by Genaro M. Padilla previous bibliography of 1988. Fifteen en- mentions several examples that tie the U.S. tries are repeated here to give coherence to to Mexico, at least in lifewriting. Earlier, this genre in the post 1980 years. Julian Olivares's thematic issue "U.S. His- This content downloaded from 151.197.183.37 on Sun, 28 Feb 2021 11:55:36 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms MEXICAN AUTOBIOGRAPHY: AN ESSAY AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 751 panic Autobiography" in Americas and Review multiple collections of letters are virtu- (1988) collected seven articles on lifewriting ally ignored. in the U.S. Foreign scholars whether of history or of Not withstanding the above ventures, literature, the have a better record of noting contention that Mexican autobiography Mexican lifewriting than do natives. Eladio suffers neglect is easily documented Cortes's in (Dictionary an ofMexican Literature examination of reference books, (Westport, antholo- CT: Greenwood Press, 1992) gies, and journals. Both foreign and mentions native autobiography more than any reference books, bibliographies, dictionar-other reference book of its kind on Mexico. ies/encyclopedias, and literary histories,Furthermore, a perusal of two of the best accord some recognition to the known various Latin American reference books in genres. Bibliographies, beginning the in U.S. 1926 indicates a growing interest in and ending in 1992 register few Mexicanexamples and Latin American from 1988 to of lifestories. One curiosity is the 1993. lack Both of the HispanuicAmerican Periodi- agreement on what constitutes a proper cals Index la- and The Handbook of Latin bel for autobiography: relatos, autobiograffa, American Studies register a few articles and crdnicas, viajes, narraciones, cartas, book reviews and on the topic. Prior to 1988 no memorias all may categorize lifewritings. such interest is manifest in these two in- Suggesting the fluidity of labels in dexes Mexican of Latin American studies. autobiography, these seven terms Abecome third type of reference book, the liter- more confusing in classifying novels ary ofhistory, the may either mention autobiog- Revolution. Historical bibliographies, raphy or implyin non-existence or unimpor- contrast to those of literature, tancevalidate by omission. Books of this sort are lifewriting as valuable for historians also problematic sub- in labeling the novel of the stantiating a period through autobiographi- Mexican Revolution. In examining thirteen cal writings. Three bibliographies books by Mexi-of this type for the mention or omis- can historians record the presence sion of of auto- lifewriting, it appears that Mexican biography in surveys for which there literary is noscholars approaching the novel of corresponding effort among literary the schol-Revolution, while vacillating between ars: Roberto Ramos's three-volume Biblio- fiction and non-fiction, recognize novels, graffa de la Revolucidn Miexicana (Mexico: poetry, short stories, and drama, clearly, but Instituto Nacional de Estudios Historicos de not autobiography. la Revoluci6n Mexicana, 1959-1960), Luis A less literate populace is exposed to a Gonzalez, Fuentes de la historia contem- type of publication often used in high school pordnea de Mdxico (3 vols. Mexico: El and college-the anthology. By their inclu- Colegio de Mexico, 1961), and Veinticinco sions (and exclusions) anthologists alert a a-os de investigacidn h istdrica en Mdxico new reading public to the canonical works (M1xico: El Colegio de Mexico, 1966). within national literature. An examination of Three major reference books published sixteen anthologies in pursuit of autobiog- in Mexico on Mexican writing give little at- raphy revealed the following data: five to- tention to autobiography: Diccionario de tally excluded the genre; four comment on escritores mexicanos (Mexico: UNAM, the presence of autobiography but do not 1967), Diccionario Porrzia. Historia, bio- supplement their comments with selec- grafia y geografia de MNdxico (Me xico: Edi- tions; the third category both mentions au- torial Porrfia, 1986) and Enciclopedia de tobiography and includes selections and Mcdxico (Mexico: Secretaria de Educaci6n has seven anthologists who show little una- Piiblica, 1987-1988). Lifewriting may be nimity of choice. Fr. Mier, Cortes, Diaz del mentioned, but is rarely emphasized as sig- Castillo, Sor Juana In~s de la Cruz, Jose nificant in the corpus of authors' work. For Guridi y Alcocer and Justo Sierra compete example, in these reference works Alfonso for autobiographical space. Only Antonio Reyes's three identifiable autobiographies Castro Leal in his La novela dela Revolucidu This content downloaded from 151.197.183.37 on Sun, 28 Feb 2021 11:55:36 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms 752 HISPANIA 77 DECEMBER 1994 mexicana (Mexico: Aguilar, 1963) considered golden age of Mexican autobiography. For Martin Luis Guzman, Nellie Campobello, within Jose a space of eleven years, 1928 to 1938, Ruben Romero, Francisco Urquizo and twelve Jose masterpieces reached the public in- Vasconcelos as having written novels cluding of an Martin Luis Guzmin's El dgzila y autobiographical character. The focused la serpiente and Las memorias de Pancho genre here is again slighted for the Villa, more four works by Jose Vasconcelos, with traditional forms of the novel, short Jises story, cHollo as the outstanding, three byJose poem, or essay. Ruben Romero, two by Nellie Campobello Journals can be another medium for au-and Salvador Novo's Continente vaclo. Thus tobiography. A perusal of 35 journals Mexicanspub- before and after the 1930s have lished between 1929-1983 rendered a total never duplicated the lifewritings of this one of 95 reviews of autobiography. Perhaps the prodigious decade. treatment of this genre is endemic to Mexi- For an inexplicable reason, Mexicans do can reviewing. Reviewers routinely give nota cultivate or at least do not publish dia- summary of contents without evaluation, ries. Several autobiographies carry the la- description without analysis, little attempt bel "diary," but the word carelessly used to grasp the purpose of the autobiographer, indicates more a journal or a memoir. The and no recognition of autobiography as intimatea communication with the self finds genre. little favor. Regardless of form,